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The NSW Government is set to triple on-the-spot fines for offensive language to $500. It's part of the Government's response to alcohol fuelled violence, and has the strong support of the Police Association of New South Wales. Critics say the measure will unfairly target Aboriginal and young people.
Topics: antisocial-behaviour, laws, prisons-and-punishment, australia
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The state government has announced it's in negotiations to bring international freight back to Tasmania but the opposition has attacked the plan saying its promise will being more regular services. Tasmania has been without a service for the past three years with exporters having to pay more to get their freight overseas via ports like Melbourne.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, unemployment, sea-transport, australia
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Drought relief is at the forefront of political discussion, with farmers in crisis across parts of Queensland and New South Wales. The Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce is working on a package of drought assistance to put to cabinet, and Queensland's Agriculture Minister and the National Farming Federation say it should include wage subsidies.
Topics: drought, federal-government, australia
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A senior ranking officer of the Salvation Army has told the Royal Commission about the shame and disgrace that's been felt as a result of damning and devastating evidence been presented over the past two weeks. The public inquiry has been examining how the leading charity handled allegations of physical and sexual abuse at four children's homes operated by the Salvation Army in New South Wales and Queensland.
Topics: royal-commissions, child-abuse, salvation-army, australia
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There is growing concern about the risks of loosening lending standards among Australian banks. A survey by the Swiss investment bank UBS has found increased competition is forcing local lenders to take on riskier loans. The trend is being seen as not only a threat to the stability of Australia's property market, but to the broader economy as well.
Topics: banking, business-economics-and-finance, australia
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The Defence Minister David Johnston has called for a detailed inquiry into the ABC's coverage of claims by asylum seekers that navy personnel deliberately burnt their hands. In his first comments about the case, Senator Johnston has joined other Government ministers in defending the reputation of the navy and strenuously denying the allegations.
Topics: abc, defence-and-national-security, navy, federal-government, human, refugees, australia
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Australian human rights lawyers are launching a constitutional challenge to the detention of asylum seekers on Nauru, but there may be a problem. Nauru's Chief Justice says the country has no functioning judiciary. Justice Geoffrey Eames says he's surprised the Australian Government doesn't appear to be doing more to resolve the judicial crisis.
Topics: refugees, federal-government, courts-and-trials, prisons-and-punishment, human, australia
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Ever since Australian snowboarder, Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin, crashed out of his last Olympic medal bid in Vancouver, he's been making up for lost time. After that massive disappointment four years ago he's gone on to be two time world champion. Now he's also been given one of the great honours for any athlete representing their country. Pullin is flag-bearer for the Australian Winter Olympics.
Topics: winter-olympics, russian-federation, australia
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Bianca Maciel Pizzorno had to quit her law degree when she was moved from the single parents payment to the dole a year ago and she's worried more cuts to her welfare payments could be on the way. The National Welfare Rights Network says there's evidence that thousands of parents have been struggling to make ends meet.
Topics: social-policy, poverty, welfare, budget, parenting, australia
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Voters head to the polls in the inner-city Brisbane seat of Griffith tomorrow. It's been vacant since the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd quit politics in November last year. Former Australian Medical Association president Bill Glasson is contesting the seat again for the Liberal Party, after trying to snatch it from Mr Rudd last year. But history is against him as governments rarely win seats in by-elections, and voters are expected to deliver it to Labor's Terri Butler.
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Ten years ago, on Australia Day, Tony Eastley began presenting AM. Over 7,000 programs or so, he's covered a lot of ground and broadcast from some remote locations. Over a decade there have been many interviews, introductions, heartaches, promos and signoffs. Despite the early-to-bed nights, and the very early morning alarm calls, Tony says he's loved it.
Topics: australia
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Today marks the 5th anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires that tore through Victoria, killing 173 people and razing thousands of homes. One of the hardest hit areas was Marysville, north-east of Melbourne, where only around 40 houses were left standing. Up to 90 per cent of residents decided to stay. As well as the physical rebuild, there's been an emotional one and different people have found various ways to cope.
Topics: bushfire, marysville-3779
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A small group of Indonesian parliamentarians from different parties has voiced their opposition to the possibility of Schapelle Corby being allowed to leave prison. They've drawn up a letter objecting to her being released. A decision on whether she will get limited release will be announced today.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, indonesia, australia
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As the drought continues to threaten farmers with foreclosure, the Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has told AM he's asked the banks for help. At the same time, the Minister himself is being lobbied to relax the rules on concessional interest rates so more farmers can qualify for help under the Government's Farm Finance package.
Topics: agribusiness, banking, drought, agricultural-subsidies, agricultural-policy, programs-and-initiatives, australia
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The peak body for Australia's car parts makers says it's vital that Ford keeps producing cars in Australia until October 2016 in keeping with its announcement last year. The Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers says parts companies are relying on their income from Ford, Holden and Toyota to develop new products and find new markets to survive the departure of at least two of the companies.
Topics: automotive, australia
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A former senior officer with children's services in Queensland, Janice Doyle has told the inquiry that institutions have historically provided a 'poor service to poor children'. She also gave an insight into the attitudes of organisations with children in their care. With decades of experience in front line social work, Janice Doyle has told the royal commission about a wilful reluctance by society, institutions and governments to understand and accept the problem of child sexual abuse.
Topics: child-abuse, royal-commissions, australia
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With the Federal Budget looming in May, Treasurer Joe Hockey has made it clear that corporate and social welfare are in his sights. He's renewed his warnings about an end to the age of entitlement, and is now heralding the start of an 'age of personal and corporate responsibility'. Economists say the budget is deteriorating and steep spending cuts are needed, but they're also questioning whether this will be another case of dire warnings coming to nothing.
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The greyhound racing industry has faced its share of controversy in the past over accusations of doping, corruption and animal welfare. Now it's fighting for its future in a NSW parliamentary inquiry, announcing new rules for itself on the treatment of greyhounds.
Topics: animal-welfare, racing, gambling, australia
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The Auditor-General says his office found problems with recruitment and ballot security during its review of the 2007 election. Ian McPhee has told a parliamentary hearing that the Australian Electoral Commission was notified of the problems in a report in 2010, three years before 1,370 Senate votes went missing in Western Australia.
Topics: federal-elections, federal-election, federal-election-2007, australia
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A former boss of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has slammed a decision to dump dredge spoil in the World Heritage Area. Graeme Kelleher was the head of the authority for 16 years. He says a better option would have been to dump the material on land.
Topics: marine-parks, environmental-impact, environmental-policy, qld
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A petition with more than 10,000 signatures collected by Victorian Brenda Fisher is calling for a drug for MS sufferers to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme when the Advisory Committee meets next month. The drug Fampyra is designed to improve mobility, with many trouble walking a common symptom for many sufferers of MS. Currently the drug costs $600 a month, which Ms Fisher says is out of reach for people on disability pensions like her husband.
Topics: health-policy, chemicals-and-pharmaceuticals, medical-research, pharmaceuticals, australia
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In Victoria, balance of power MP Geoff Shaw has cast fresh doubt over the Napthine Government's hold on power after refusing to guarantee supply in the May budget. He says a verbal agreement with Premier Napthine applied last year and needs to be renewed.
Topics: state-parliament, federal---state-issues, alp, states-and-territories, vic
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It's exactly a year tomorrow since the Australian Crime Commission announced drug use was widespread in Australian sport. And yet, as we go in to the 2014 football year, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is still inquiring with no end in sight, and the threat of suspension still hangs over players.
Topics: doping-in-sports, australia
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A CSIRO report says facts don't back the idea that a massive irrigation scheme will make north Queensland a 'food bowl' for the country. The report released today also casts doubt on the viability of a $2 billion 'mega-farm' project that the Queensland Government has declared a project of state significance.
Topics: drought, agribusiness, qld
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Ford is warning it could shut down its Australian manufacturing operations sooner than previously thought. The carmaker's announced that a quarter of its 1,200 Victorian workers will be retrenched by June. In May last year Ford said the entire factory workforce would be made redundant when the two plants close in October 2016. Now the company says that timeline could be shortened if demand for its Australian-made models continues to decline.
Topics: company-news, automotive, manufacturing, vic
