Crikey

Moving the goalposts on cash splashes and wage cases

Bernard Keane — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:20 +0000

What role should the budget's cash handouts play in wage determinations? There's a long history to the issue.

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Oz Council review: smart reform, but will Crean have the cash/courage?

Ben Eltham — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:19 +0000

Angus James and Gabrielle Trainor's review of the Australia Council is a bold yet sensible reform blueprint for an organisation that badly needs reform. But can it really be implemented?

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Impending Abbott doom frustrates ACTU conference

Matthew Knott — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:18 +0000

In a masterful display of linguistic contortionism, Julia Gillard managed to avoid mentioning either the Health Services Union or Craig Thomson by name in her speech to the ACTU congress yesterday. But the prime minister’s message was clear:...

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Rundle: Greece is now the cutting edge of the world

Guy Rundle — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:17 +0000

Greece is a harbinger of what will happen not merely in Europe, but across the world over the next decade as the vast global superbubble of neoliberalism slowly deflates.

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War on privacy: committee sends Roxon back to drawing board

Bernard Keane — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:16 +0000

Nicola Roxon's efforts to establish a process for expanding national security powers has suffered a hiccup, with the powerful Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security asking her to redraft it.

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RBA has no idea just how the housing market works

Adam Schwab — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:15 +0000

It appears the RBA’s thinking is that house prices are falling because people expect house prices to fall and because people are fearful of losing their jobs.

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Gotcha! Rebekah Brooks ‘perverted the course of justice’

Paul Barry — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:14 +0000

Gotcha! Rupert Murdoch’s favourite editor, Rebekah Brooks, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and will face a jury trial that could send her to jail. The charges allege she withheld documents and computer files from police...

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Kohler: Goldilocks and the three shocks

Alan Kohler — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:13 +0000

In the past one to two years, women aged 55-plus have suddenly gone online, en masse ... and they control the nation’s purse strings.

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Labor primaries an intellectually lazy answer

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:12 +0000

If you can manage three terms as premier of NSW or Victoria without primary elections, maybe the problem isn't the process after all, writes Luke Walladge, a long-time ALP member and former staffer and campaigner.

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World Championship Chess: king of the chess world, friend to despots

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:12 +0000

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov used to be president of the impoverished Russian Republic of Kalmykia but now seems to have adopted the role as roving ambassador for Russia in countries ruled by despots, writes Australia’s first Grandmaster Ian Rogers from...

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Why are gene patents so controversial?

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:10 +0000

Four thousand human genes have already been patented and Melissa Parke and Bill Heffernan want to ban all patents on human genes. Scott Barnes asks the experts on why these patents are so controversial.

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The Urbanist: the pros and cons of congestion charging

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:10 +0000

Every time governments contemplate massive investments in urban road infrastructure, it’s instructive to bear in mind there’s a much better alternative. Instead of building something gargantuan like a road tunnel, they could instead...

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Lifting the lid on political integrity

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:09 +0000

Crikey readers have their say.

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Markets down again as Greece continues to stutter

Marcus Padley — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:08 +0000

The Dow has been down in 9 of the last 10 sessions.

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Bikies turn on viewers, MasterChef cools

Glenn Dyer — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:08 +0000

MasterChef should have done better at 7.30pm than the 954,000 viewers it attracted.

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ACMA upholds Sandilands … GetUp! ad snub …

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:07 +0000

In today's Media Briefs: Front Page of the Day ... ACMA upholds Kyle Sandilands ruling ... GetUp! anti-supermarket pokies ad refused airtime by TV networks and more ...

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Craig Thomson continues to get the press

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:07 +0000

Thomson himself remained third in our chart but narrowed the gap on top spot claiming in interview that he was framed.

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Out with the working families

Richard Farmer — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:06 +0000

It’s in with the working people. Prime Minister Julia Gillard had seven references to them in her speech yesterday to the ACTU Congress.

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Pyongyang in Brizze … not very appy with The Oz …

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:05 +0000

From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours … The day Brisbane turned into Pyongyang. Seems the new Premier has upset a few people up north today. “Kim Jong Newm-Un brings Brisbane City to a grinding halt today for the opening of...

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QC announces charges against Rebekah Brooks

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:04 +0000

“There is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction,” said Alison Levitt, QC, announcing that Rebekah Brooks has been charged with perverting the course of justice.

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We will decide how terrible ASIO are and the circumstances under which they are really terrible

Firstdog — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:04 +0000

Buy this cartoon as a poster! Click here.

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Sun misses a great ‘gotcha’

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:49:03 +0000

We're not saying news of "British beauty" Rebecca Black being thrown into a Dubai jail "after being accused of having naked s-x in the back of a taxi" isn't a great yarn.

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Gotcha: Brooks charged, Rundle on Greek crisis, US slaps Roxon on intel, ALP member: primaries won’t work, inside the ACTU conference, Oz Council report analysed

Crikey — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:48:36 +0000

Oke, Kanis to contest bitter byelection battle for Melbourne

Andrew Crook — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:52:21 +0000

Melbourne city councillor Cathy Oke will take on her council ally, Labor's Jennifer Kanis, in the byelection battle for the heart and soul of Melbourne.

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Mamamia, Shorten’s questions from ‘working families’

Amber Jamieson — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:07:31 +0000

It seems Labor MPs are trying to sell their budget message through any outlet possible, with Minister for Employment Bill Shorten answering questions from querying mothers on Mia Freedman's Mamamia.

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