The real digital divide in Australia is the one left by the Howard Government after closing down many community based public internet access centres around the country. In the Prime Ministers own words yesterday at the announcement of a $40 million contribution by Microsoft to address the digital divide: “But what I think is remarkable [...]
Monthly Archives: June 2004
Lazy Libs forced to follow Labor’s lead on obesity
Labor has forced the Howard Government to act on childhood obesity after years of lazy and ignorant neglect. In October 2003 Labor released its $25m policy tackling obesity and promoting community wellbeing – Labor’s Plan for a Healthier and More Active Australia. In June 2004 Labor strengthened this policy by announcing a ban on junk [...]
Australian talent brings anti-FTA message to Canberra
The Australian Coalition for Cultural Diversity (ACCD), including industry leaders and prominent artists have been meeting with Labor Senators and Members to discuss the negative effects of the proposed Australia/US (so-called) Free Trade Agreement over the past two days. MPs and Senators including members of Labor’s Living Standard and Economics Caucus Committee heard presentations from [...]
Labor secures residents bushfire memorial and York Park Oak Trees
Labor welcomes the National Capital and External Territories Committee support for the planned memorial to bushfire victims – including the four people who lost their lives. The Committee also called on the Department of Finance and Administration to abandon any action that could lead to the removal of the York Park North tree plantation. There [...]
Committee opposes removal of oak trees in York Park
This is a copy of the Public statement made by the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories following my raising concerns about this issue. Wednesday 23rd June Committee opposes removal of oak trees in York Park Federal Parliament’s National Capital Committee notes that the Department of Finance and Administration has made [...]
Howard still playing catch-up on childhood obesity issues
Labor welcomes initiatives that promote physical activity amongst children. Labor notes that a school which has a broad range of well established sporting facilities will be better able to achieve these goals than a school that struggles to find funding for sports facilities. This is even more reason why all schools should be funded on [...]
PM out of line on junk food advertising bans
The Prime Minister’s grandiose statement that a ban on junk food advertising has been widely condemned throughout the Australian community is not only ludicrous, it is a blatant lie. Let the evidence speak for itself. Those for Those against Australian Labor Party Prime Minister Howard The Royal Australian College of Physicians Tony Abbott Australian Divisions [...]
Minister must address drugs in sport allegations
Serious allegations were revealed today about drugs in sport at the Australian Institute of Sport Del Monte facility in Adelaide. Senator Kemp must now clarify what he knows about these allegations, and what he intends to do to address them. When I questioned Senator Kemp on this case during Senate Estimates Committee hearings [...]
Childrens’ Junk Food Advertising Ban: Labor will not shirk its social responsibility
The Prime Minister’s inane comment that the government should not interfere with parental responsibility is simply another example of the Howard Government’s steadfast refusal to help protect the health of Australia’s children. Leading industry groups, such as the Australian Medical Association, Young Media Australia, and the Coalition on Food Advertising to Children (CFAC), have continually [...]
Kemp refuses to confirm or deny legality of Melba Funding
In this years budget, Minister Kemp took the unprecedented step of directing 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. Arts Minister Rod Kemp today refused to [...]
