SIMON Moss, the general manager of the Global Poverty Project, asked a simple question at a lecture theatre at the University of Canberra this week. “Do you think that global poverty has got worse or better in the past two decades?” he asked an audience of mainly students. Continue reading “Getting better for world’s poorest”
Category: Uncategorized
Court makes Rudd health options harder
IT WOULD would take just one word – “health”.
If that word were added to the list of Commonwealth powers in Section 51 of the Constitution, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would have the chance to change Australia’s health system along the lines suggested in this week’s report by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. Continue reading “Court makes Rudd health options harder”
Put Telstra out of its misery
SOMETIMES it takes a long time for politicians to grasp the obvious.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said this week that the Government would be open to changing Telstra’s ownership structure, including separating its retail and wholesale (infrastructure) businesses. Continue reading “Put Telstra out of its misery”
Freeways just get clogged
THE time for public submissions into the environmental impact of the Majura Parkway expired this week.
But the trouble with the parkway is not environmental – it goes through a bit of clapped out kangaroo and cattle country. The problem is more an economic one and one of federal-territory relations. Continue reading “Freeways just get clogged”
Relieving tax-return burden
About 12 million Australians, from this week, will begin doing tax returns.
It is a massive amount of paperwork even with the Australian Tax Office’s splendid e-tax system. And most of it is utterly unnecessary. Continue reading “Relieving tax-return burden”
Logic of newspapers’ survival
THE news about news came right from the very top.
The chief executive of News Ltd, Australia’s largest newspaper company, John Hartigan, told us that newspapers in Australia are not dying in the face of the internet. Continue reading “Logic of newspapers’ survival”
Questioning Opposition judgment
JUST like the rest of us, Members of Parliament have to question how they come to conclusions about the world and people around them.
It requires judgment to assess the degree of proof needed before coming to a conclusion and it requires character and courage to admit when you are wrong. Continue reading “Questioning Opposition judgment”
Work on minds not climate science
MAYBE something came of the trip to the United States to investigate climate change by family first Senator Steve Fielding. He might even have become convinced that the Earth is round. Continue reading “Work on minds not climate science”
Gold building saved but who will save church?
A SHORT way out of the town of Beechworth you can find the powder magazine. It was built in 1859 out of local granite to store gunpowder used in underground mining which began shortly after easy alluvial gold had been extracted. Continue reading “Gold building saved but who will save church?”
Openness pays for public and pollies
THIS week I was given some pertinent advice during a course for directors of non-for-profit companies.
It was one of several questions directors should ask themselves about making decisions. The question to ask was: “Would the board be embarrassed if its decision and the process employed in arriving at it appeared on the front page of a newspaper?” Continue reading “Openness pays for public and pollies”