Audio
Immigration Minister Dutton confident lifetime visa ban legislation will get through Parliament Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Federal Government's plan to ban refugees on Nauru and Manus Island from ever coming to Australia will go before the Parliament today. The lifetime ban will cover all visa types, meaning those affected won't even be able to visit Australia as a tourist at some point in the future. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has told AM the Government is not open to amendments. He has also said that Australia is in 'sensitive discussions with a number of countries' in regards to resettlement of those still on Nauru and Manus Island.
Topics: refugees, federal-parliament, liberals, australia
Parasailing industry taking a dive Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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It offers stunning views for people seeking a thrill, but Australia's parasailing tourism industry is nearly half of what it used to be a few years ago. Phil Bird, who's been in the business for nearly 30 decades, says it's time to get out of the line of work where he's spent much of his working life. Parasailing is in his blood. He makes parasails, he runs a parasailing tourism business, and was even married parasailing, taking his vows under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Topics: tourism, travel-and-tourism, australia
National RSL president to stand down amid claims he shared in millions of dollars of consultancy fee Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The ABC revealed last month that the National President of the RSL, Rod White, is one of several current and former members of the league's New South Wales State Council who received payments from RSL Lifecare, an aged care charity within the organisation. RSL New South Wales has received legal advice that the men may have broken the law, in receiving and failing to disclose the payments. New documents obtained by the ABC reveal the amount of consultancy fees paid to the Lifecare directors is far greater than originally thought - totalling more than $2 million dollars since 2007.
Topics: defence-forces, corruption, australia
Battleground states to determine US Election 2016 Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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On the final day of the campaign, Hillary Clinton's polls are no longer falling, but there are battles to be had in swing states where Trump is performing better than anyone expected.
Topics: united-states
Labor's superannuation proposals fairer and better for the budget: Shadow Treasurer Bowen Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Federal Opposition is pushing the Government to make further cuts to superannuation concessions which it says will make the system fairer. The Government amended its superannuation changes earlier this year to satisfy concerns from its own backbench. The $500,000 lifetime cap on non-concessional contributions was replaced with an annual $100,000 limit instead. But Labor argues that's still too generous and says its plan would save an extra $1.4 billion over the next four years.
Topics: superannuation, federal-parliament, alp, australia
Study shows disadvantaged areas worst affected by natural disasters Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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New research has found poorer and more disadvantaged communities suffer the worst from natural disasters such as bushfires and floods. The Sydney University report identified four zones in New South Wales that are declared 'disaster zones' more often than anywhere else in the state. These areas, all in the state's north-east, contain some of the poorest communities in the country. A lack of proper preparation means they are subject to widespread damage, such as houses and infrastructure being destroyed, when disasters strike. The report's authors say the situation will persist unless wider problems such as inequality and social disadvantage are addressed.
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, poverty, welfare, social-capital, australia
Clinton, Trump on swing state blitz Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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It's the day before the US presidential election and Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are making their final pitches to voters. As the unconventional campaign comes to a close the polls remain tight with up to 15 battle ground states still in play. For the first time in 70 years both candidates will spend election night in New York and authorities are preparing to deploy the largest ever police polling day presence the city has ever seen.
Topics: united-states
Same sex marriage plebiscite defeated, conscience vote not on the table Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Senate has voted down legislation for the same sex marriage plebiscite 29 to 33. The Government was determined to bring about the public poll, and now it's unclear what the next move will be on this issue, with Coalition MP Andrew Broad saying that the issue is off the table for the remainder of the Government's term. Meanwhile, as the Prime Minister plans to look at changes around 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, backbencher MP John Alexander says it's a fringe issue that shouldn't be touched.
Topics: federal-parliament, marriage, gays-and-lesbians, australia
PM: Full Program Audio
Posted
On Monday's program: Lawyers for victims of child sexual abuse say the newly-announced national redress scheme may not be in the best interests of some of their clients. Western Australia's Aboriginal Legal Service is defending a complaint it's made to the Human Rights Commission about a controversial cartoon by Bill Leak. And Australian doctors have found that a trend towards planned early births is placing babies at risk of developmental delays.
Topics: australia
Local TV news to expand in regional areas Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Nine News and Southern Cross Austereo have announced a bold move into regional news broadcasting, with 15 new local bulletins in the eastern states from early next year. The move is seen by one analyst as a bid to convince crossbench senators to pass the Government's media reforms.
Topics: broadcasting, information-and-communication, australia
Interconnectors proposed to address SA's energy security Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Four options for a new interconnector between South Australia and the eastern states, have been put forward by ElectraNet, at a cost of up to $2.5 billion. In a new report, the power transmission company has highlighted the need for a long-term solution for the state to ensure lower power prices and better security of the electricity market. It also says South Australia's increased reliance on gas for firm power supply, could see customers there pay millions more each year than those in other states.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, sa, australia
Experts meet to discuss plan for deadly red fire ant in south-east Queensland Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Experts will gather in south-east Queensland this week to discuss a foreign ant that's been known to kill livestock and even humans. The Red Fire Ant has been plaguing south-east Queensland for 15 years and could soon cross the border into New South Wales. Now the Federal Government has to decide whether to ramp up efforts to eradicate the pest or develop ways to live with the invasive species.
Topics: invertebrates---insects-and-arachnids, animal-science, qld, australia, nsw
Planned early births can lead to child's developmental delays Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Planning to deliver a baby before 39 weeks can significantly increase the risk of the child having developmental delays, new Australian research has found. The important findings come from a study of more than 150,000 Australian babies born after 32 weeks, who were assessed at kindergarten age.
Topics: babies---newborns, community-and-society, health, medical-research, australia
Governor of Jakarta questioned by police over blasphemy allegations linked to protests Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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To Jakarta now where the city's Governor is being questioned by police over blasphemy allegations linked to last week's violent protests. The Governor known as Ahok arrived at the national police headquarters this morning waving to a large media pack as he entered the building. On Friday, a massive street protest attracting 150,000 strong crowd and led by hard-line Muslim groups turned violent as dark fell with 350 people injured and one elderly man dying.
Topics: government-and-politics, islam, indonesia
Aboriginal Legal Service defends complaint about Leak cartoon Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Western Australia's Aboriginal Legal Service is defending a complaint it's made to the Human Rights Commission about a controversial cartoon by Bill Leak. The cartoon, published by the Australian newspaper in August, depicts an Aboriginal man with a beer can who does not remember his son's name. On Friday the Aboriginal Legal Service announced it had lodged the complaint on behalf of two Aboriginal clients. But a Liberal Senator has questioned whether the ALS told the men exactly how their signed statements were to be used.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, race-relations, print-media, wa, australia
Queensland Government's child abuse bill slammed for not going far enough Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A collection of Queensland child abuse support groups are leaning hard on the State Government to finesse its child abuse claims bill before it hits Parliament this week. They want the reform bill to be expanded to include victims of physical as well as sexual abuse, in line with similar legislation introduced in New South Wales.
Topics: child-abuse, community-and-society, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, laws, qld, australia
Legal action to continue ahead of national child abuse redress scheme Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Lawyers for victims of child sexual abuse say the newly-announced national redress scheme may not be in the best interests of some of their clients. Legal action is expected to proceed as normal as the Federal Government works to finalise the details of the scheme.
Topics: child-abuse, community-and-society, law-crime-and-justice, sexual-offences, australia
Senate to support High Court referrals for Bob Day and Rod Culleton Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Senate will support the motions to refer to the High Court questions over the eligibility of two crossbench Senators. The One Nation leader Pauline Hanson told the Senate she would support the motion which relates to her colleague, Rod Culleton, because politicians must be held accountable. She said she'd continue to offer the WA Senator personal support. The Opposition is using the case of the now former Family First Senator Bob Day to try to put pressure on the Government over when it knew of potential problems with the lease arrangements for his electorate office.
Topics: government-and-politics, parliament-house-2600, australia
Construction cycle peaks as off-the-plan developer concedes Sydney in a property 'bubble' Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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New figures out today have unsettled a few key players in the property market. The latest private sector data show that total construction work around the country actually contracted last month. It could mean an end to the multi-year construction boom - engineered by the Reserve Bank to stimulate the property market.
Topics: building-and-construction, business-economics-and-finance, australia
Winda festival offers platform for Indigenous filmmakers Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Documentaries, feature and short films from all corners of the globe, will be screened in Sydney this week as part of a new Indigenous film festival. Films from Hawaii to Central Australia, New Zealand and Norway are part of the very first Winda Film Festival. The organisers say it offers Indigenous film makers from around the world a new platform to showcase their work
Topics: carnivals-and-festivals, film-movies, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, sydney-2000, australia
South Carolina man accused of chaining woman linked to seven deaths Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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US authorities say a South Carolina man accused of keeping a woman in chains may be linked to seven deaths. 45 year old Todd Kohlhepp is a registered sex offender. Police have confirmed that a body found on his vast rural property was the boyfriend of a woman rescued from a metal shipping container last week.
Topics: federal-parliament, discrimination, laws, australia
Somalia named the most dangerous country for journalists for the second year Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Somalia has been named the most dangerous country in the world for journalists for the second year in a row, although the Philippines is climbing in the rankings under Duterte. Somalia is leading even Syria and Iraq, where Islamic State militants murdered at least six journalists over the last year.
Topics: journalism, law-crime-and-justice, murder-and-manslaughter, somalia
Concerns heavy-handed drugs approach hindering fight against terrorism in the Philippines Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The US Government has issued a warning that terrorists could conduct kidnappings on Cebu Island, a tourism hub of the Philippines. Analysts say it comes as a shock, given the prominent terrorist organisation Abu Sayyaf is most prominent the region around 500 kilometres further south. They say it could suggest foreign fighters returning from the so-called Islamic State are having an influence in building the capacity of terror groups in the Philippines. But there are concerns President Rodrigo Duterte's heavy-handed approach to drugs and his anti-US stance could complicate efforts to deal with terrorism in the country.
Topics: world-politics, foreign-affairs, philippines, united-states
Indonesian President cancels trip to Australia but will reschedule Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Indonesia's President was due to give an address to our national parliament this week, but he abruptly cancelled his first state visit to Australia on the weekend as Muslim protests in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, turned violent.
Topics: foreign-affairs, indonesia, australia
Citizens' Jury says no to a nuclear waste dump in SA Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Questions have been raised and criticisms levelled over the process undertaken in South Australia, as the community considers the future of storing nuclear waste there. Last night a majority of the 350-strong Jury, rejected the government's proposal to build a nuclear dump in the state. Among reasons for knocking back the plan, the group cited a lack of trust in the government to deliver a waste dump safely within a budget, and the process it followed.
Topics: nuclear-issues, pollution, nuclear-energy, sa, australia
