It’s all been hypothetical up until now. Now it’s serious. This industrial relations law business takes on a whole new complexion with the Spring Racing carnival under threat. The Julia Gillard system is about to undergo its big test – get those little jockeys back to work!
THE FRONT PAGES OF THIS MORNING’S PAPERS
POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
Australia
Privatisation
Joe Tripodi in new power sell-off – The NSW government will be out of the electricity business by the middle of next year under a privatisation plan unveiled yesterday. A key element of the plan is the government’s insistence that the sell-off produce a new player in the electricity market, even if that means divesting some of its assets in the form of a public float – The Australian
Property development
I was forced to quit Australia by McGurk, says financier – A businessman says he was forced to flee Australia and move to Hawaii after the murdered standover man Michael McGurk threatened to ruin his life. As the murky professional dealings of Mr McGurk continue to be exposed, it was announced the parliamentary inquiry into the McGurk affair would begin on September 29 – Sydney Morning Herald
Planning objector fee ‘not on agenda’ – Premier John Brumby has distanced himself from suggestions residents should be charged to object to developments in their neighbourhood – Melbourne Age
Pork
Turnbull passes on park photo-op – Unlike the vast majority of his backbenchers, Malcolm Turnbull has declined a Government invitation to attend the opening of a community infrastructure project in his electorate – Sydney Morning Herald
Hospitals
Hospitals chase private cash as patients urged to use insurance – The Australian
Public opinion
Federal funds to test popular opinion on nuclear power – The federal government will fund research to test public opinion on nuclear power, despite Kevin Rudd’s implacable opposition to it as an energy option – The Australian
Bushfires
South Australia to have new bushfire warning system – Adelaide Advertiser
New ‘code red’ warning for dangerous fire days – Victoria’s most dangerous bushfire days, such as Black Saturday, will be labelled ”code red” under a new national fire warning system – Melbourne Age
Political life
Howard slams Rudd for ‘mendacity’ – John Howard has struck back politically and personally at Kevin Rudd’s characterisation of his government as indolent and uncaring neo-liberals, declaring the Prime Minister has reached “new heights of political mendacity” – The Australian
Labor’s big vote blunder – Parliament in SA has become a laughing stock because of a mismanaged vote which left the Government red-faced over one of its key pieces of legislation – Adelaide Advertiser
Political lurks and perks
Ex-MPs rush to fill seats on gravy plane – Former MPs have rushed to board the taxpayer-funded retirement gravy plane, with 58 more becoming eligible since the 2007 election and lodging claims for 1166 free flights worth $671,000 – Melbourne Age
Sanctions busting
Iraq payments were approved at top level: AWB – How much the Howard government knew about AWB Ltd’s payments to Saddam Hussein’s regime will be scrutinised in a shareholder class action starting in November – Sydney Morning Herald
Economic matters
Loan rates to hold as firms lay off workers – The Australian
Boom states keeping jobless level steady – Queensland and Western Australia have returned to being the nation’s most confident economies, with both states creating jobs last month at a time when the number of people in work nationally went backwards – The Australian
Spend stimulus on useful projects – A delegation of Queensland mayors has challenged Wayne Swan to spend more economic stimulus funds on productive infrastructure instead of new school buildings – The Australian
Teenagers bear brunt of recession – Fewer than half of the teenagers who have quit full-time school have found a full-time job, as the global recession has swollen the numbers of young Australians falling through the cracks – Melbourne Age
Jobs cause a jam on recovery road – Melbourne Herald Sun
Industrial relations
Nurses won’t take Julia Gillard’s medicine – Thousands of aged-care nurses fear they will lose up to $295 a week as a result of the Rudd government’s award overhaul, reigniting union demands for Julia Gillard to intervene or face workers leaving the health system – The Australian
Spring Racing Carnival in crisis as jockeys threaten to strike – Melbourne Herald Sun
Jockeys’ whip ultimatum in threat to stop racing if rules aren’t changed – The Australian
Jockeys’ snap strike whips up carnival fears – Melbourne Age
Jockey strike threat to Spring Racing carnival over whip rules – Sydney Daily Telegraph
Corruption
Gordon Nuttall staffers raised alarm over alleged deal – Senior Government figures were allegedly warned seven years ago that Gordon Nuttall was funnelling lucrative work to a Labor mate now at the centre of his latest corruption charges. A senior staff member of the disgraced former minister has detailed claims of how she and another colleague complained to then premier Peter Beattie’s office in 2002 about the alleged conduct – Brisbane Courier Mail
Crime links to doping race scandal – Officials fear widespread infiltration of Victorian racing by organised crime after revelations that underworld figures own a horse at the centre of a doping scandal and other pacers and thoroughbreds – Melbourne Age
Opinions
Give whip rule the flick now – Ken Callender in the Sydney Daily Telegraph says Sydney and Melbourne should go their own way and throw out the silly new whip rule.
Rudd demeans himself over history – John Howard in The Australian seeks to set the reform record straight and accuses Kevin Rudd of having demeaned himself.
Emergency measures no longer apply – Michael Stutchbury writes in The Australian that the Reserve Bank will remain unfazed by the softer jobs and retail numbers and is still set to start cautiously lifting its “emergency” 3 per cent cash rate before Christmas.
Sloppy Joe and the poodle – Dennis Shanahan argues in The Australian that the Rudd government has to stop worrying about its critics and the opposition and get on with the job of governing. We will all be better off for it and that includes Kevin Rudd, Wayne Swan, Julia Gillard and their Labor colleagues.
Turnbull needs to find his reform mojo to win this history war – Michelle Grattan writes in the Melbourne Age that the PM has thrown down the gauntlet on economic credentials.
La Gillardine lops Hockey’s left-wing conspiracy – Annabel Crabb writes in the Sydney Morning Herald about Joe Hockey’s difficult week.
Bad week for Julia, worse week for Joe – Phillip Coorey in the Sydney Morning Herald on the parliamentary week.
McGurk mystery gains a new life after death – writes Richard Ackland in the Sydney Morning Herald
Elsewhere
USA
Barack Obama fights for his remedy – Barack Obama is fighting to keep alive his push for a government-run health insurance scheme, after setting out his reform plan in a fiery speech to the US congress – The Australian
Opinions
Obama sets facts straight on health – writes E.J.Dionne in The Australian
BUSINESS
Packer invites Stokes onto ConsMedia board -Kerry Stokes has scored a stunning victory with James Packer agreeing to give him two seats on the Consolidated Media board in return for a 12-month standstill agreement – The Australian
ASIC tightens the reins on credit rating agencies – The Australian
ENVIRONMENT
Australia under pressure to boost climate funding – to help developing countries adapt to climate change, after the European Union revealed it would be willing to chip in up to $25 billion a year by 2020 – The Australian
Heritage buildings left to rot – SA heritage-listed buildings in the central business district are being left vacant because it has become unviable to develop them – Adelaide Advertiser
MEDIA
‘Idol’ accused of exploiting mentally ill – Channel Ten’s Australian Idol is exploiting mentally ill young people, with judges ridiculing and humiliating them in the name of entertainment, according to a complaint by health professionals – Melbourne Age
News.com.au named PANPA news website of the year – news.com.au
Full list of PANPA award winners – news.com.au
2Day to flick kill switch on Kyle Sandilands – Sydney Daily Telegraph
LIFE
Equality of the sexes
Front line war no place for women, Opposition says – Sydney Daily Telegraph
Women: RAAF wants you for its top guns – The chief of the Royal Australian Air Force yesterday appealed for more women to try out for elite fast jet pilot selection, saying he hoped to soon see the country’s first graduate female fighter pilot – The Australian
Twin sisters in all-girl gang bashing – Brisbane Courier Mail
Age of consent
Government could stop solo sailor Jessica Watson – Ways of stopping teen sailor Jessica Watson from trying to sail solo around the world are being investigated by Queensland Government officers. But it appears there are no laws that can prevent the 16-year-old sailing, despite the obvious risks – Sydney Daily Telegraph
Gender
Semenya has ‘no womb or ovaries’ – World athletics is in crisis over the gender of Caster Semenya after tests revealed the South African world champion has no womb or ovaries. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is ready to disqualify Semenya from future events and advise her to have immediate surgery because her condition carries grave health risks. They have also not ruled out stripping Semenya of her 800m world championships gold medal – Sydney Daily Telegraph
Swine flu
New wave of swine flu feared – Melbourne Age
Hendra virus
Victoria not immune from horse virus – Melbourne Age
The drink
Taxpayers pick up booze bill – Taxpayers are forking out millions of dollars so officials can wine and dine guests and entertain overseas dignitaries. Diplomats at the Department of Foreign Affairs were by far the biggest entertainers, spending just over $6 million on ”hospitality” at Australia’s 91 overseas missions – Brisbane Courier Mail
The punt
Tables same ‘rush’ as pokies – Former football star David Schwarz has contradicted Premier John Brumby on table gaming, saying that as an addict he made no distinction between table games and pokies – Melbourne Age
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