THE PICK OF THE MORNING’S STORIES
Keating queries stance on China – Melbourne Age report of Paul Keating challenging a central tenet of Kevin Rudd’s multibillion-dollar, 20-year military blueprint, with a warning the Government has taken too defensive a stance in response to China’s rise in the Asia-Pacific region.
Holden running on empty with bumpy road ahead – auditors note its uncertain future in the company accounts – Melbourne Age
Massive assault on Taliban – Brendan Nicholson, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, reports for the Melbourne Age from Kabul
POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
Australia
Economic matters
Trade deficit deepens to $556m – trade balance has remained in deficit for the second straight month as the nation’s exports continued to decline. Economists say the monthly deficits are likely to continue due to demand for imported goods rises as the local economy recovers toward the end of 2009 – Adelaide Advertiser
Politicians’ perks
Ex-MP clocks $48,516 of travel – Melbourne Age. SMH version
Political behaviour
Federal MPs rival most unruly in Australian history – Michael Harvey of the Melbourne Herald Sun writes that only an early election can save our present crop of federal MPs from rivalling the most unruly since Federation. Halfway through this stormy parliamentary term, there have been 107 suspensions from the House of Representatives. That’s on track to challenge the previous Parliament’s record of 223.
Aboriginal affairs
Sorry state of indigenous abuse, says Productivity Commission report – The Australian
Some rays of light between the clouds for remote indigenous communities – The Australian
Billions ‘wasted’ on intervention in Aboriginal areas – Brisbane Courier Mail
Labor acts to close Aboriginal health gap – Sydney Morning Herald
Child abuse six times higher for Aborigines – the latest two-yearly study from the Federal Government’s Productivity Commission shows little or no improvement in many areas of social and economic inequality – Melbourne Age
World game offers endless opportunities for young indigenous people – writes Warren Mundine in the Sydney Morning Herald on the eve of the inaugural Indigenous Football Festival in Townsville
Foreign policy
Keating queries stance on China – Melbourne Age report of Paul Keating challenging a central tenet of Kevin Rudd’s multibillion-dollar, 20-year military blueprint, with a warning the Government has taken too defensive a stance in response to China’s rise in the Asia-Pacific region.
PM Kevin Rudd too defensive on China: Paul Keating – The Australian.
Foreign Students
‘Welcome’ move on students – Darebin Council gets federal funds to develop programs to support greater contact between students and local communities – Melbourne Age
Education
League tables fine crazy, says Gillard – of a NSW law – Melbourne Age
Tables stance is right: O’Farrell – Sydney Morning Herald
Child care to get young school-ready – Yesterday’s meeting of state and federal governments agreed to a national childhood strategy, the first step towards a nationally consistent child-care system – Melbourne Age
Royal commission
Brumby leaps to defence of embattled Country Fire Authority chief – Melbourne Age
Flee and survive: Bushfire focus now on communications in historic overhaul – Melbourne Herald Sun
Leadership
Martin Hamilton-Smith refuses to quit SA Liberal leadership – Adelaide Advertiser
Public service
Huge payouts to bureaucrats running down Victorian Department of Human Services – Melbourne Herald Sun
Opinion
Goodwill fosters security – Paul Keating – an edited extract from the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Lecture delivered last night at Curtin University, Perth, published in the Melbourne Age. The full text is on the site here.
The effects of climate talks in Italy will reverberate for Rudd – Michelle Grattan in the Melbourne Age looks at next week’s major economies forum on climate change being held in Italy.
House of Lords knows how to skewer this devil – Richard Ackland in the Sydney Morning Herald yearns for some Law Lordish views in Australia
Malcolm Turnbull risks Humpty Dumpty effect – Dennis Shanahan in The Australian
Other
Afghanistan
Massive assault on Taliban – Brendan Nicholson, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, reports for the Melbourne Age from Kabul that Coalition troops in Afghanistan have been ordered to take extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties as they embark on a new air and ground offensive that will be a high-risk test of US President Barack Obama’s new war plan.
Indonesian election
Candidates vow to support elected leader – Jakarta Post
BUSINESS
Credit unions outpace regional rivals – The Australian
\Holden running on empty with bumpy road ahead – auditors note its uncertain future in the company accounts – Melbourne Age
Yabulu deal sealed: 2000 jobs safe – Townsville Bulletin
ENVIRONMENT
Swedish firm likely to fund Gunns’ pulp mill – Melbourne Age
Yes, Minister, it all sounds very familiar – Lawrence Money and Suzanne Carbone in the Melbourne Age find a Federal Minister and Gunns using very similar words about a pulp mill
Renewable energy may cost less than coal power – Sydney Morning Herald
MEDIA
Multicultural radio presenter linked to anti-immigration Facebook groups – the Melbourne Age reports that a presenter for a NSW community radio station that specialises in multicultural programming has been reprimanded after she was revealed to be an administrator of several racist, anti-immigration groups on Facebook.
Tabcorp pulls plug on Sport 927 – Melbourne Age quotes 927 executive pondering whether the decision not to broadcast the station in TAB agencies is the result of his station taking advertisements from the corporate bookmaker Sportingbet
Kevin Rudd’s spin puts spell on Canberra press gallery – according to The Australian’s Imre Salusinzky.
PM turns on News over OzCar affair – Kevin Rudd has called for a public debate on journalistic ethics, rounding on several News Limited publications over reporting of the OzCar affair – The Australian
LIFE
Consumer affairs
Consumers blind to toxic dangers at greengrocer – Sydney Morning Herald
Cab drivers
Cab drivers untrained, unlicensed – industry groups say – Melbourne Age
Swine flu
Doctor attacks official response to flu outbreak – Medical Journal of Australia article reported in the Melbourne Age
Swine flu ‘will kill more children’ – Brisbane Courier Mail
Animal welfare
Animal testing experiments kill one animal every hour – Sydney Daily Telegraph tells of 8813 animals – including birds, guinea pigs and endangered marsupials – killed in NSW during 12 months of trials. Another 16,000 were kept conscious and subjected to a “a moderate or large degree of pain/distress that is not effectively alleviated”.
Motor cars
Sydney mayor Clover Moore gets closer to a ban on cars – Sydney Daily Telegraph
Sporting lives
Lote Tuqiri flop seals $15m of wasted talent – The ARU’s bold vision of league converts is in tatters after Lote Tuqiri joined Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers as union discards – at the hefty price of $15 million – Sydney Daily Telegraph
Jim Stynes’ wife sam declares faith in husband’s fighting spirit – Melbourne Herald Sun on Melbourne Football Club president’s battle with cancer
Law and order
Warning issued on police Taser risks – Melbourne Age reports on a Queensland police study of the stun gun use. SMH version
Hoons video brazen street race – Adelaide Advertiser
Kidnapper wins $135,000 payout for prison accident – after complaining a prison accident left her unable to garden, play tennis, drive or work – Melbourne Herald Sun
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