Month: September 2011

WE HAVE such short memories. One wet, cool summer and an Opposition scare campaign takes 20 per cent off support for action on climate change. Two years after the Montara oil spill and 17 months after the Deep Water Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Government continues to hand out exploration and drilling licences for oil off-shore. Continue reading “Foolish tax breaks for dangerous oil drilling”

IT LOOKS as if the Government is about to give the tobacco companies a leg to stand on in their objections to plain packaging.

If the Government cops another hiding in the High Court it will be entirely of its own making. The successful refugee challenge, remember, related to Howard-era legislation. If the tobacco companies have a win, or a partial win, it will be in relation to Gillard Government legislation. Continue reading “Plain packaging could go up in constitutional smoke”

THERE comes a time when a garden can be a greater expense and burden than a joy, and there is no need to have a large lounge room as well as a family room. And what about the fourth/bedroom study? Continue reading “Stamp duty blocks move to down-size”

LABOR MP Kelvin Thomson made an unintentional blunder in mid 2007 that almost certainly cost him a place in the new Rudd ministry. His subsequent backbench position, however, has given him the freedom to chime into the debate over what is perhaps the most important federal policy area – population. Continue reading “Witches hats make governing too hard”