It sounds like a Christmas carol: One Labor premier … five federal cabinet ministers, eight Liberal backbenchers and two National Party Senate leaders" line up to praise and give thanks to the power- and money-hungry patrons of the Hillsong church Glory of Antipodean Letters, glory, me, me, me
Carr's $1 billion deal to break GST deadlock
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Aspirational Voters
In the lead-up to the 2004 election, Mark Latham talked much about Labor’s need to appeal to voters he called ‘aspirational’.
A Google search using the term ‘aspirational voter’ produces dozens of hits, as political commentators, pundits, and leaders grapple with explaining voters’ changing party preferences. During the election campaign, a consensus emerged that these ‘aspirationals’ would play a crucial role in determining the election outcome, especially in outer metropolitan electorates, where the Howard government held eleven seats by a margin of less than six per cent (Davies & Noonan 2004). So should we believe that those deemed ‘aspirational’ played a role in shaping the outcome of the 2004 poll?
• The Rise Of The Aspirational Voter [Red River Democracy Project ; ReCollection: a few things picked up along the way; How did I miss reading this editorial last week? The dilemmas of democracy ; With the changeover of senators on 1 July 2005, Marian Sawer looks at democratic issues posed by government control of both houses of the Australian Parliament, particularly in relation to legislative review and executive scrutiny The Senate changeover: implications for democracy ]
• · The immigration department has a cowboy culture and a contempt for human life, a lawyer for Vivian Alvarez says Cowboy culture' rules immigration department ; Cornelia Rau should have been held in jail for a week at most but instead spent six months in prison because an uninterested Immigration Department ignored its own rules for handling detainees Locked up against the rules - the Rau verdict ; In the Cornelia Rau case it looks like Immigration officials used the work of Alexander Solzhenitsyn as a guide, when they were not following Franz Kafka Cornelia Rau case a national disgrace
• · · The decision to pursue civil, rather than criminal, proceedings against Steve Vizard showed there was one law for members of the Melbourne establishment and another for Sydney eccentrics Vizard 'a true insider', says Rivkin lawyer ; The inflated rent paid by the Australian National Audit Office had probably pushed up the sale price of Labor's national headquarters in Canberra ALP sells HQ for $30m
• · · · Ian Thorpe said of the New York Olympic bid: "It is my baby." Five go to town for Olympic glory ; Anglo-French tensions heightened this week after French President Jacques Chirac delivered a series of insults to Britain as London and Paris fought to secure the 2012 Olympic Games Chirac's mad jokes sour relations ; It was intended to be a house party for well-heeled, fashion-conscious ladies in the eastern suburbs, eating nibblies, gossiping and perusing fake luxury handbags that were to be sold for cash Sale of fakes leaves heavy baggage
• · · · · Martyn Stuart Mendelsohn, an ear, nose and throat surgeon and former visiting medical officer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, is charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault Celebrity doctor on rape charge ; Bagless ladies: the powerful new breed of politician; The escape of a billionaire suspect prompts police chief's resignation but critics say more change needed Law and Disorder
• · · · · · John and Janette Howard go overseas next week for 10 days in Washington and London. Wish them well These days it's more like a gravy plane ; Commonwealth Bank's new chief executive, Ralph Norris, left his last IT management position behind 14 years ago. But he readily acknowledges the job laid the groundwork for the success that led him to take on one of Australia's most demanding executive jobs IT helped launch CBA's new chief