Labor welcomes the Australian Computer Society’s (ACS) Policy Statement on Off-shoring, which was released today. The ACS is calling for the Federal Government to take action against an increasing trend in off-shoring Australian IT jobs. The Howard Government has treated the ICT sector with contempt and supports the off-shoring of Australian ICT jobs, recently demonstrated [...]
Monthly Archives: May 2004
Small to Medium Dance Sector snubbed by Kemp
In Estimates yesterday it was revealed that Kemp did not even bother to formally respond to written requests from the sector to provide additional recurrent funding of $5 million to the Dance Board to support community based dance organisations. This is despite receiving desperate pleas and a formal letter from over 40 company and festival [...]
Kemp asserts control over the Australia Council
Arts Minister Rod Kemp has given an unprecedented funding instructions to the Australia Council to allocate half of the additional funding received in the Budget to a single recipient – The Melba Foundation for the promotion of Australian operatic performers through its record label – Melba Records. It was revealed in Senate Estimates today that [...]
Labor, Gungahlin, Dunlop residents force communications improvements
Over the last two years, Labor’s federal and local representatives have worked closely with the Gungahlin and West Belconnen communities to put pressure on telecommunications carriers to deliver better mobile phone and broadband communications services. Today, some progress seems to have been made with Chief Minister John Stanhope opening a new exchange in Gungahlin. However, [...]
Impact of the FTA
Review of Draft Free Trade Agreement by Senator Kate Lundy Open Source Special Interest Group Sydney 20 May 2004 Australia’s Cultural Identity and Intellectual Property under the proposed FTA or “Sugar, Sheep and Shibboleths” Why Howard’s deal with the US sells out our unique strengths. In the opening pages of Neal Stephenson’s ode to the [...]
Does John Howard think Canberrans are stupid?
The Howard Government has spent $3 million over the weekend funding full page political advertisements across the nation – one of which in the Canberra Times, claimed the Howard Government is supporting the Australian Capital Territory. The political advertisements were a waste of taxpayer dollars and form part of a $750 million taxpayer funded political [...]
Kemp’s contempt for Arts and Sport
Despite Minister Kemp’s feeble attempts to talk up the Howard Government’s contribution to the Art and Sport sectors he has done very little to address the real issues faced on the ground by the thousands of professionals, volunteers and participants in Arts and Sport. For 8 long years the Howard Government has failed to address [...]
Cultural Content and the AUSFTA
Cultural Content and the proposed Australia/US Free Trade Agreement Adjournment Speech SENATE 13 May 2004 (9.20 p.m.) I rise in the chamber this evening to highlight some major concerns relating to the Cultural Sector and the Australia – United States Free Trade Agreement. Labor argued strongly for an exclusion clause for the cultural/audiovisual sector in [...]
Howard Government Sports Funding Failure
In a dismal performance the Howard Government has ensured that every Australian, from elite athlete to weekend walker, has been overlooked in this year’s sports budget. According to budget figures released last night, the Government has committed $273 million to the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, and $0.00 to grass roots development and participation. Last year [...]
Howard Government shows disregard for Australian Culture
The Howard Government’s 2004 Budget has not delivered a single new initiative in the Arts, choosing instead to refund and redeliver existing programs and ignore many of the systemic problems facing the sector. While Labor welcomes the extension of the Educational Lending Rights Scheme, the Art Indemnity programme, and the Regional Arts fund, the Howard [...]
