Saturday 27 October 2007
Why Gloria Jean's coffee doesn't taste too good
When thinking about Hillsong ... add Gloria Jean's to your thoughts.
http://www.journeyonline.com.au/showArticle.php?categoryId=1&articleId=692
Another of Howard's little secrets: Kyoto
ABC TV news is reporting Malcom Turnbull unsuccessfully tried to convince Prime Minister John Howard to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Read the report http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22657337-29277,00.html
Watch ABC TV news
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200710/r194870_739472.asx
So, what should be made of this news? Yet again, there's disquiet in the Coalition camp.
NSW North Coast lashed by severe storms
Dunoon, 10km north of Lismore, was the hardest hit.
A Country Energy spokesman said 30 crew members were working today to restore power to 75 homes in the small town, where 20 houses have severe roof damage.
The spokesman said power should be restored to Dunoon by 3pm (AEST)."
Full News.com.au article:
Labor's new Freedom of Information policy
- Bring together the functions of privacy protection and freedom of information in an Office of the Information Commissioner – to streamline and fast-track information policy across government;
- Preserve the existing role of the Privacy Commissioner – to protect individual privacy;
- Abolish conclusive (non-reviewable) certificates from the FOI process – which stymie genuine requests by allowing Ministers to arbitrarily deny the release of information – For example, Treasurer Peter Costello refused to release information on income tax bracket creep and data on the First Time Home Owners scheme;
- Support reasonable changes to current journalist shield laws to protect their sources and ensure that a responsible journalist is never again prosecuted for a story that is "merely embarrassing" to a government;
- Pursue national reform of suppression orders in court proceedings through the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General; and
- Provide best-practice legislation and expansion of protection for public interest disclosure whistleblowers protecting them from retribution – such as the customs officer, Mr Alan Kessing, who blew the whistle on organised crime, lax airport security and inadequate policing.
"Background – FOI refusals – full or in part
In the period 1997-98 to 2005-06, the Howard Government refused full access to 75, 064 information requests; of those 57,975 were refused in part and 17,089 refused completely.
In the period 2005-06, the Howard Government refused full access to 8,655 information requests; of those 6,298 refused in part and 2,357 were refused completely"
"The Age" on Page
The Age yesterday on the Liberals struggle for traditional heartland.
"Other Coalition seats under threat are Dobell on the central coast, Eden-Monaro — the New Hampshire of Australian elections — bordering the ACT, and Page on the north coast, held by the retiring National MP Ian Causley. Although he leaves a comfortable 5.5 per cent margin, an influx of seachange retirees has radically changed the demographic make-up, pushing climate-change issues to the fore."
It's the C-L-I-M-A-T-E, you idiots!
http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/media/index.asp?