NewsRoo.com.au

A compact weekly review of Aussie news for Australians abroad
By Vince Chadwick and Benjamin Hope

September 27th 2008

Covering Australian News of 20/09/2008 to 26/09/2008













Kevin Rudd and George W Bush

Rudd defends New York trip

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has defended his decision to fly to New York this week to meet world leaders in a global response to the international financial crisis, saying the trip is in Australia’s best interest. The Prime Minister accused the Opposition of cheap populist stunts after being labelled ‘Kevin747’ for embarking on his 8th overseas trip this year, a trip that Liberal frontbencher Chris Pyne said was a mistake of priorities. The Prime Minister will miss several sitting days in parliament while he meets with financial leaders, officials and addresses the United Nations General Assembly.

Malcolm Turnbull

Coalition polls well as Turnbull names front bench

Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull has unveiled the new Coalition shadow ministry, designed to focus on economic management and the environment. Helen Coonan replaced Andrew Robb as foreign affairs minister and deputy leader Julie Bishop stepped up to become the first women to hold the treasury position. Turnbull also created a new role for Bruce Billson as the shadow minister for sustainable development to forge stronger links between economic and environmental policy. Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese ridiculed Turnbull for selecting 32 MP’s to shadow the governments 30, saying ‘two of them are shadowing each other.’ A Nielsen poll on Monday revealed support for the Coalition has risen steadily since Turnbull took charge last week.

Dollars
Image: pfala

Market rebounds with US plan

The Australian Stock Exchange has recovered somewhat in the wake of sharp losses last week, but Treasurer Wayne Swan warned investors to brace for 'further unpleasant surprises and further volatility over the period ahead as the remaining losses are worked through the system'. The resurgence came as the Reserve Bank welcomed the improved sentiment in a number of markets following the US government’s plan to bail out its financial firms using up to $US700 billion. The Australian government also acted quickly over the weekend, mimicking a US ban on the short-selling of shares designed to prevent investors taking undue advantage in uncertain economic conditions.

Nicola Roxon
Image: Looking Glass

Roxon forced to amend Medicare Levy bill

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has been forced to alter the government's Medicare Levy bill after Family First Senator Steve Fielding sided with the Coalition to vote down the original bill in the Senate before any debate had taken place. The new bill provides for the income threshold at which taxpayers without private health insurance must pay a 1% surcharge on top of the Medicare levy to be raised for singles from $50,000 to $75,000 indexed to wages growth. The government claims this will provide up to $1500 tax relief to over 300,000 people, however Senator Fielding and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull claim the changes will lead to increased premiums for those with private health insurance.

Australian Flag
Image: Audi_insperation

Republic achieves marginal majority

A Herald/Nielsen poll this week revealed a slender majority of Australians are in favour of becoming a republic with 52% of the 1400 voters surveyed in support, 40% against and 8% undecided. Professor David Flint, Convenor of ‘Australians for Constitutional Monarchy,’ said politicians were wasting taxpayer’s money on an idea that had declining support, especially among young voters. The Prime Minister urged the Coalition to support a bipartisan approach to the issue but Mr Turnbull declined the opportunity saying ‘we cannot have a successful referendum on the republic during the Queen’s reign.’

Gun

Life sentence for Melbourne CBD killer

The Melbourne CBD shooter, Christopher Wayne Hudson has received the maximum sentence of life in prison with a non-parole period of 35 years after pleading guilty to the murder of lawyer Brendan Keilar and the attempted murder of Dutch backpacker Paul de Waard and former model Kaera Douglas. Under the influence of alcohol and drugs the court heard Hudson shot Keilar and de Waard after they came to the aide of Ms Douglas as he tried to force her from a taxi on the corner of Flinders Lane and William Street in June last year. Speaking from the Netherlands, de Waard welcomed the decision.

Fountain Court, NSW Parliament House
Image: Dale Gillard

Costa joins ministerial exodus in NSW

Two weeks after he was dumped as Treasurer by former premier Morris Iemma, Michael Costa has himself resigned from Parliament. Costa is the fourth in a string of high profile resignations following the change in leadership to Nathan Rees. In the two weeks since Rees took charge ex-premier Morris Iemma, former ministers John Watkins and Reba Meagher and now Costa have all resigned, leading Opposition leader Barry O'Farrell to move a motion of no-confidence in the government which was ultimately defeated on party lines. Such is the rancour amongst NSW Labor that Costa apparently faxed his resignation directly to Governor Marie Bashir without informing new Premier and party leader, Nathan Rees.

Flinders Ranges
Image: heatherw

Upturned reef found in Flinders Ranges

Scientists have discovered a 650 million year old reef just 10 kilometres from a controversial uranium exploration site in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. The reef formed during a period of tropical climate and is ten times taller than the Great Barrier Reef, offering insights into early life on Earth. It also contained fossils of organisms which could be the oldest primitive animals found on earth so far. Scientist Jonathan Giddings said the reef was an internationally significant discovery because it ‘provides a significant step forward in showing the extent of climate change in Earth’s past.’

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