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.

Japanese coal demand crucial for Qld recovery: QIC

22 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

Queensland Investment Corp chief executive Doug McTaggart has said the state’s economic recovery will rely heavily on Japan’s ongoing appetite for coal.

NSW govt takes over 13 St Hilliers projects

22 May 2012 | Robert Harley

The NSW government has taken over the 13 social housing projects being built by St Hilliers Construction before the company appointed a voluntary administrator.

Video | Potter in America

22 May 2012 |

The world leaders who met at Camp David promised to focus on short-term growth over budget repair, but the discussions highlighted how much their opinions differ.

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.

Liquidators face ASIC scrutiny

22 May 2012 | Patrick Durkin

The corporate regulator has launched 10 investigations into liquidators this year, as it pledges to step up its scrutiny of the industry in its annual review.

White House still a magnet for lobbyists: report

22 May 2012 | Will Willitts

Despite President Obama’s pledge to keep lobbyists away from his administration, a check of White House logs shows a steady stream of corporate and Democratic lobbyists through the front gate.

BoM defends website advertising trial

22 May 2012 |

The Bureau of Meteorology will run advertising on its website to supplement its government funding, not to compete with The Weather Channel, a parliamentary committee has heard.

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.

Youth joblessness near GFC peak: ILO

22 May 2012 |

Youth joblessness is almost back at its peak following the outbreak of the global economic crisis and is unlikely to ease until at least 2016, the International Labour Organization (ILO) warned.

Putin’s new cabinet signals no major changes

22 May 2012 |

President Vladimir Putin replaced all but a handful of Russia’s Cabinet of ministers, in a long-awaited step that nonetheless held out little chance of major political or economic change.

France’s Hollande focuses on EU growth

22 May 2012 |

French President Francois Hollande said he wanted all options discussed to stimulate growth in Europe when EU leaders meet later this week.

US nuclear regulatory chairman hands in resignation

22 May 2012 |

Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said on Monday that he would resign, following a year of intense criticism over his abrasive management style.

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.

US Catholics sue over Obama contraception plan

22 May 2012 |

Forty-three Roman Catholic dioceses and other US institutions filed lawsuits challenging the Obama administration’s rule that their employees receive coverage for contraception in health insurance policies.

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.

Notebook: wealthy French flee to London

22 May 2012 | Der Spiegel

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 66 | NOTEBOOK Wealthy French flee to London

It began in 2010 when wealthy Greeks started coming to London to buy up expensive townhouses in upmarket neighbourhoods.

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.

Tanya late for chapel

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 64 | Tanya late for chapel

Plenty of Sydney luminaries showed up for the grand reopening of the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross last weekend, even if some were a little late to the party.

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.”

Rebound a tribute to wishful thinking

22 May 2012 | Glenn Mumford

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Bounce a tribute to wishful thinking

It’s always tempting to play for the bounce. So after three weeks of selling, investors again seem willing to buy risk.

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.

Strategists warn against $A optimism

22 May 2012 | Joanna Heath

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 29 | Strategists warn on $A optimism

The Australian dollar managed to snap a six-day losing streak on Monday following the weekend’s Group of Eight summit, but strategists say the bump may be short-lived.

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.

Wen gives higher priority to growth

22 May 2012 | Victoria Ruan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Wen gives higher priority to growth

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the government would focus more on bolstering economic growth, indicating policies may be loosened further as inflation moderates.

Pakistan restores Twitter after outcry

22 May 2012 | Salman Masood

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Pakistan restores Twitter after outcry

The Pakistani government blocked access to the social networking service Twitter for much of Sunday, after publicly holding Twitter responsible for promoting what it described as a blasphemous cartoon contest taking place on Facebook.

Former Chinese police chief faces treason charges

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 19 | Former police chief faces treason charges

The Chinese provincial police chief at the centre of the biggest political scandal to engulf the communist leadership in decades will be tried for treason.

Vietnam factories close as credit squeeze bites

22 May 2012 | Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Vietnam factories close as credit squeeze bites

Vietnamese businesses are dying by the thousands as the government tries to find a sustainable path to growth after years of easy credit funded makers of cheap goods and triggered Asia’s highest inflation.

Obama seeks commitments on Afghanistan

22 May 2012 | Margaret Talev

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Obama seeks commitments

President Barack Obama closed the NATO summit short of key commitments the US is seeking on Afghanistan, from Pakistan’s reopening of supply lines to guarantees by allies to keep combat troops there through 2014 and fund Afghan security forces for a decade after.

Supply lines deal with Pakistan falls through

22 May 2012 | Helene Cooper

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Supply lines deal with Pakistan falls through

President Obama was struggling to balance the United States’ relationship with two crucial but difficult allies on Sunday, after a deal to reopen supply lines through Pakistan to Afghanistan fell apart just as Mr. Obama began talks on ending the NATO alliance’s combat role in the Afghan war.

Serbs’ EU hopes dive as nationalist elected

22 May 2012 | Ian Traynor

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Serbs’ EU hopes dive

Serbia’s hopes of fast-track integration into Europe suffered a severe setback when Boris Tadic was voted out of the presidency in a victory for a more nationalist rival.

Merkel walks the tightrope to Brussels

22 May 2012 | Andrew McCathie

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Merkel walks the tightrope to Brussels

German Chancellor Angela Merkel heads to Brussels for a meeting with European leaders with her political authority facing one of its biggest tests since she emerged as leader of the region’s biggest economy.

Cameron tells Greeks it’s time to choose

22 May 2012 | Patrick Wintour

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Cameron to Greeks: time to choose

A second Greek election result next month backing parties opposed to the European Union’s bailout package would be a decisive vote to leave the euro for which contingency plans have to be made now, David Cameron warned in a dramatic raising of the stakes.

National briefs

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 5 |

A pathological gambling addict has lost his appeal to recover more than $20 million which he gambled away at Melbourne’s Crown Casino after alleging the casino deliberately encouraged him to indulge in his addiction.

Push to benchmark power companies

22 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Push to benchmark power companies

The country’s biggest energy users have accused the Australian Energy Regulator of failing to properly undertake comparisons between public and private network companies to help ease the pressure on rising electricity prices.

Rival unionist rejects Thomson ‘hooker’ set-up claims

22 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Rival unionist rejects ‘hooker’ set-up claims

Marco Bolano is a long-time friend and supporter of Kathy Jackson from her home base of Victoria.

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.

Conference offers peek into future

22 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Conference offers peek into future

Technologies we will have sitting in our pockets and running on our tablets will be visible for the first time this week at the CEBIT conference in Sydney.

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.

Yahoo!7 chief says taxman must ‘follow the cash’

22 May 2012 | Ben Holgate

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Yahoo!7 chief says taxman must ‘follow the cash’

Imminent changes to Australia’s transfer pricing rules have the potential to solve the problem of global internet companies paying low tax if tax authorities can capture all revenues earned here, Yahoo!7 says.

Licence brings $15m windfall

22 May 2012 | Angus Grigg

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Licence brings $15m windfall

A Sydney mortgage broker with connections to ALP power broker Eddie Obeid is sitting on a $15.1 million windfall after securing a lucrative coal exploration licence from the former NSW Labor Government.

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.

Manufacturers fear union power

22 May 2012 | Michael Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Manufacturers fear union power

Major changes are needed in Australia’s manufacturing sector to address concerns about labour productivity, Fair Work Australia vice-president Graeme Watson has warned.

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.

Four suspects in Greek whodunnit

22 May 2012 | Mohamed El-Erian

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Suspects in Greek whodunnit

Greece is following the road taken by several other crisis-ridden emerging economies over the past 30 years. There are stunning similarities between this once-proud euro zone member and Argentina prior to its default in 2001.

Hollande’s partner complicates political relations

22 May 2012 | Devorah Lauter

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Hollande’s partner complicates political relations

Francois Hollande’s girlfriend is jealous of his ex-partner, according to reports in France, just a week after the new first couple took up residence in the Elysee Palace.

China detains Bo’s inner circle

22 May 2012 | Edward Wong

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | China detains Bo’s inner circle

Early this year, as a crisis unfolded in the chambers of power in Chongquing, three men flew into the city within a day or two of one another. They were members of the inner court of Bo Xilai, the Communist Party aristocrat who ran the city, and they had come to repair a rupture between the strong-willed Mr Bo and his equally driven police chief.

New era as AFR launches iPad app

22 May 2012 | Ben Woodhead

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Welcome to new era as AFR launches iPad app

The Australian Financial Review has taken the latest step in its transformation into the world’s only truly integrated newsroom with the launch of its iPad app.

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.

Brightening skies for Sunrise gas

21 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 24 | Brightening skies for Sunrise gas

Hopes are rising that Woodside Petroleum is closer to breaking the stalemate over its Sunrise natural gas field in the Timor Sea, even as East Timor’s rhetoric against a floating liquefied natural gas project ramps up ahead of elections in July.

Myki smartcard for tourists in Victoria

21 May 2012 | Mathew Dunckley

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Myki smartcard for tourists in Victoria

What to do about tourists? It is a question that has dogged Victoria’s unloved public transport smartcard system, Myki, for years. Now the Victorian government has a plan.

Environmental go-ahead for WA uranium mine

21 May 2012 | Luke Forrestal

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Environmental go-ahead for WA uranium mine

WA’s Environmental Protection Authority on Monday recommended approval of what could become the state’s first uranium mine, the $300 million Wiluna project owned by Toro Energy.

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.

Video | Das Capital

21 May 2012 |

Satyajit Das discusses China and the global economy.

Baillieu defends MP over car accusations

21 May 2012 | Mathew Dunckley

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Baillieu defends accused MP

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has defended a government backbencher, Frankston MP Geoff Shaw, who has been accused of using his taxpayer-funded car for private business purposes.

Demand for steel cools

21 May 2012 | Lucy Gao

Steel prices in China have recently fallen to near their lowest level this year due to oversupply.

Key Democrat criticises Obama’s ad

21 May 2012 |

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a prominent Democrat enlisted as a surrogate for President Barack Obama’s campaign, criticised the president’s ad campaign that has attacked Mitt Romney’s work at the private equity firm, Bain Capital.

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.

Pro-bailout parties on course for Greek victory

21 May 2012 |

The parties which support Greece's bail-out package are set to win an overall majority in elections next month, according to two opinion polls published on Sunday.

Job losses as Qantas focuses on Brisbane

21 May 2012 | Andrew Cleary

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Job losses as airline focuses on Brisbane

Updated | Qantas Airways chief Alan Joyce has confirmed a long-term plan to move to one heavy maintenance base in Australia, casting doubt over how long the airline will keep its Victorian facility at Avalon after announcing the closure of the Tullamarine plant ­yesterday.

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.

Convicted Lockerbie bomber dies in Libya

21 May 2012 |

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only person convicted in the 1988 bombing of an American jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, has died in Libya. nearly three years after Scotland released him on humanitarian grounds.

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.

Notebook | US election is capital v labour

21 May 2012 | Robert Samuelson

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 54 | NOTEBOOK US election is a capital v labour skirmish

US capitalism is on trial. When Americans vote in November, they will unavoidably choose between two competing visions of capitalism.

Indonesia’s drift erodes its democracy

21 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Indonesia’s drift erodes its democracy

Editorial | The stability and prosperity of Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim nation, is of immense economic, security, and geopolitical importance to Australia.

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).

Please explain, Julia

21 May 2012 | Chris Gosselin

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Please explain, Julia

Could Julia Gillard explain why individuals (and only some at that) are being compensated by the government to offset the increase in costs as a result?

Victoria counts on illusory surplus

21 May 2012 | Lindsay Byrnes

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Victoria counts on illusory surplus

In “Case of the $129m health bill” (May 14) Mathew Dunckley points out that making up $100 million of this year’s promised Victorian budget surplus under “Other revenue” buried at the back of the budget papers is a transfer of medical indemnity liabilities to the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority.

From Russia with love: stick with the euro

21 May 2012 | Geoff Winestock

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | From Russia with love: stick with the euro

Winestock | My strongest memory of the time when the ruble zone was breaking up is the Ukrainian black market traders arriving every morning.

Low rates lead to high risk

21 May 2012 | Ben Potter

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Low rates lead to high risk

Potter | It’s a bit early for the lessons of the 2008 crisis to have been forgotten. But maybe the lessons of the 1990s tech boom have receded.

World briefs

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 16 |

Christian groups in the Philippines have called for a ban on Lady Gaga’s Manila concerts, alleging that her song Judas is an offensive mockery of Jesus Christ.

Ruak calls Timor to work

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 16 | Ruak calls Timor to work

Taur Matan Ruak called for “sweat and hard work” to lift East Timor out of poverty as he was sworn in as President yesterday.

Crisis averted in Chen case

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Crisis averted in Chen case

The blind legal advocate who made an improbable escape from virtual house arrest and sought refuge in the US embassy in Beijing, has arrived in the United States, ending a fraught diplomatic drama.

Butt out, Greece tells Merkel

21 May 2012 | Christine Pirovolakis

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 14 | Butt out, Greece tells Merkel

Greece’s Parliament was formally dissolved and fresh elections called as politicians in Athens reacted angrily to an alleged suggestion by the German Chancellor that a referendum should be held asking whether Greeks want to stay in the euro zone.

Obama’s big sell on NATO’s relevance

21 May 2012 | Roxana Tiron

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 14 | Obama’s big sell on NATO relevance

President Barack Obama will seek to persuade financially pressed European governments and their war-weary citizens to back Afghanistan’s security over the next decade.

UK ‘may never recover’ from euro crash

21 May 2012 | Rowena Mason

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 14 | UK ‘may never recover’

Britain’s economy may suffer “permanent” damage and “never quite get back up” if the euro collapses in a chaotic way, according to the government’s chief economic forecaster.

What they said

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | What they said

The global economic recovery shows signs of promise, but significant headwinds persist.

Budget bites Tasmanian business

21 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Budget bites Tas business

The Tasmanian business community starts a long wait this week. The 51-week countdown until the next state budget.

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.

Victoria won’t rule out merger of accident insurers

21 May 2012 | Mathew Dunckley

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Victoria won’t rule out merger of accident insurers

A merger of Victoria’s compulsory accident insurers could result from a review of the schemes due for completion later this year.

Citizen juries to advise on energy policy

21 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

PRINT: PAGE 4 | Citizen juries to advise on energy

The NSW government will ask randomly-selected groups of voters known as citizens’ juries to advise on its energy policy, as part of a push for a better model of democracy that is backed by former premier Nick Greiner.

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.

Austerity – what a laugh!

21 May 2012 | Robert Guy

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Austerity – what a laugh!

Guy | The irony would not have been lost on Angela Merkel as she listened to advice from some of the world’s most enthusiastic money printers.

Powers push Merkel on growth

21 May 2012 | Helene Cooper

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Powers push Merkel on strategy

Leaders of the world’s richest countries banded together to press Germany to back more pro-growth policies to halt the deepening debt crisis in Europe.

Germany isolated on austerity

21 May 2012 | Robert Guy

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Germany isolated on austerity

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has become isolated over her support for European austerity following a push by the G8 industrialised nations to boost economic growth and to keep Greece in the euro zone.

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.

Who’s at the top table, who shares digs?

21 May 2012 | Philip Sherwell

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Some at the top table, some share digs

Leaders of the world’s most powerful economies had dinner and a sleepover at Camp David during the G8 crisis talks. But there was an awkward moment for new French President Francois Hollande.

German generosity required to save euro

21 May 2012 | Alan Mitchell

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | German generosity required

The Americans, the British, the French – just about everyone except the Germans – are right: what Europe needs now is more growth.

Gillard to sign pact with Afghanistan

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Gillard’s Afghan pact

The future of Australia’s aid to Afghanistan will be mapped out in an agreement Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her Afghan counterpart will sign on the sidelines of a major NATO summit in the United States.

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.

Chinese growth has wide fallout

21 May 2012 | Yukon Huang

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Chinese growth has wide fallout

The consequences of China’s economic development for the West are closely watched, but the impact of China’s growth for its immediate neighbours is no less important.

China security chief maintains grip

21 May 2012 | Edward Wong

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Security chief keeps grip

Chinese security chief Zhou Yongkang has completed a prominent tour of the volatile region of Xinjiang, a sign that he still has a firm hold on his post despite the fact he opposed the purging of disgraced politician Bo Xilai.

Rudd and Katter: a union of sorts

21 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Rudd and Katter: a union of sorts

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd and maverick MP Bob Katter found interesting common ground during an interview at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

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.

AICD drafts charity governance guide

21 May 2012 | Claire Stewart

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | AICD drafts charity governance guide

The Australian Institute of Company Directors will draft its own set of principles to govern the $43 billion charities and not-for-profit sector.

Rorts report rattles Baillieu

21 May 2012 | Patrick Durkin

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Rorts report rattles Baillieu

The Victorian government has been rocked by a scandal engulfing Frankston MP Geoff Shaw that potentially threatens the 18-month-old Baillieu government, which holds power by just one seat.

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.

Obama presses Europe for shift to growth focus

19 May 2012 |

US President Barack Obama pressed Europe on Friday to shift toward a more pro-growth policy and away from austerity to tackle a crisis that threatens to push Greece out of the euro zone.

Greece set to dissolve day-old parliament

19 May 2012 |

Greece’s day-old parliament held its last session Friday to allow for new elections next month that are being cast as a decision on whether to keep the country in the 17-nation eurozone.

Austerity the only way to prosper: Papademos

19 May 2012 |

A rejection of austerity measures and of the eurozone bail-out in next month’s fresh Athens election would be a “catastrophe” for the country, Greece’s former technocratic prime minister, Lucas Papademos, said.

If Greece goes under . . .

19 May 2012 | Tony Boyd

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | If Greece goes under . . .

Global financial markets during the week followed the normal pattern seen over the past two years by switching from being bullish to pricing in a worst-case scenario from the Greek sovereign debt crisis.

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.

Christian’s science

19 May 2012 |

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 56 | Christian’s science

Western Australia’s Liberal heir apparent Christian Porter is a fast learner.

Banker to look after the books

19 May 2012 |

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 56 | Banker to look after the books

Those lamenting Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu’s lack of neo-liberal libido took some heart, no doubt, in the recent appointment of a new president to the Library Board of Victoria.

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.

Put your planner in the spotlight

19 May 2012 | Ruth Liew

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Put your planner in the spotlight

Choose wisely and a financial planner can help you grow your assets, and reforms in the offing should minimise ‘bad eggs’.

US loosens shackles on Burma

19 May 2012 | Steven Lee Myers

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | US loosens shackles on Burma

The Obama administration is to ease the ban on investments in Burma, rewarding the country’s political and economic opening over the past year.

US tariff decision a mixed blessing for solar industry

19 May 2012 | Suzanne Goldenberg

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tariff decision a mixed blessing for solar industry

The Obama administration imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese solar panels after finding China was flooding the market with government subsidised products.

World briefs

19 May 2012 |

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 |

Home prices in China fell in a record 46 of 70 cities tracked by the government in April from a year earlier.

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.