NSW Farmers withdraws support for mining template access agreement

Heads up for strong winds, heavy rain and damaging surf in the Northern Rivers area - 1 July 2013

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Sack the letters editor at The Australian

Today's edition of The Australian carries a letter to the editor that should never have been printed.

The letter writer is wrong. The writer's understanding of geography is abysmal.

The letters editor should have seen the error in the letter, but perhaps the editor knows no  better. Then again, the letter suits the agenda of this rabid right wing rag that pretends to be a national newspaper.

Here's the letter:

Last Post, July

Kevin Rudd, a former diplomat, less than 48 hours into his new/old job, is talking up conflict with our nearest neighbour. Is this a record?

Roseanne Schneider, Yeronga, Qld


For the record, Indonesia is not Australia's nearest neighbour.

Source: The Australian, July 1, 2013

Three faces of the Opposition under two different Australian Labor Prime Ministers

Liberal Party MP Christopher Pyne during the 

43^rd Australian Parliament – Julia Gillard is Prime Minister

Liberal Party Senator Michaelia Cash during the 

43^rd Australian Parliament – Kevin Rudd is Prime Minister

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott during the 

43^rd Australian Parliament – Julia Gillard is Prime Minister

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott during the 

43^rd Australian Parliament – Kevin Rudd is Prime Minister

* Photographs found at Google Images

Does the Australian Leader of the Opposition ever tell a political truth?

This was Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott tweeting at 5:35 PM on 30 Jun 2013:

Now how on earth was Kevin Rudd (who was not sworn in as Prime Minister until 10am on the final day before the 43^rd Parliament had adjourned in the Senate) ever going to create and put to the House of Representatives a new bill  amending the Clean Energy Act 2011 and then send it to the Senate in less than 36 hours - much less get it passed in that time period?

Because that is what would be required as the Clean Energy Act creates a fixed price for carbon between 1 April 2013 to 1 February 2016 and, as of 1 June 2013 this legislation sets that price as $24.15 until 1 April 2015 – a rise of $1.15.

The very first opportunity for Parliament to consider amending the Act would be if it sits again on 20 August 2013, which will only happen if writs for a federal general election have not been issued before then.

Abbott’s political lies are never ending.

Australia picks Professor Hilary Charlesworth as ad hoc judge in ICJ Whaling in the Antarctic case (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening)

Professor Hilary Charlesworth

BA (Hons), LlB (Hons) (Melb), SJD (Harvard)

Director, Centre for International Governance and Justice, 

Professor & ARC Laureate Fellow ANU College of Asia and the Pacific 

and ANU College of Law

Court President on the first day of the International Court of Justice hearings in Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening): I note that, since the Court does not include upon the Bench a judge of Australian  nationality, Australia exercised its right under Article 31, paragraph 2, of the Statute to choose a judge ad hoc to sit in the case: it chose Ms Hilary Charlesworth.

MEMORIAL OF AUSTRALIA May 2011

COUNTER-MEMORIAL OF JAPAN March 2012

Declaration of Intervention by New Zealand November 2012

Written Observations of New Zealand April 2013

Written Observations of Japan on New Zealand's Observations May 2013

26 June 2013 hearing:

Day One transcript A

Day One transcript B

27 June 2013 hearing:

Day Two transcript A

Day Two transcript B

28 June 2013:
Day Three transcript

Public perception begins to run against Opposition Leader Tony Abbott again?

Essential Vision Poll 24 June 2013:

Tony Abbott is regarded by more respondents to be arrogant (59%), intolerant (48%), narrow-minded (55%) and aggressive (51%).

Full poll results here.  

Galaxy Poll released 30 June 2013:

Full poll results here.