Federal Politics

PM to deliver national security statement

22 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will deliver her first national security statement to Australia before the end of the year.

Abbott promises IR reforms

22 May 2012 | James Massola

Updated | Tony Abbott has promised his MPs a future Coalition government would deliver industrial relations reform that addressed the twin problems of union militancy and falling productivity.

Conroy accuses Turnbull of tech tax backflip

22 May 2012 |

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has accused the Coalition of “performing the backflip of the century” on the issue of global technology companies minimising Australian tax contributions.

NBN ‘cutting through’ despite Thomson affair

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has admitted the Craig Thomson affair is overshadowing the government’s political message but says the $36 billion national broadband network is still finding traction.

Mirabella may face privileges committee

22 May 2012 | James Massola

Updated | Labor is poised to refer a second Liberal MP to parliament’s privileges committee as it escalates a tit-for-tat war with the Opposition over parliamentary standards.

Miners should engage with Latin America: Ferguson

22 May 2012 |

Resources Minister Martin Ferguson is hoping more Australian mining companies set up operations in Latin America.

Wilkie backs pokies package

22 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

Updated | Independent MP Andrew Wilkie will support the government’s poker machine package after acknowledging that the current policy was the best offer available.

Thomson misled parliament: Liberals

22 May 2012 | James Massola

Updated | The Coalition has accused Craig Thomson of misleading the parliament on Monday and asked sidelined Speaker Peter Slipper to rule on whether he will face the privileges committee.

PM urges nations to dig deep for Afghanistan

22 May 2012 | John Kerin

Updated | PM Julia Gillard has used her final address to a Chicago summit on Afghanistan to urge other countries to follow Australia’s example and stump up cash to sustain Afghan security forces.

Co-operation, not conflict

22 May 2012 | Graeme Watson

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Co-operation, not conflict

The industrial relations system is overly focused on disputes at the expense of fostering fair and productive workplaces.

Sovereign wealth fund not a priority

22 May 2012 | Graham Bradley

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Sovereign wealth fund not a priority

It does not make sense to lock away funds when the nation is underinvested in infrastructure.

Australia’s Afghan aid under cloud

22 May 2012 | Jason Thomas

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Australia’s

The announcement by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, that Afghan security forces will take the lead in a third of all provinces coincides with Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s opinion that Australian troops can withdraw by 2013, a year earlier than expected. This means AusAid must deliver programs without the protection of Australian forces.

Qantas crunch time

22 May 2012 | John Stensholt

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 64 | Qantas crunch time

It is well known that Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce is a fan of good timing. Well an avid collector of old airline timetables, anyway.

Defend or extend school tests

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | Defend or extend tests

There were many good points in “Testing the NAPLAN divide” (May 19-20), but if we didn’t have NAPLAN tests how would ministers, parents, students know the literacy and numeracy levels of students?

World’s best treasurer passes buck

22 May 2012 | Zac Kerr

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | World’s best treasurer passes buck

Katie Walsh’s “Push for corporate tax cut intensifies” (May 16) neatly highlights the unprecedented level of buck passing being undertaken by the federal government. Despite the world’s best Treasurer being ultimately in charge of our economy and particularly our system of taxation, his focus and energies appear to have been so severely depleted in delivering his recent “battling budget” that he has now offloaded responsibility for delivering his own promised business tax cuts.

Smart leadership moves will turn defeat in to rout

22 May 2012 | Bob Muirhead

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | Smart leadership moves will turn defeat in to rout

If former senator John Black is actuallly serious “Revive Rudd or die on the vine” (Opinion, May 21) he demonstrates the backroom plotting and arrogant contempt for the electorate that has got Labor into its present mess. Labor seems destined for defeat at the election. Smart manoeuvres to change leaders for respectable defeat will simply turn that defeat into rout.

What Greece needs

22 May 2012 | J J Pincus

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | What Greece needs

Alan Mitchell’s Economic Outlook (“German generosity required”, May 21) unfavourably compares Germany’s insistence on Greek austerity, with America’s unconditional Marshall Aid after World War II: “Where American politicians were prepared to use their taxpayers’ money to rebuild Germany, regardless of fault, Germany was not prepared to be so forgiving of the Greeks for their errors.”

eHealth to save $11bn for budget

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | eHealth to save $11 billion

The Federal Government has claimed its troubled electronic health programs will save more than $11 billion over the next 15 years as its guns for a budget surplus.

How to deepen ties with Indonesia

22 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | How to deepen ties with Indonesia

Editorial | Relations between Australia and Indonesia will always be challenging given that no two neighbours are more dissimilar in so many ways.

Thomson clone claims possible

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Thomson clone claims possible

A top security expert has labelled phone cloning claims by embattled MP Craig Thomson as “far-fetched but possible.”

Abbott’s high praise for Michael Lawler

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 9 | High praise

Tony Abbott heaped praise on Michael Lawler when he appointed him as vice-president of the then-Australian Industrial Relations Commission in 2002. These are his comments:

Thomson: riveting yet unresolved

22 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Riveting yet unresolved

Tingle | The agony of the Craig Thomson affair continues, despite his powerful address to Parliament yesterday.

Abbott link with Lawler dismissed

22 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Abbott dismisses Lawler link

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has not spoken to a former appointee of his, Fair Work Australia’s vice president Michael Lawler, for years. Mr Lawler is the partner of Kathy Jackson.

IR power couple one hot item

22 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | IR power

Embattled MP Craig Thomson’s demands that Fair Work Australia answer questions about the role of one of its vice-presidents, Michael Lawler, in the investigation into the Health Services Union presents a quandary for the tribunal’s new president, Iain Ross.

Politics trumps principle

22 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Politics rides roughshod over principle

Kitney | Politics has trumped principle in the government’s handling of the Thomson affair, as it has in the opposition’s vicious campaign.

Thomson’s explanations fail to shed light

22 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Explanations fail to shed light

Craig Thomson gave a number of explanations over the findings of the Fair Work Australia report against him yesterday, many explained as a set up by two Health Services Union colleagues who resented him for improving the governance of the union.

Jackson demands right of reply

22 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Jackson seeks right of reply

The woman blamed by Craig Thomson for setting him up questioned the scandal-plagued MP’s sanity and demanded a right of reply against the allegation in Parliament.

Labor goes tit-for-tat on Kelly

22 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Labor’s tit-for-tat on Kelly

Labor plans to refer claims that a federal Liberal MP Craig Kelly did not adequately disclose his financial dealings to the parliamentary privileges committee in a tit for tat response to the Opposition’s referral of former ALP MP Craig Thomson’s disclosure problems.

Nation needs early election

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Nation needs early election

Editorial | Craig Thomson’s long awaited speech to the federal Parliament is unlikely to have changed any minds about whether he was responsible for the alleged misuse of union funds when he was the top official of the HSU.

Thomson gets a distinction in debating

22 May 2012 | Tony Walker

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | MP earns a distinction in debating

Right or wrong, Craig Thomson certainly knows how to present an argument.

‘It’s a Fair Work conspiracy’

22 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | ‘It’s a Fair Work conspiracy’

The Labor government preserved its tenuous hold on power after a defiant speech by MP Craig Thomson to Parliament that questioned whether a senior Fair Work Australia official had influenced a “selective and biased” investigation that found he misused union funds.

Challenge of collecting taxes from IT companies

22 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Clouding up tax revenue

Attempts to close loopholes that allow multinational technology companies to minimise local tax bills will become more difficult as a growing number of services move online.

Councils grill carbon tax chief on waste costs

22 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Councils grill carbon tax chief on costs

The woman with one of the toughest jobs in Australia – chairing the body overseeing the establishment of the carbon tax – has faced a grilling at a Senate estimates hearing over confusion among local councils.

IR’s review risks ‘missing the boat’: Watson

22 May 2012 | Michael Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Workplace review risks ‘missing the boat’

Fair Work Australia vice-president Graeme Watson has called for an overhaul of the nation’s industrial relations system which he says focuses on conflict at the expense of productivity.

FWA: conflict breeds conflict

22 May 2012 | Matthew Stevens

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | FWA: conflict breeds conflict

Fair Work Australia’s Graeme Watson argues that the system is trapped in an almost self-reinforcing focus on conflict.

The face of Labor’s ills

22 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | The face of Labor’s ills

Hewett | Even as an exercise in delusion, Craig Thomson’s hour-long speech was painful to watch.

Jackson discussed Thomson with Lawler

21 May 2012 |

Health Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson says she has discussed the dramas surrounding the Health Services Union with her partner, the deputy president of Fair Work Australia, Michael Lawler.

Palmer billboard in Swan's seat

21 May 2012 |

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has made his presence known in Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan's seat of Lilley.

Video | Thomson speaks out

21 May 2012 |

MP Craig Thomson defends himself against allegations he misused union funds, blasting the Opposition, former union colleagues, Fair Work Australia and the media.

Slipper still doing Speaker roles: Hogg

21 May 2012 |

Peter Slipper is still performing the roles of Speaker despite having stood aside from the role, a Senate estimates committee has heard.

Video | Craig Thomson in Parliament

21 May 2012 |

LIVE | Dobell MP Craig Thomson speaks to parliament about Fair Work Australia’s findings against him in the HSU scandal.

Aust, Malaysia to sign free trade deal

21 May 2012 |

Trade Minister Craig Emerson will sign a free trade agreement with Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Emotional Thomson attacks Abbott, FWA

21 May 2012 | James Massola

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Updated | Embattled MP Craig Thomson has declared Opposition Leader Tony Abbott unfit to be an MP and questioned what influence Fair Work Australia’s deputy, Michael Lawler, had over the agency’s investigation into allegations he misused Health Services Union funds.

PM boosts Afghan aid to $250m a year

21 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | PM boosts Afghan aid to $250m

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has boosted aid to Afghanistan to $250 million per year as part of a new long-term partnership with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Tongue-lashing for Kev

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | Tongue-lashing for Kev

ANZ Banking Group chief executive Mike Smith was his usual quotable self during an appearance on Friday at an Asia Business forum at Melbourne's Crown Palladium.

A swine line in politics

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | A swine line in politics

“It was only a couple of months ago that I joined some of you ... to launch Bacon Week and I’m pleased to join you again”, federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said.

Julia’s next 500 days

21 May 2012 | Nicholas Chaplin

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Julia’s next 500 days

The only reaction I see from many, many Australians to Prime Minister Julia Gillard announcing her plan for the 500 days to the next election is heads hanging downwards at the thought that the next election has to be that far away.

Big accountants must return to roots

21 May 2012 | Vito Carrozzo

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Big accountants must return to roots

As a recent KPMGer myself, I agree that the Centro-PwC class action epitomises the culture of fear and blame at big accounting firms expressed by leadership consultant and former KPMG auditor Mandy Holloway (“Blame game reflects firms’ flawed culture”, May 14).

WA’s embarrassment of royalty riches

21 May 2012 | Julie-anne Sprague

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | WA’s embarrassment of royalty riches

Pressure is mounting on West Australian Nationals leader Brendon Grylls to spend a quarter of the state’s ballooning mining royalties held in a fund which now has at least $1.2 billion more than originally estimated five years ago.

National briefs

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | National briefs

The NSW government will scrap future premiers’ life entitlements, including air travel and office staff.

New charges made against AWU

21 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | New charges over AWU

Former 2UE radio announcer Michael Smith on Sunday made further allegations about corruption at the Australian Workers Union between 1992 and 1996.

Europe: heavy weather heads this way

21 May 2012 | Warwick McKibbin

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Europe: heavy weather heads this way

Events in Europe this week point to a rapid end game for Greece in the euro. One crucial issue, especially for Australia, is the spillover we can expect from a crisis in Europe to the rest of the world.

Mud to fly as Thomson speaks

21 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Mud to fly as Thomson speaks

The Gillard government is bracing itself for the fallout from the statement to parliament today by Craig Thomson, amid concern late yesterday that Mr Thomson could quit politics.

Revive Rudd or die on the vine

21 May 2012 | John Black

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Revive Rudd or die on the vine

Dissatisfaction with Labor is so great that restoring the former PM to the leadership is the only workable strategy in sight.

Queries over Ashby’s penalty claim

21 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Ashby’s curious claim

The decision of James Ashby to ask for parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper to have a civil penalty imposed for his alleged conduct could backfire on the political staffer’s ability to win his case.

Unions and the super conundrum

21 May 2012 | Paul Fletcher

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Unions and the super conundrum

The Fair Work Australia report into the Health Services Union reveals a union culture where normal standards of governance are largely ignored. But it is not just union members who are affected. There is a direct link between unions and the superannuation savings of millions of Australians.

Shorten flags quick response on FWA

21 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Shorten flags quick response on FWA

Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has indicated the government will act quickly on the findings of a report into its controversial labour laws amid heightening tension between the government and business over industrial relations.

Team Slipper causes a duck for cover

21 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Some familiar tactics cause a duck for cover

There’s nothing like being beaten at your own game. But that is exactly what happened to James Ashby’s legal team in the Federal Court.

China demand could disrupt trade talks

21 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | China demand may disrupt trade talks

The Chinese government wants Australia to loosen restrictions on its state-owned enterprises buying Australian assets, a demand which could derail negotiations over a trade deal.

Dairies fear a carbon tax milking

21 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Dairies fear a milking

Major dairy companies are counting the extra costs that will fall on their shoulders as well as on those of dairy farming families under the carbon tax regime.

Swan: Palmer set for humiliating backdown

21 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Swan: If Palmer doesn’t run, he will be humiliated

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is still waiting to find out if billionaire Clive Palmer will back up this threats to run against him at the next election.

Forrest hones jobs push

21 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Forrest hones jobs push

Hewett | Warren Mundine calls it wanting things to be ‘’normal’’. A father going to work all day. But it doesn’t exist for most Aboriginal families.

Go8 lashes tertiary regulator

21 May 2012 | Joanna Mather

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Go8 lashes tertiary regulator

The Group of Eight has heavily criticised the new higher education regulator and warned that universities could take legal action to bring a halt to the authority’s onerous reporting requirements.

Plea to support Dubai detainees

21 May 2012 | Patrick Durkin

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Plea to support Dubai detainees

Foreign Minister Bob Carr is under pressure to intervene on behalf of two Australian property developers soon to face life sentences in Dubai.

Friend at court

19 May 2012 |

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 56 | Friend at court

The Prince has been following the claim brought by James Ashby against federal parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper with some interest, but it is becoming as much about the lawyers as it is about the colourful characters involved in the case.

Beginnings: Bill Kelty

19 May 2012 | Bill Kelty

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | Labor people

It was true that my childhood was a bit unusual, politically speaking. A left-leaning mother, single, poor, living in Brunswick. Who loved poetry and loved politics. And our heroes were Henry Lawson and Mary Gilmore and [Robert] Burns.

Windsor calls for integrity check

19 May 2012 | Louise Dodson, James Massola

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Windsor wants integrity check

Parliament should investigate higher standards for MPs, including disqualifying them for a wider range of civil and criminal breaches, independent MP Tony Windsor says.

Impossible mission ends in sulks

19 May 2012 | Rowan Dean

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Impossible mission ends in the sulks

Dean | In most countries, he would have to go through preselection. But we have identified faceless men working to make sure he doesn’t have to.

Rudd removal sealed Labor’s fate

19 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Rudd’s removal sealed Labor’s fate

Kitney | The labour movement came together with a resounding declaration of unity and a rousing call to battle for a war already lost.

Crawlies lurk under federal rock

19 May 2012 | Brian Toohey

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Crawlies to be found under federal rock

Toohey | The existing system relies on the AFP to unearth corruption, but that’s not good enough. We need a federal integrity watchdog.

Abbot Pt coal terminal expansion scrapped

19 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | $9bn coal port plan

The Newman government has pulled the plug on the $9 billion privately-funded expansion of Abbot Point coal terminal in North Queensland, a project that would have created one of the largest coal ports in the world.

Yes, Kelty the anti-narcissist has an ego

19 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Yes, Kelty the anti-narcissist has an ego

This week saw a rare sighting of Bill Kelty, as publicly elusive these days as he was powerful in times past.

Fiscal union averts euro-style disaster

19 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Fiscal union averts euro-style disaster

Without the federal GST system, which shifts wealth between fastest-growing and laggard states, Australia would face problems similar to those in the euro zone.

An open house is not a pretty sight

19 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | An open house is not a pretty sight

Accountability is on show in Parliament, and the revelations are telling.

Meet the China lobby

19 May 2012 | Tony Walker

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Meet the China lobby

Australia and China have arrived at a moment in their relationship that might be likened to a marriage in which two partners who’ve taken each other for granted realise life has become a whole lot more complicated.

Testing the NAPLAN divide

19 May 2012 | Joanna Mather

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Testing the NAPLAN divide

More than 120 academics are saying no to Canberra’s NAPLAN tests.

Big challenges in uncertain world

19 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 62 | Serious challenges in an uncertain world

Editorial | Evidence of fragility in the world economy and financial market jitters should probably be viewed here in Australia with caution rather than alarm.

Quigley’s war from a hot seat

19 May 2012 | John McDuling

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Quigley’s war from a hot seat

NBN boss Mike Quigley may not survive the next election but is prepared to go down speaking his mind.

Perfect storm rips 2.67pc off shares

18 May 2012 | Jane Searle

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Euro fears slash 2.7pc off shares

The spectre of a Greek exit from the European Union, a downgrade of Spanish banks and concerns around Chinese growth saw the market shed 2.67 per cent on Friday to suffer its worst day since early October.

$A lowest for seven months

18 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 24 | $A lowest for seven months

The Australian dollar is once again at levels that indicate global crisis.

Australia, US sign cyber security deal

18 May 2012 |

Australia and the United States have formalised closer relations on cyber security that will allow for greater sharing of information.

Jump on the Asian wagon

18 May 2012 | Duncan Hughes

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Jump on the Asian wagon

Australia has a unique opportunity to share in unprecedented Asian growth over coming decades, ANZ chief executive Mike Smith says.

ATO data-matching boomers

18 May 2012 | Katie Walsh

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | ATO data-matching boomers

The ATO is targeting baby boomers attempting to avoid capital gains tax on wealth transfers and will crack down on aggressive attempts to avoid tax through trusts.

ResMed to cough up

18 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 19 | ResMed to cough up

ResMed has flagged plans to pay a dividend for the first time next financial year and says CEO Peter Farrell will remain head of the company until the end of 2013.

Boat carrying 68 people intercepted

18 May 2012 |

Authorities have picked up another boatload of suspected asylum seekers inside Australian waters.

Elders clears Indonesian abattoir

18 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Elders clears Indo abattoir

Rural services company Elders says an Indonesian abattoir it has used has complied with animal welfare standards after it was identified in a departmental report as having breached the rules.

Ashby accused of Slipper ambush

18 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ashby accused of Slipper ambush

Updated | The political staffer at the centre of the salacious scandal engulfing parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper has been accused of misusing the courts and the media to bolster his claim.

Afghan govt with Taliban ‘desirable’: Carr

18 May 2012 |

Afghanistan's prospects of stability will be boosted if the Taliban are part of the government, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says.

Institutions snap up SP AusNet shares

18 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Energy infrastructure owner SP AusNet has raised $342 million in the institutional part of its entitlement offer and says it expects to raise a further $92 million in the underwritten retail part.

Abbott rejects Combet's climate ‘egging’

18 May 2012 |

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has rejected claims he's "over-egged the pudding" with his warnings on the climate tax.

Gillard contrasts Ichthys success with euro crisis

18 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ichthys

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has used the official ground-breaking ceremony at Inpex’s $US34 billion Ichthys LNG project in Darwin to reiterate the boost resources are giving to the Australian economy.

Threats sent to Aust embassy in Pakistan

18 May 2012 |

Australia's embassy in Islamabad has received a threatening letter containing suspicious powder in what appears to be a coordinated campaign across Pakistan's capital.

The Slipper confusion

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 48 | The Slipper confusion

Rear Window is getting a little confused about what the standing down of Peter Slipper as Speaker of the House of Representatives actually means.

Life’s full of conflicts

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 48 | Life’s full of conflicts

Rear Window was delighted to hear that the Future Fund’s new chairman, David Gonski, had moved quickly to introduce corporate governance processes similar to a listed company.

Howes gets hump up

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 48 | Howes gets hump up

For all the noise he’s been making about cleaning up standards of behaviour in the trade union movement in the wake of the Craig Thomson and Michael Williamson affairs, the AWU’s national secretary Paul Howes is prone to the odd risque moment himself.

Costello puts party interests before own

18 May 2012 | Nick Minchin

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 47 | Costello puts party interests before own

Mark Hansford’s “Costello’s legacy short on fight” (Letters, May 17), is very unfair on Peter Costello in claiming he “never had the ticker for the top job”. Costello, in fact, came very close to challenging John Howard for the Liberal leadership – and thus the prime ministership – in the middle of 2006, but declined to do so because of the enormous damage a fight between prime minister Howard and treasurer Costello would have caused to the Coalition government and the Liberal Party.

ATO deficiencies cripple business

18 May 2012 | Chris G Wallis

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 47 | ATO deficiencies cripple SME business

Lowering a marginal tax rate for small business does nothing to simplify the system for the majority of small business owners, a point well made by Emile Rochman (“Labor perpetuates Howard handouts”, Letters, May 17).

Cromwell rebels against tax

18 May 2012 | Matthew Cranston

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Rebellion

Cromwell Property Group chief executive Paul Weightman has urged the property industry to reject a surprise federal government tax hit on foreign real estate investors or risk lower property values.

ADF bases to get tighter security

18 May 2012 | Christopher Jay

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | ADF security upgrade

Following terrorist plots to attack Australian Defence Force bases, the Commonwealth is embarking on a $107 million program to upgrade security at 16 defence installations around the country over the next three years.

Two states, two economies

18 May 2012 | Alan Mitchell

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Two states, two economies

Mitchell | They are the two extremes of Australia’s “two-speed” economy, and the budgets of Western Australia and Tasmania tell the story.

Show us plans for second airport: Abbott

18 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Show us plans for second airport: Abbott

The federal Coalition will engage with the Gillard government on plans for a second airport in the Sydney basin when a detailed plan is produced.

Economists prop up Gillard’s higher debt ceiling

18 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Economists prop up PM’s higher debt ceiling

Economists have defended the government’s decision to lift the debt ceiling by $50 billion, saying a financial buffer is important to preserve the status of Australia’s bond market as a safe haven during tough times.

Ashby targets Carr, Joyce in human rights complaint

18 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ashby targets Carr, Joyce

The political staffer who claims Speaker Peter Slipper sexually harassed him has officially accused ­Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce of victimising and demeaning him.

Labor prefers death to party reform

18 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Labor prefers death to party reform

Senior Labor Party members have ruled out any chance of major internal reforms until after Labor loses office at the next election.

Union or business: one law fits all

18 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Union or business – one law fits all

Dodson | The HSU scandal has focused attention on how unions operate, the IR system, and the relationship between the ALP and unions.

Union show of defiance targets BHP

18 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Union show of defiance to hit BHP

Coalminers are preparing to declare a mass, seven-day strike across BHP Billiton’s Queensland coalmines from next week in a show of defiance against the company’s call to reduce the power of unions.

Labor should heed Nasser’s wise words

18 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Labor should heed

Editorial | BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser is to be congratulated for hitting the federal government hard for creating a high-cost business environment with declining competitiveness.

Has Labor lost Gen Y?

18 May 2012 | Benjamin Law

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Gen Y and the blight on the hill

Bejamin Law says Labor’s poor media performance and conservatism have alienated younger voters, but there’s still time for the disaffected to make a difference.

Ashby accuses Carr, Joyce of victimisation

17 May 2012 | Hannah Low

Updated | Former Slipper staffer James Ashby has filed a complaint to the Human Rights Commission, claiming he has been victimised by senators Bob Carr and Barnaby Joyce.

New homes dudded over NBN, says Turnbull

17 May 2012 |

Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull says the government's "prejudice" against the private sector left about 35,000 new homes connected to copper instead of fibre cable last year.

Australian warship visits China

17 May 2012 |

An Australian warship is visiting China in the latest step in a low-key but growing defence relationship. The ANZAC-class guided missile frigate HMAS Ballarat’s five-day visit to Shanghai begins on Thursday.

Budget took Europe outlook into account: Swan

17 May 2012 |

Treasurer Wayne Swan does not perceive a need to update budget forecasts because of recent events in Europe, saying Treasury has already accounted for a bleak outlook.

BHP to blame for IR disputes: Shorten

17 May 2012 | Mathew Dunckley

Updated | BHP Billiton's inability to negotiate with its workers is to blame for never-ending industrial strife at its Queensland coal mines, federal Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten says.

Coalition govt would bring down rates: Abbott

17 May 2012 | Mathew Dunckley

Updated | Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has again pledged that a government he led would bring down interest rates.

Ashby contact all out in open: Abbott

17 May 2012 |

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says all evidence of contact between Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne and a staffer of Speaker Peter Slipper is "innocuous" and on the public record.

NSW Labor to disclose Thomson legal bill

17 May 2012 |

Senior Labor figures say the party needs to disclose how much money the NSW branch gave federal MP Craig Thomson to cover his legal expenses.

Greens call for more oversight of MPs

17 May 2012 |

The Australian Greens will ask parliament to set up a body that investigates the expense claims of politicians and their staff.

Reclaim IR middle ground: Shorten

17 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

The labour movement needs to “reclaim the middle ground” in the debate over industrial relations, Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten says.

Self-serving regulation

17 May 2012 | Richard Denniss

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Self-serving regulation

The economics of deregulation is supposed to be straightforward; business groups support it, community groups oppose it, and governments “get the balance right”.

Labor perpetuates Howard handouts

17 May 2012 | Emile Rochman

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 63 | Labor perpetuates Howard handouts

The debate about the 1 per cent cut in company tax is inane, risible, ludicrous and embarrassing, particularly as it relates to small and medium companies.

Qantas within its rights on Air Pacific

17 May 2012 | Olivia Wirth

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 63 | Qantas within its rights on Air Pacific

I would like to provide the facts on “Fiji hits out at Qantas over Air Pacific sale”.Qantas acquired its 46 per cent interest in Air Pacific in 1998. We have always been aware that Air Pacific needed to be “substantially owned and effectively controlled” by Fiji nationals and there is no doubt that it has been substantially owned and controlled by the Fiji government.

Truckers use road threat

17 May 2012 | Ash Salardini

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 63 | Truckers use road threat

State and federal transport and infrastructure ministers are to meet on the national agenda for transport. High on the agenda is the continuation of a national scheme for heavy vehicle registration charges, a system that guarantees the user pays for the road infrastructure they use.

Costello’s legacy short on fight

17 May 2012 | Mark Hansford

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 63 | Costello’s legacy short on fight

As a confirmed Liberal it is disappointing that the dilemma of Peter Costello and internal bickering has surfaced.

Language studies a vexed business

17 May 2012 | Geoff Winestock

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Language skills a vexed business in the Asian century

The hard lesson of cuts in funding and declining student numbers is that not everyone accepts the business case for a greater focus on teaching Asian languages.

Bias on interest rates is to the downside

17 May 2012 | David Bassanese

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | A downside for rates – and the surplus

The upshot of commentary from both the Federal Treasury and Reserve Bank of Australia is that the bias on official interest rates remains very much to the downside, and the Gillard government will have a very hard time meeting its budget surplus commitment.

Australia – a tough place to do business

17 May 2012 | James Chessell

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 33 | A tough place to do business

This an edited transcript of a panel discussion to open The Institute of Chartered Accountants, NSW Business Forum 2012.

Gillard commits $300bn to Afghanistan recovery

17 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Gillard commits $300m to Afghanistan recovery

Australia will contribute $US100 million annually for three years from 2015 as part of international efforts to help sustain and support Afghan National Security Forces beyond the transition process.

Business upset at phoenix law plans

17 May 2012 | Patrick Durkin

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Business upset at phoenix law plans

The federal government is pushing ahead with reforms to crack down on phoenix companies, despite an outcry by directors and business groups.

National briefs

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 5 |

Tax commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo has warned against schemes using New Zealand trusts to evade tax, by providing services for a fee marked well above cost.

Greens push for integrity commissioner

17 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Greens push for integrity commissioner

The Greens are in confidential discussions with independent MPs in a bid to win support for legislation to introduce a national integrity commissioner to rebuild confidence in parliament following the allegations against Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper.

MPs show little interest

17 May 2012 | Paul Osborne

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | MPs show little interest

One in five federal MPs have not updated a public register of their financial interests since the 2010 election.

Keating, Hawke agree on one thing

17 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 11 | Keating, Hawke agree on one thing

When Paul Keating took the stage to anchor an ACTU salute to Bill Kelty last night he calmed the crowd with the admonition that they should not “give him a big head”. But a bit of applause was okay.

Union fund too close to Labor

17 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Union fund too close to Labor

Editorial | The ACTU believes its campaign fund will address declining union membership, but the real danger is that it will be used to support the Labor Party in its quest for re-election.

Energy head’s policy warning

17 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Energy head’s policy warning

The federal government’s key adviser on the national energy market says the renewable energy target and carbon price uncertainty could delay investment in lower-emission generation.

PM off message on postcard from a war

17 May 2012 | Katie Walsh

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | PM off message on postcard

Julia Gillard has missed the meaning behind a seemingly flattering postcard from Afghanistan that is in fact a silent protest emulating a German army sleeve patch.

Hockey comes up empty again

17 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Hockey silent on surplus plans

The federal opposition has passed up another chance to spell out how it will meet its commitments to debt and deficit reduction.

DJs backs same-sex marriage

17 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | DJs comes out for same-sex marriage

The CEO of retailing giant David Jones, Paul Zahra, has urged federal MPs to back legal changes to recognise same-sex marriage saying the current ban sends a message that “it’s OK to treat gay people differently”.

Tarnished unions to fix image

17 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tarnished unions to fix image

The ACTU will create a specialist panel headed by a former Federal Court judge to report on “best practice” governance for the union movement after the financial scandal surrounding Craig Thomson and the Health Services Union.

BHP fires salvo on industrial relations, tax

16 May 2012 | Andrew White

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | BHP salvo on IR, tax

BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser has launched a broadside at the Gillard government, calling for a halt to tax changes that have unsettled investors, and for an industrial relations system that balances the needs of ­companies and employees to stem a fall in competitiveness.

Future Fund chairman backs broader super choice

16 May 2012 | Sally Patten

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Future Fund chairman backs broader super choice

The intense debate over whether investors are overexposed to the sharemarket ignores savers’ individual circumstances, according to the new chairman of the Future Fund, David Gonski.

PM rules out Aussie Rules election clash

16 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has assured Aussie rules fans there won't be a federal election on AFL grand final day 2013.

Police intercept asylum seeker boat

16 May 2012 |

A vessel carrying 63 suspected asylum seekers has been found off the Cocos Islands. The boat was intercepted by Australian Federal Police on Tuesday night.

Emerson attended Thomson law firm lunch

16 May 2012 |

Federal cabinet minister Craig Emerson attended an exclusive business lunch hosted by the ALP-paid law firm representing Craig Thomson, two months before the NSW MP was suspended from caucus.

Coalition plans to block debt limit: Hockey

16 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said the coalition would move to block the government’s plan to boost the Commonwealth debt limit and pledged to lower personal tax rates.

New eco-engine revs up Falcon hopes

16 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Falcon hopes ride on engine

Ford’s new fuel-efficient four-cylinder version of the Ford Falcon is not a make-or-break factor for the troubled Australian-made large car, says its national boss, but it does offer more choice.

Factbox | carbon tax compo, state by state

16 May 2012 |

A state-by-state breakdown of the federal government's carbon tax compensation due to begin flowing from Wednesday.

Household carbon tax compo flows

16 May 2012 |

Household compensation to cushion the impact of the carbon price will start flowing to Australian families on Wednesday. An estimated 1.6 million families will have money delivered to their bank accounts.

ACTU plan to avoid more union scandal

16 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | ACTU strategy to avoid more scandal

The ACTU will create a specialist panel to report on “best practice” governance for the union movement, in the wake of the financial scandal surrounding Craig Thomson and the Health Services Union.

Market takes a heavy Toll

16 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Market takes a heavy Toll

Toll Holdings chief executive Brian Kruger says conditions have never been tougher. “[I’ve] never seen or been involved in a market where there’s been so much noise from our customers about the need for us to help them manage their margin issues,” he said.

Thomson faces further AEC probe

16 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

Updated | The Australian Electoral Commission needs to investigate four transactions from the ALP or HSU in relation to Dobell MP Craig Thomson, its analysis of the Fair Work Australia report says.