Sick leave for casuals – it makes sense
The last thing we want is sick people turning up for work because they are casual workers with no sick leave. The fair and most sensible action the Government can take …
Reform overdue in secrecy acts
Our submission to the Government’s Open Government Partnership commitments calls for a major review and reform of Commonwealth laws that allow secret prosecutions, trials and imprisonment. You didn’t know this …
Hanson wrong on Closing the Gap
Pauline Hanson recently responded to the latest annual Closing the Gap Report. At the outset, I am not going to call her a racist – that’s a word too often used to …
Coronavirus: is government really prepared?
Dr Roger Yazbek, Democrats health campaigner Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has caused uncertainty and panic around the world, with governments scrambling to minimise disease spread. We still know little about the virus, …
Voluntary assisted dying program on SBS
Watch out for the SBS Insight program with host Jenny Brockie which is looking at how voluntary assisted dying is working in Australia. 8.30pm – 9.35pm, Tuesday 3rd March 2020, and …
Asleep at the wheel
The Government announced over a year ago that it would develop a National Strategy for Electric Vehicles, but it won’t be done before June 2020 and it’s unlikely to add …
$2m for more phantom water
The Coalition appears to have struck another costly water deal to save the Ramsar-listed Narran Lakes wetlands, this time for ~$2 million. See here for the Guardian story). Three years …
Targets must come forward
Will Steffen, climate researcher at the ANU, says Labor’s targets of 45% reduction by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050 won’t contain global heating to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. …
Ice tells the tale on gas
While the PM and his Resources Minister tout the benefits of using gas as a ‘transition fuel’, CSIRO research says fugitive methane from extraction puts gas on a par with …
We sign on to Safe Climate Declaration
The Democrats today signed on to the Safe Climate Declaration and joined the call for Australia’s climate emergency transition. The National Climate Energy Summit, held in Melbourne on 14-15 February, …