RECENT statistics from the Australian Institute of Criminology show that teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 are the most dangerous group within Australian society, with young Australians the worst offenders of serious violent crimes including assault and abduction.

The figures, included in the annual Australian Crime: Facts & Figures report, revealed that the level of assaults in the 15-19 age range was 886 per 100 000 people according to 2011 figures. This statistic represents over ten times that of the assault rate for Australians between the age of 55 and 59, which stands at 85 per 100 000.

Sexual assaults were most commonly committed by 15-19 year-olds, with this group committing 64 offences per 100 000 people. Robberies and extortion were also largely committed by younger Australians, with the report showing that those between 15 and 19 committed 115 offences per 100 000 of the total population.

Demographer David Chalke said that there were several factors that were impacting upon the higher rate of violent crime amongst Australia’s youth population. He highlighted increased alcohol availability, the over-use of video games and unstable family dynamics as potential causes for the alarming statistics.

Mr Chalke said: “If you go back 20 years, the availability of alcohol was much less. It was a lot harder for under 18s to get booze. Now it’s a whole lot easier for them to get juiced up and that may be a significant contributor. Video games have also created a culture where violence is the norm.”

Federal Justice Minister Jason Clare said that initiatives were being put in place that had made some progress in tackling serious crime, however admitted that the Australian Institute of Criminology statistics showed that there was still “a lot more work to do” before the government could claim that it had made a significant impact on the national crime rate.

Mr Clare said: “The Federal Government recognises the need to support young people who are at risk of falling through the cracks of society and putting them on the right path and this is why we have invested $40 million into a National Crime Prevention Fund which allows local communities to work together to recognise local problems and develop local solutions.”

Earlier this week Mr Clare rejected the notion that the government would tax violent video games in response to comments made by American Vice Presient Joe Biden, in which he said that he could see “no legal reason” why games like Mortal Kombat could not be taxed. Mr Clare recently announced the implementation of a criminal asset forfeiture scheme, with $10 million of the money seized destined for youth outreach programs across the country.

Father Chris Riley, whose ’Youth off the Streets’ organisation has been named as a recipient of federal funding, said that many social problems in Australia could be traced back to a lack of engagement between young people and their local community.

Fr Riley said: “It is just so easy to do, kids are so easy to engage, we don’t engage our kids in these suburbs, it’s not magic, we employ young people from the area, they may have troubled pasts, and they are leaders in their communities.”

[ Source: Australian Times ]

Mr Fowler was one of the most high profile targets of the 1996 Wood Royal Commission, which investigated allegations of widespread corruption within the New South Wales Police Force. He was a central figure in the commission’s first bombshell revelation, after he was filmed by a hidden camera receiving bribe money from supergrass colleague Trevor Haken.

The Wood Royal Commission discovered that Mr Haken and Mr Fowler had been at the centre of an entrenched system of graft that existed in Kings Cross throughout the 1980s. The commission, presided over by Justice James Wood, discovered that the detectives had received illicit payments from a range of known drug barons including Bill Bayeh and Steve Hardas.

He was forced out of the police force after the tapes were revealed, and was later jailed for two years for giving false evidence to the royal commission. Mr Fowler had claimed that he had taken leave from the police force after slipping on spilled milkshake outside work, when it was revealed that the incident had been staged so that he could claim compensation for being ‘hurt on duty’.

Former New South Wales detective Roger Rogerson, who was also the subject of numerous investigations into corrupt activity, said that Mr Fowler had died around 10pm on Wednesday night. He said that although he had not worked directly with Mr Fowler, he had gotten to know the former detective in recent years.

Mr Rogerson said: “I didn’t work with him a lot but I met up with him a couple of months ago, had a few beers. We knew he was sick. His wife rang me yesterday night and told me the news.”

A private person in retirement, Mr Fowler spoke to the media in 2010 to criticise the producers of Underbelly: The Golden Mile, in which Damian Garvey portrayed Mr Fowler as a heavy-drinking and misogynistic officer who was key in the organisation of corrupt payments to Kings Cross detectives.

Mr Fowler said: “None of the makers asked me about the series. I’ve been hung out to dry. It’s fine if they’re going to make a show about it, but it’s very far away from fact.”

Seven police, including Mr Fowler, received jail sentences as the result of evidence presented before the Wood Royal Commission. The commission also resulted in twelve individuals taking their own life, largely as a result of the allegations of police-sanctioned pedophilia that were made during the proceedings.

The royal commission found that around $14 million a year had been paid to police and politicians across New South Wales as a way of protecting a range of illegal activities including gambling, drug trafficking and prostitution. Police were also accused of actively participating in the organisation of criminal activity, partnering with ‘protected’ criminal identities including racing identity George Freeman and ‘Mr Rent-a-Kill’ Christopher Dale Flannery.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart has been criticised by Prime Minister Julia Gillard for saying the nation’s economy is heading for a collapse like those seen in Europe.

The multi-billionaire mining magnate accused the majority of Australians of thinking mining companies were ATMs from which they could draw money.

The comments were made in a pre-recorded video message at a Melbourne business conference, the second time since September the famously private Ms Rinehart has caused national headlines this way.

She said that without mining and its related industries Australia had no hope of repaying record debt, to avoid the problems Greece and other countries faced with overspending and consequent debt traumas.

“What few seem to properly understand – even people in government – is that miners and other resources industries aren’t just ATMS for everyone else to draw from without that money first having to be earned and, before that, giant investments are made,” she says in the message.

“It is as if their (Europe’s) struggles with unemployment, riots, increased crime, debt and a sheer lack of money for even essential services, had nothing to teach us.”

The predicted demise of and recent job losses in the Australian car industry was a warning sign, she said.

Governments had wrongly believed the recent six year run of record revenues driven by high commodity prices would continue and had responded by imposing extra mining and carbon taxes that discourage investment, she said.

This week’s federal budget papers revealed net debt would peak at $191.6 billion and gross debt $300 billion in 2014-15.

However economists such as CommSec’s Craig James regard the forecast peak debt level of about 11.4 per cent of gross domestic product as low from a global perspective.

Ms Gillard slammed Ms Rinehart’s claims as “absolute nonsense”.

“(It’s) not backed in by economists and not backed in by ratings agencies with their triple-A rating of the Australian economy,” she told reporters on Friday.

Indigenous leaders also copped criticism from Ms Rinehart for recent demands that Woodside Petroleum pay them $1.5 billion compensation and provide jobs after the company pulled out of its $40 billion gas hub near Broome amid rising costs.

“This is spending the money of a resources company without giving even the company itself the chance to first earn it,” she said.

The benefits of mining went to all Australians, she said, demonstrated by BHP Billiton alone paying $9 billion in taxes locally last year, the same amount as federal funding of higher education.

Ms Rinehart also repeated themes aired in a poem she penned last year, about transforming Australia’s north into a productive agricultural and resources region, using low tax special economic zones as Singapore had under Lee Kuan Yew.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said she agreed there was an overdependence in Australia on the resources sector.

However she resented one of the richest people in the world – with a net worth above $20 billion – lecturing Australians about why she or anybody else in the mining sector should not have to pay taxes. - AAP

[ Source: Australian Times ]

The centre-left party, founded by Queenslander Jason McKenzie, are campaigning in this year’s federal election on a platform emphasising government support for innovation and sustainable development. The Lamington Party intends on running a number of candidates in the eastern states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The Lamington Party’s reply to the government’s budget announcement accepted the notion of a fiscal deficit, claiming that it was acceptable as long as government spending was going towards programs that added value to the economy. The Lamington Party said that the government had prepared a “responsible budget”, however that the opportunity to invest in research and development that would increase Australia’s productivity had been missed.

The budget response said: “While it is simplistic to compare a country’s debt to a household’s debt, most financial planners and economists would say as long as the debt is due to spending on value-add activities, such as creating new jobs and infrastructure (or investing in property for households) and providing repayments can be met, a deficit is not a bad thing.

“Whether you agree or disagree with how Labor has decided to earn revenue and spend on initiatives, everyone can agree that this is not a budget that will buy votes. They have attempted to create a responsible budget. We believe that the opportunity for greater spending and incentives for environmentally friendly and R&D (research and development) friendly programs to boost Australia’s competitiveness and productivity was missed.”

The Lamington Party budget response specifically noted that the government had once again deferred meeting the foreign aid commitment of 0.5% of the country’s Gross National Income, as established in the United Nations Millennium Goals. It states that the United Kingdom would this year contribute 70 cents of every $100 earned in the country to foreign aid, while Australia lingered behind with 37 cents of every $100 being spent in this manner.

The Lamington Party said: “the government has continued to ‘raid’ the foreign aid budget by diverting $375 million of funding to domestic processing and support of asylum seekers. Ironically, this makes Australia the 3rd largest recipient of Australian aid. We think it is embarrassing to Australia’s international reputation that other countries, that are still struggling after the Global financial crisis, such as the United Kingdom have been able to meet even higher targets.”

The Lamington Party announced a range of initiatives that they would push to achieve if elected to federal parliament. The budget response supported the fast-tracking of the Houston report’s recommendations that low-risk asylum seekers be allowed to work in order to improve quality of life for the individual and decrease the cost of mandatory detention to the government. The party also suggested a review of the Australian tax code in order to identify opportunities for reform, including the potential broadening of the GST base.

The government restriction of research and development incentives to businesses with a revenue base of less than $20 billion was criticised, with the Lamington Party claiming that the funding cut would drive major companies like Rio Tinto and Telstra to move their research facilities to more financially-attractive destinations off-shore.

The statement said: “The Lamington Party believes that the budget lacks an overarching strategy for the digital economy, with few projects and initiatives to truly benefit Australia’s participation in the digital space. We believe that targeted tax incentives to encourage more small businesses to build digital capacity and capabilities must be delivered, as the digital economy and the NBN is about more than simply connecting Australians with faster internet speeds.

“The Government needs develop new initiatives to educate the public and business community about both the social and economic benefits of a truly digital economy and must encourage related private sector investment.”

Minor political parties do not typically release a response to the federal budget, however the Lamington Party claim that they believe that it is important for organisations campaigning for election to outline both their spending program and how they intend to fund it.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

A FEDERAL coalition government will cut spending by $4 billion a year to fund the retention of tax cuts and pension and benefit increases linked to Labor’s carbon pricing regime.

Most of the savings will come from superannuation changes, which is likely to anger the federal government and unions.

But Tony Abbott says this is necessary because of the state of the budget and the economy.

“Thanks to Labor’s poor management over five years, there is now a budget emergency,” he said during his budget reply speech to parliament on Thursday night.

If the opposition wins government in September, it will discontinue the low income superannuation contribution that is part of Labor’s mining tax package, to save just under $1 billion.

It will delay by two years the phased increase in the superannuation guarantee charge from nine per cent to 12 per cent to 2021, to save $1.1 billion a year.

“This money comes largely from business – not from government – and our economy needs encouragement as mining investment starts to wane and new sources of growth are needed,” Mr Abbott said.

“These measures alone will produce nearly $5 billion a year in savings, which is more than enough for tax cuts without a carbon tax.”

The public service payroll will be cut by 12,000 over two years, saving $1.75 billion and the increase in Australia’s humanitarian intake by 6250 and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will both go.

All the savings would go to retaining tax cuts and fortnightly pension and benefits increases tied up in the carbon tax compensation for households promised by the government.

“The carbon tax will go but no one’s personal tax will increase and no one’s fortnightly pension or benefit will reduce,” Mr Abbott said.

Treasurer Wayne Swan handed down the federal budget for 2013/14 on Tuesday and projected deficits for this financial year and the next two, before heading into the black from 2015/16.

He announced $43 billion of savings measures over the forward estimates, including the abolition of the $5000 baby bonus to parents, to help fully fund Labor’s disability care and schools funding programs and make up for a revenue slump driven by the high Australian dollar.

While the opposition planned to support the government’s savings measures, a coalition government would not “shirk the hard decisions” to get back to surplus, Mr Abbott said.

“At least for a first term, until we’re on an honest path not just to surplus but to repaying debt, an incoming coalition government will resist new spending commitments that aren’t fully funded, nearly always by offsetting expenditure reductions,” he said.

Mr Abbott repeated coalition promises to abolish the carbon and mining taxes, cut business red tape, set up a commission of audit and stop the asylum-seeker boats.

He said all of the opposition’s commitments were affordable and deliverable.

More funding details would be announced after the pre-election fiscal statement was released during the election campaign.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Bill Shorten said Mr Abbott would cut the retirement savings of every Australian worker.

“A Liberal government won’t just delay the increase in compulsory superannuation contributions, they will scrap it completely,” he said in a statement.

He said superannuation contributed significantly to national savings, employment, financial stability and economic growth and took the pressure off the pension.

“Superannuation in Australia today is worth about $1.5 trillion and under Labor will be boosted by a further $500 billion by 2037,” he said. - AAP

[ Source: Australian Times ]

RUGBY league legend Glenn Lazarus has been named to lead the Palmer United Party’s Queensland Senate team at the next federal election, claiming that Clive Palmer’s fledgling party could unite and advance Australia through inspirational leadership.

Mr Lazarus, 47, won five premierships throughout his rugby league career and is the only player to win a premiership title with three different clubs. He represented New South Wales in 22 State of Origin clashes and was selected for the Australian squad 21 times between 1990 and 1999.

Mr Palmer unveiled his Queensland Senate team at a press conference in Brisbane earlier today, announcing former A-League goal keeper Scott Higgins and veteran crown prosecutor Henry Fong as candidates alongside Mr Lazarus. The former front-rower released a statement saying that the PUP would represent a much-needed alternative to the two major parties.

Mr Lazarus said: “Right now the nation as a whole desperately needs an alternative to the tired and clueless government of Julia Gillard and the Tony Abbott-led opposition, which has virtually the same policies as Labor. We need someone with integrity and expertise that can lead us out of this economic crisis and create community wealth and jobs.”

Several prominent members of the rugby league community came out in support of Mr Lazarus’s candidacy after the announcement was made, with notoriously media shy coach Wayne Bennett describing him as a “decent bloke”. Mr Bennett, who coached Mr Lazarus for 137 during his time at the Brisbane Broncos, said that he believed the former sportsman would make a good politician.

Mr Bennett said: “He’s a wonderful bloke, caring, and pretty intelligent. As a player he always said what he believed and he never held back. Those qualities should make a good politician.”

Allan Langer, Mr Lazarus’s on-field leader for two of his five grand final victories, said: “I hope it’s a big buffet down in Canberra. He and Clive will cut big figures (in politics). Seriously, Glenn was a genuine bloke and a good thinker. I wish him the best of luck.”

Former team mate Kerrod Walters said that Mr Lazarus defied the stereotype that rugby league front-rowers were not intelligent, claiming that Mr Lazarus was a serious character that had “a few brains.”

Mr Walters said: “He doesn’t come from the typical front-rowers mould because he was quite sensible with a few brains. He’s larger than life and he is probably looking for something to get his teeth into. I just hope he lasts longer than Mal Meninga did.”

Mr Meninga, a team mate of Mr Lazarus during his time at the Canberra Raiders, campaigned for a seat in the ACT legislature in 2001. He notoriously resigned from the election race during a radio interview, saying “I’m buggered. I’m sorry. I have to resign.”

The Palmer United Party is still awaiting registration with the Australian Electoral Commission, after being rejected earlier in the week for submitting an application that was deemed to have too many registered members. The party was forced to change its name from the ‘United Australia Party’ after the AEC determined that the name was too similar to that of an already registered group.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

A GLOBAL survey ranking countries on their desirability for relocating professionals has placed Australia third, behind the US and UK, despite the high-value dollar putting pressure on exchange rates.

Global recruitment agency the Hydrogen Group, which commissioned the survey, said Australia remained competitive as a top destination for migrating professionals.

“Oil and gas continues to be a real growth area, with demand increasing for professionals with unconventional experience,” said the Hydrogen Group Managing Director, Shane Little.

“There is also a growing demand for professionals in life sciences and pharmaceuticals, in particular on the clinical research and development side, and in regulatory affairs and compliance.

“Australia is also a technology hub, with growth currently in cloud technology, analytics and big data storage.”

The survey collated data from more than 2000 people across 90 countries for the 2013 poll.

This year’s results saw Australia lose its 2012 second-place to the UK. The UK ranked as second choice for professionals in law, life sciences and technology, and fourth for those in finance.

“Australia, consistently popular as it combines highly-developed professional sectors with a high quality of life, ranked second for oil and gas, third for finance and life sciences, and fourth for law and technology,” the report reads.

Top 15 destinations for migrating professionals

1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Australia
4. Singapore
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. France
8. Hong Kong
9. UAE
10. Germany
11. China
12. Brazil
13. Italy
14. Spain
15. New Zealand

[ Source: Australian Times ]

THEY say if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Or better yet, just take the kitchen outside.

This Sunday, residents of Wandsworth and Putney will have the chance to partake in Street Kitchen, a food art installation co-created by Australian Joseph O’Farrell to celebrate “all things kitchen.”

Kicking off at 1pm, foodies of Deodar Street, near Putney Bridge, will share their own kitchen experience on the street, including what their kitchen means to them, what fond memories they have, what they like to cook, as well as any funny stories or favourite ingredients.

“This event gives the residents of the street and the surrounding community a platform to share stories, experiences and recipes in a creative way,” explains O’Farrell.

“We have integrated these stories into a full street installation. To facilitate someone else’s story is a really fun and beautiful position to be in.”

Taking place on the concluding day of the Wandsworth Arts Festival, O’Farrell came up with idea for the event while collaborating with his friend and fellow performance artist, Shamira Turner.

The street is set to be lined with banners holding kitchen related quotes and recipe hints, while workshops and treasure hunts should keep the kids occupied.

Overall, O’Farrell says he looks forward to seeing people really reflect on their own “kitchen moment” and the delights of sharing recipes and tips with friends and strangers.

Following Street Kitchen, O’Farrell will be take on the post of Artist in Residence for Islington, working with young artists aged 7-12 for a project in the A Million Minutes project.

With plans to head back to Australia in September to work with his theatre company The Suitcase Royale, O’Farrell claims he first came to the UK because of love and Hugh Grant movies.

“I love it here, there are a lot of expats in London and it feels like half of the Melbourne arts community will be here over the summer,” he says. “I really like football and pies too which helps.”

Speaking further on his decision to develop a kitchen art showcase for the foodies of Wandsworth, he says the idea came from him sharing a strange recipe with a friend for “steak paste.”

“Although to an outsider this may sound like an absurd condiment… it is delicious!”

We’ll take your word for it, mate.

Street Kitchen is part of Wandsworth Arts Festival on 3-19 May. See wandsworthartsfestival.com.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

AS BAZ Luhrmann faced Cannes to address some less-than-flattering reviews of his film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, he took comfort in empathising with the story’s late creator.

When F. Scott Fitzgerald released his now-celebrated novel in 1925, it was deemed a failure, with one prominent critic even labelling the Jazz Age author a “clown”.

Luhrmann’s glitzy 3D adaptation has been spared quite such a brutal reception, but the early response could only be described as mixed at best.

While some have lauded the bold, hip-hop-tuned movie a success, others consider it “over the top” and accuse Luhrmann of lacking taste.

A debut press screening at Cannes was met with a somewhat-subdued response on Wednesday before Luhrmann and his star-studded cast addressed a packed press conference.

Asked how he felt about the early reviews from the US and UK, the Australian director said he always knew the film would divide opinion.

“I made Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet and Strictly Ballroom, for that matter, and I never got one of those big, high-critic scores,” Luhrmann said.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, I’d love it, so if you’re thinking about it go for it – don’t hold back.

“But I knew that would come.

“But do you know what – what about Fitzgerald? What about him writing that book? What about a clown?,” Luhrmann said.

Unlike Fitzgerald, who suffered from poor early sales of his book, Luhrmann has delivered an instant hit.

The film raked in a whopping $US51 million at the weekend in the US, surpassing all expectations going up against action juggernaut Iron Man 3.

“I just care that people are going out and seeing it. I really am so moved by that,” Luhrmann said.

“That was a very nervous weekend for us and we’re very thankful to the audience.”

There was no rapturous applause at Wednesday’s press screening in Cannes while some even walked out early, though probably to improve their chances of attending the packed press conference that followed.

Talk of reviews did not dominate, with Luhrmann keen to emphasise he and his cast’s efforts to keep the film true to the book.

There was plenty of praise for Luhrmann with cast members Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton and Carey Mulligan singing his praises.

“He inspires you every day in the work place not only to do your best but to dream big,” DiCaprio said.

“You cannot get in a room with this man and not feel inspired.”

DiCaprio later officially declared the 66th edition of the festival open while Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg and a troupe of 1920s “flapper” dancers were among those braving driving rain and plunging temperatures on the red carpet for the official opening night screening.

Inside, Spielberg, this year’s jury head, appeared touched by an unusually enthusiastic standing ovation, telling the audience that at 66 he was getting “older alongside the festival”. - AAP

[ Source: Australian Times ]

CONVICTED drug smuggler Schapelle Corby is expected to apply for parole after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed legislation designed to clarify the position of foreigners within the country’s legal system.

The legislation, which was signed last month and has yet to be tested in an Indonesian court, states that foreigners that are serving “prison time” in Indonesia do not need a permit to stay in the country. “Prison time” has been defined in the legislation to include an individual’s time spent on parole.

Ms Corby’s legal team had previously been reluctant to apply for parole, concerned that the Indonesian Immigration Department would not allow the Gold Coast woman to live with her sister Mercedes and brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha at their Bali home. Ms Corby became eligible for parole last May after President Yudhoyono granted her a five-year sentence reduction, meaning that she had served two-thirds of her sentence.

Ms Corby’s Indonesian lawyer Iskander Nawing was unaware of the changes to the country’s parole regulations until made aware of the issue by Fairfax Media earlier this week. Mr Nawing said: “I will have to find out more about it first. I will have to study it before I can comment or act on it.”

The Australian government has supported Ms Corby’s parole application, guaranteeing on behalf of the nation that she would have good behaviour if released into Indonesian society to serve out the remainder of her sentence. A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that the government was “seeking to clarify with Indonesian authorities the implications of the new immigration regulations for her application.”

Ms Corby’s application for parole faces other challenges due to a regulation signed into law last November that requires parolees to express remorse for the crime that they had been incarcerated for. Ms Corby continues to deny involvement in smuggling cannabis into Indonesia, and therefore is unable to express the contrition required.

During her original trial, Ms Corby told the presiding judges: “I cannot admit to a crime I did not commit. And to the judges, my life at the moment is in your hands, but I would prefer if my life was in your hearts. And Your Honour, I ask of you to show compassion, to find me innocent, to send me home.”

Ms Corby was arrested by Balinese police in 2004 after customs officials discovered 4.2 kilograms of cannabis in her body board bag. She was convicted of drug smuggling in 2005 and sentenced to a 20 year jail sentence, reduced by the Indonesian president last year after an appeal for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

HE HAS trekked through Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and every other ‘stan you could possibly think of. He has explored countries in conflict and tropical paradises. He has even circumnavigated the globe following the path of the equator. In his latest adventure, British journalist Simon Reeve has taken on the task of investigating what modern life is like in the world’s most vast continent: Australia.

Australia with Simon Reeve, a three-part series scheduled to premiere on BBC2 on Sunday night, follows the author and television presenter as he attempts to challenge the pre-conceptions that British audiences have about Australia. Reeve told Australian Times that many British people do not realise how much Australia has changed, still seeing it as a “little patch of Europe on the other side of the planet.”

Reeve said: “Many Australians still look to Britain as the ‘old country’, and Europe as the ‘old continent’, but Australia is now an Asian country. Geographically, you can’t change that. In trading, Australia makes a lot of money in Asia. Australia has demographically changed. Asian people now make up ten per cent of the Australian population. Walking around Sydney or Melbourne and you could be in Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong. I don’t think many Brits realise that.”

Reeve’s travels throughout Australia saw the journalist explore many of the unique aspects that make up modern Australian culture, from learning to live off the land with army trackers to spending time with the country’s first Muslim ladies Aussie Rules football team. He claims that the divide between rural and urban Australia is much less significant than it is in other countries around the world, with modern technology making rural communities increasingly less remote.

Reeve said: “Australia is a vast country, but it is very well connected. There is always a preconception that ‘townies’ have about country folk that they are different. Sure, there might be less fusion restaurants in rural communities and people travel longer distances, but they are not cut off. They still feel part of it, they are not as remote as in previous generations. Brits still think of Aussies as wearing cork hats, when in reality they are some of the most urbanised people in the world.”

The BBC2 documentary series will feature Reeve spending time in Australia’s Indigenous communities, which fellow journalist John Pilger recently described as the country’s “dirty little secret”. Reeve described the suffering that occurs in Aboriginal communities as “heart-breaking”.

Reeve told Australian Times: “The ongoing suffering experience by Australia’s first people is not disconnected from the resource boom, but there are much bigger problems. I went to Cape York, to Aurukun which has a reputation as a dysfunctional and troubled community. The suffering you see is just heart-breaking. I met an Indigenous woman named Gina Castelain, who is an inspiring future leader that is working with Indigenous communities to mine the area around them, and profit from the resource boom.

Simon Reeve with members of Norforce on the remote Cox Peninsula Northern Territory Australia. Copyright BBC

“In Australia the pendulum has swung from oppression – and in some cases annihilation – to self-determination which has now swung to intervention because the government realised that it hadn’t worked. From a British outsider perspective, the government isn’t moving quick enough to address the issues within these communities.”

Reeve told Australian Times that one of the most surprising experiences that he had while filming the documentary series was with outlaw motorcycle gang the Finks, who he says challenged his perception of ‘bikies’ as stereotypical “cartoon villains”. He said that outlaw motorcycle gangs were a major issue in Australian society, with the government unsure of how to deal with the increase in gang numbers.

Reeve said: “From a British perspective, I imagined a ‘bikie’ as a dad with a beard and the reality is very different. I pitched up to meet them (the Finks) and they are these huge, inked up and pumped up guys. But they were welcoming and very intelligent, which was difficult because I had imagined them as sort of cartoon villains.

“The problem is that Australia as a democratic country doesn’t know how to deal with them… so they have created these draconian laws that lead these gangs to let a poncy British presenter like me meet with them, they even have human rights lawyers working for them.”

“[Y]ou [Australians] do go on a bit about your dangerous wildlife”

The British presenter said that he had also had the “typical” Australian experience, getting up close and personal with the country’s unique wildlife. He dived with endangered blue fin tuna, and assisted a venom specialist in the extraction of toxins to be used in the creation of cures for a range of illnesses.

Reeve said: “There is one thing about Australians, you do go on a bit about your dangerous wildlife even though most of you will never see anything more than a spider in your life. You do like putting the fear of God into Brits.”

Simon Reeve is currently working on a new series in which he retraces the pilgrimages undertaken by his British ancestors, recently making the voyage from northern England to Canterbury.

Australia with Simon Reeve will premiere on Sunday night at 9pm on BBC2. 

[ Source: Australian Times ]

THREE lucky contenders from the UK are among 18 finalists for Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’ and will travel Down Under next month to spend a week competing in the final stage of the global competition.

Holly Easterbrook from London will vie for the role of Chief Funster in New South Wales, Jo Muskus from Scotland for Park Ranger in Queensland and Rich Keam from Brighton for Taste Master in Western Australia.

The Brits are among candidates from twelve countries who will face challenges set by the states and territories, including creating content for inspiring tourism videos, writing blogs of their Australian travel experiences and handling the pressure of an impromptu media conference.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said the 18 hopeful contenders would now have to demonstrate, in person, their job credentials to their prospective employers within the state or territory where their dream job would be based.

“After six weeks, 620,000 applications by 330,000 individuals from 196 countries, 46,000 video entries and thousands of supporting references from some of the most famous celebrities in the world we are down to the final 18.

“It’s show time. The candidates now face their very own Australian working holiday – a week of tests and challenges which will ultimately decide who ends up winning these six dream jobs,” Mr McEvoy said.

The six winners will be announced in Sydney on 21 June 2013.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

Country Liberal Party MP Willem Rudolf Westra van Holthe sparked public outrage last night after post a comment on news.com.au’s in response to a story featuring Ocean’s 11 star Pitt speaking out in support of his Oscar-winning partner. Ms Jolie announced in the New York Times on Tuesday that she had undergone a double mastectomy after being told that she had an 87% risk of breast cancer.

Mr Westra van Holthe wrote: “Sorry, this is pretty pathetic really. Angelina is no more ‘heroic’ than the hundreds of thousands of women – mothers, wives and daughters – who undergo this type of surgery, let alone millions of women (and men) who battle cancer in one form or another.”

Mr Pitt, who is Ms Jolie’s partner of eight years and shares six children with the actress, had said that he had been present at the time that his partner had been forced to make the difficult decision whether or not to have surgery to remove her breasts, and applauded her courage in deciding to go through with the procedure.

Mr Pitt said: “Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”

Mr Westra van Holthe’s comments were condemned by National Breast Cancer Foundation chief Carole Renouf, who said that the MP was in no position to judge Mr Pitt and Ms Jolie for expressing their feelings regarding the double mastectomy procedure. She praised Ms Jolie for bringing attention to the issue of breast cancer awareness and making informed choices based on clinical research.

Ms Renouf said: “Based on (the foundation’s) experience, it is very normal for a husband like Brad Pitt to feel his wife is ‘heroic’ if she chooses to confront her risk of potentially fatal disease by having a double mastectomy. It is not up to us to judge the choices any woman or man makes in these situations.

“Angelina has made her purpose in going public with her news very clear. She wants to demonstrate that the level of information we have today, generated by research, is power. And that each of us can harness that power to make informed choices.”

Mr Westra van Holthe made headlines in 2010 after a fight with a patron of the Katherine Country Club left the politician with a black eye. The Northern Territory News claim that the fight began after a stranger touched Mr Westra van Holthe’s wife on her breast, however the MP denies this claim.

Mr Westra van Holthe could not be contacted to comment on last night’s Facebook posting. Angelina Jolie’s article for the New York Times – titled ‘My Medical Choice’ – can be found on the newspaper’s website.

Read the article here.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

LEADERS of Australia’s Syrian community have urged Prime Minister Julia Gillard to ensure that Australian aid does not contribute to propping up the administration of President Bashar al-Assad.

Australia has provided over $20 million in humanitarian aid to Syria since civil conflict broke out in the Middle Eastern nation in 2011. The death toll of the Syrian conflict has recently topped 94 000, with over two million citizens displaced by fighting between government forces and rebels opposing al-Assad’s oppressive regime.

Nasser Farjami of the Australian Syrian Association said that the Australian government should be wary of providing humanitarian aid to Syria via the United Nations, suggesting that only a small proportion of aid provided in this way actually makes it to the people that need it most.

Mr Farjami said: “Of every million sent to Syria via the United Nations, only about one-tenth reaches the civilian people in need. We are very grateful that the Australian government has given its support, but the aid needs to be given directly to the people because when it goes to Syria via the UN, money goes to the Assad regime. These atrocities are going on and people on the ground in Syria don’t necessarily see any of the money coming from Australia to help.”

The Australian Syrian Association have responded to the humanitarian crisis in Syria with a food and clothing collection, which the organisation’s director Zahir Sibai has sent directly to trusted family associates in Syria to distribute. Mr Sibai has said he will petition the Australian government to transfer aid directly into the Syrian community in an effort to avoid potentially corrupt officials within the al-Assad regime.

The claims that Australian aid to Syria  could be being used to support the al-Assad regime comes a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that his government would double the non-lethal military aid it has been providing to anti-government rebels. He confirmed that an additional $15.45 million (AUD) would be given to rebels, while more than $45 million (AUD) would be spent on humanitarian assistance.

Mr Cameron said: “There will be no political progress unless the opposition is able to withstand the onslaught and put pressure on Assad so he knows there is no military victory. We will double non-lethal support to the Syrian opposition in the coming year. Armoured vehicles, body armour and power generators are about to be shipped. Syria’s history is being written in the blood of her people, and it is happening on our watch. The world urgently needs to come together to bring the killing to an end.”

Syria’s civil unrest began as a part of the Arab Spring movement of 2011, in which citizens across the Middle East campaigned for increased civil rights and transparent government. The al-Assad government responded to these protests with force, prompting world leaders to impose sanctions on the Syrian government. In July last year the International Committee of the Red Cross officially declared Syria to be in a state of civil war.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

FEDERAL Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a senior staff member who threatened an indigenous organisation’s funding in a “drunken brain snap” had been demoted and had his pay cut.

Mr Abbott said there would be no repercussions against that particular organisation if the coalition won government in September.

“He (the staffer) has lost his position as chief of policy and suffered a pay cut as a result,” he told ABC radio on Wednesday.

“As I said, it was a drunken brain snap. It should never have happened and there is not going to be any cut to the organisation in question.”

Last month The Australian’s political commentator Peter van Onselen said he overheard Mr Abbott’s director of policy Dr Mark Roberts tell Australian Indigenous Education Foundation chief Andrew Penfold he would “cut his throat” when the coalition won government.

The staffer asked him to keep quiet about the incident in return for information from inside Mr Abbott’s office, Mr van Onselen said.

“I don’t believe that someone should be hung, drawn and quartered on the basis of one out of character, though serious, unprofessional lapse,” Mr Abbott said.

He queried why he was being asked about the matter a day after the federal government handed down the budget for 2013/14.

“We have got a government in crisis, we have got a dire budgetary position. I think I have appropriately dealt with that particular subject. At a time like this, can’t the ABC do a little bit better?,” he said. - AAP

These are the tweets in sequence from Peter van Onselen’s account:

I have heard some threats in my time, but nothing like that from an Abbott staffer tonight. Watch this space, I’ll raise it on Sunday…

— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) April 18, 2013

A Tony Abbott staffer told an eminent Australian that he would “cut his throat” once “we” are in government…. Much, much more to it…

— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) April 18, 2013

…I am totally disgusted. He is a very senior member of the staff.

— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) April 18, 2013

It was tonight and I heard the exchange first hand.

— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) April 18, 2013

Abbott’s staffer knew I heard the conversation, bailed me up & offered to be a source inside TA’s office if I stayed quiet…thanks, but no.

— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) April 18, 2013

Still reeling from the actions of a senior member of Tony Abbott’s staff last night. Totally unprofessional…

— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) April 18, 2013

[ Source: Australian Times ]

Sandi and Sophie may not be household names but their hopes and dreams have reduced a prime minister to tears.

Julia Gillard on Wednesday introduced to parliament a bill to hike the Medicare levy to pay for the new national disability insurance scheme.

Speaking later on Network Ten, Ms Gillard said she didn’t “really expect” to get so emotional at the start of the speech.

“I got to a section of the speech where I was telling some stories about young people with disabilities that I’ve met around the country, just thinking about them, and thinking about so many Australians I’ve met with disability and the parents and the things that they’ve said to me, I did get really emotional about it,” she told The Project.

Labor frontbencher Penny Wong described the prime minister’s emotional speech as “just a human response”.

“I think all of us are moved in these jobs when you get the opportunity to actually deliver something of such significance to people who deserve it and who are in need,” Senator Wong told ABC television.

Senator Wong questioned the level of scrutiny being given to the prime minister’s tears.

“Did we analyse Bob Hawke’s tears as much as these seem to be analysed?” she asked. - AAP

[ Source: Australian Times ]

AUSTRALIAN starlet Sophie Monk has been tricked into revealing her long-suspected romance with actor Sam Worthington in an exchange with radio personality Jules Lund on the duo’s 2DayFM drive-time programme.

Monk, currently filling in for Fifi Box while she is on maternity leave, was put in the awkward position of confirming the relationship during a call-in competition that required the contestant to correctly answer five trivia questions in under thirty seconds in order to win a $10 000 prize. The contestant had reached the final question in the radio quiz when Mr Lund asked a question regarding Mr Worthington’s romantic life.

Mr Lund said: “Alright… Avatar star Sam Worthington is the current boyfriend of which Hollywood actress?”

When the caller asked whether the correct answer was Sophie Monk, Mr Lund asked his co-host whether the contestant had answered correctly and won the $10 000 on offer. Ms Monk attempted to avoid the question before ultimately agreeing that it was correct.

Mr Lund said: “Is that correct, Sophie? Just confirming it right now.”

Ms Monk replied: “Are you going to give her the $10 000? Yes, yes I said! Give her the $10 000, I said yes! I feel like I am being Punk’d!”

Mr Lund later admitted that the call had been a set-up designed to get Ms Monk to admit to her relationship with Mr Worthington on air, with the ‘contestant’ involved actually being a radio station staff member. The prank came after a series of recent photographs showing Ms Monk and Mr Worthington spending time together over the past month.

The Australian stars, both British-born, had previously denied rumours that they were dating despite Ms Monk being spotted picking Mr Worthington up from an airport in Melbourne last Saturday. Ms Monk claimed that she and Mr Worthington were “very close, but we’re not dating.”

Mr Worthington has recently split from ex-girlfriend Crystal Humphries, who he had been dating since 2011. Ms Monk has been engaged twice: first to businessman Jimmy Esebag and later to Good Charlotte band member Benji Madden.

Ms Monk had initially claimed that she and Mr Worthington had been meeting to discuss the production of a television show based on her life, which she described as “a cross between Curb Your Enthusiasm and Sex and the City.” Mr Worthington is back in Australia promoting surfing film Drift, co-starring fellow Aussie actor Xavier Samuel and scheduled for release this week.

Ms Monk is best known for her involvement with girl group Bardot, which was formed as a result of the original season of television talent competition Popstars. She later moved to Hollywood, taking small roles in films including Click and Date Movie.

Watch the trailer of Drift:

[ Source: Australian Times ]

THE PERPETRATOR of the 1987 Hoddle Street massacre has embarked on a legal battle for access to a PlayStation and a personal computer in his Victorian prison cell, telling the Supreme Court that he would initiate proceedings against the Victorian government if his application for the personal items continued to be denied.

Julian Knight, 45, is currently serving consecutive life sentences for murdering seven people and injuring nineteen during a shooting spree in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill. An army cadet that had been discharged for poor results, Knight began shooting at cars on Hoddle Street after allegedly experiencing a vision of soldiers being ambushed while drinking at a local pub.

Knight began petitioning for access to a personal computer in 2006, claiming that he needed the device to access rehabilitation programs that would improve his chances of parole. He faced an earlier ban on taking court action by the Victorian government after being labelled a ‘vexatious litigant’ that had cost the state over $250 000 through his numerous legal challenges.

Appearing from jail via videolink, Knight told the court that he was the only prisoner that he was aware of that had been consistently denied access to a computer after multiple applications. He accused the Victorian government and Corrections Victoria of “tactical manoeuvring” and implied that he had been singled out by authorities determined to deny him access.

Knight said: “”If anyone is being vexatious your honour it’s not me, this is ridiculous. This cause of action has been going for seven years. This is now the eighth proceeding. I only have to walk around the prison and I can see with my own eyes who has a computer and who doesn’t. I’m the only prisoner who has made applications to have a computer who has had it denied and denied repeatedly.”

Government lawyer Claire Harris said that Knight’s petition for access to other prisoners’ applications for computers should be denied because they had “inadequate relevance” to his request. She said that a subpoena for the requested documents could not be issued unless Knight’s case was taken to a formal proceeding.

Ms Harris said: “There’s simply no evidence to suggest that each application was so substantially similar (to Knight’s) as to give basis to that ground.”

Knight is not the first high profile prisoner to take action after being denied access to a computer or PlayStation: serial killer Ivan Milat staged a nine-day hunger strike in 2011 after Corrective Services Commissioner Ron Woodham refused his request for a PlayStation in his Goulbourn cell. Mr Woodham said that Milat’s request was ludicrous and that “there’s no inmate on my watch who would ever get anything close to a PlayStation, particularly Australia’s worst serial killer.”

Knight’s petition will be decided when the case resumes next week under Associate Justice Melissa Daly.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

Read the full transcript of Wayne Swan’s Budget speech 2013/14

LABOR’S signature national disability care program will get $14.3 billion in new money to ensure it will be fully up and running on time.

A plan to secure a long term care plan for people with permanent and significant disability has “long been in our nation’s heart”, Treasurer Wayne Swan told parliament on Tuesday as he handed down the budget for 2013/14.

The new investment for the scheme, now known as DisabilityCare Australia, is part of a total of $19.3 billion over seven years to roll it out by 2018/19.

Some disability advocates had been expecting at least $9 billion over the forward estimates as proof the federal government was committed to the reform.

The scheme will cover 460,00 Australians when it’s fully operation – an extra 50,000 more than the previous government estimate.

“This budget will fully fund our share of DisabilityCare Australia, beyond the next decade,” Mr Swan said.

Every state and territory, bar Western Australia, has signed a deal with the Commonwealth to share the costs of a full disability scheme.

From July next year, all Australian taxpayers will pay a 0.5 percentage point increase in the Medicare Levy to two per cent, which will raise $20.4 billion over four years.

States and territory government will share in $9.7 billion of that money over ten years to help with their contributions to the scheme.

The scheme will also benefit from savings from government assistance for private health insurance, reforms of retirement income and the phase out of net medical expenses tax offset and other long term savings.

DisabilityCare launch sites begin in South Australia, NSW, Tasmania and Victoria from July 1, and in ACT and the Northern Territory from 2014.

National Disability Services Ken Baker said the investment responds to the chronic underfunding and a shortage of disability support services.

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes said for the first time in Australian history, disability was at the centre of the federal budget.

“For people with disability, that is a key result,” he told reporters.

Nationals Seniors chief executive Michael O’Neill said it was unfair that older Australians with disabilities over the age limit of 65 would be forced to rely on the user pays aged care system. - AAP

[ Source: Australian Times ]

Read the full transcript of Wayne Swan’s Budget speech 2013/14

THE LABOR government will balance the federal budget in two years, while funding big pre-election promises on disability care, schools and roads.

The fiscal goal comes at a cost, with Treasurer Wayne Swan abolishing the “unsustainable” baby bonus for new parents, scrapping some family benefits, deferring tax cuts, cracking down on corporate tax breaks and loopholes and raising the Medicare levy.

Mr Swan’s sixth budget handed down in Canberra on Tuesday projects a higher-than-expected deficit of $19.4 billion for this financial year, followed by a shortfall of $18 billion in 2013/14.

He defends Labor’s economic credentials and blames challenging global conditions and the high Australian dollar for a “savage” $60 billion hit to tax receipts over four years while trumpeting $43 billion worth of savings.

The government has decided to delay the return to surplus so it can support jobs and growth, and set the funding course for the multi-billion dollar national disability care scheme and schools funding programs ahead of the federal election in four months, which the opinion polls say Labor could lose.

“Just because the global economy took an axe to our budget does not mean we should take an axe to our economy,” Mr Swan told reporters inside the budget lock-up.

Labor’s big spending includes $14.3 billion for DisabilityCare Australia, which by 2018/19 will support 460,000 people with severe and permanent disabilities, and part funded by a rise in Medicare levy to two per cent.

There will also be $9.8 billion for new school funding, $24 billion extra for road and rail projects over 10 years, while health funding will rise to a record $64.6 billion.

Labor also aims to push the budget to a slim surplus of $800 million in 2015/16 and deliver a $6.6 billion in surplus the following year, which should reassure the global credit ratings agencies.

Among the savings is a $2.4 billion plan to axe the baby bonus from March 1 next year and replace it with a $2000 Family Benefit Part A payment for the first child, or $1000 for the second or subsequent child – which will cut out for those on household incomes above $110,000, while a crackdown on company tax loopholes will reap $4.2 billion.

Other initiatives include allowing Newstart recipients to earn more than $1000 more a year and a pilot program to allow pensioners to downsize their home without losing money.

Smokers will cough up an extra seven cents a pack from early 2014, and pay more in coming years as excise and duties are linked to incomes not the consumer price index.

While the jobless rate is set to average 5.75 per cent in 2013/14, it will still be better than most other Western industrialised countries.

But economic growth – at three per cent or under over the next few years – is less than robust.

Independent MP Tony Windsor said abolishing the baby bonus would help deliver more services and investment for infrastructure.

“Whether the government has a surplus or a deficit, community expectation is for the delivery of services and investment in our community infrastructure like health and education,” he said in a statement.

He said the government had to make some tough decisions to commit to a national disability scheme, education funding reforms and progress on the Murray Darling Basin plan, the national broadband network and the Royal Commission into the responses into child sex abuse.

However, he said “middle class welfare and other handouts” had become an expectation and he was sure removing some benefits would be met with anger.

“I would however remind people that the government has to make some tough decisions particularly when times get tough,” he said. - AAP

[ Source: Australian Times ]

STRONGER ECONOMY, SMARTER NATION, FAIRER SOCIETY

Tonight this Labor government makes the choice to keep our economy strong and invest in our future.

To support jobs and growth in an uncertain world.

To chart a pathway to surplus through responsible savings.

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And to ensure no Australian is left behind because of the circumstances of their birth or misfortune in their life.

Speaker, no government gets to choose the global economic circumstances in which the budget is framed.

But you do get to choose the priorities for the nation.

Labor chooses a stronger, smarter and fairer Australia.

An Australia where our school children get the opportunity to reach their full potential with $9.8 billion invested in new school funding.

An Australia which gives dignity to people with severe and permanent disability through the historic $14.3 billion investment in DisabilityCare Australia. This is a proud moment for our country.

An Australia with the critical infrastructure we need to drive our economy forward, with $24 billion of new investment in road and rail.

An Australia where our prosperity spreads opportunity to every postcode in our nation.

Speaker, tonight, we put in place the savings to fully fund these priority investments for 10 years and beyond, an achievement unprecedented in our nation’s history.

We make these historic investments in the Labor tradition from a position of economic strength.

The facts are, under Labor’s economic leadership:

• Our economy is 13 per cent bigger than before the GFC.

• More than 950,000 jobs have been created with more Australians in work than ever before – there is no fact we are more proud of.

• For the first time ever we have a Triple-A credit rating from all three global agencies with a stable outlook – one of only eight countries to do so.

• And all this with contained inflation and new record low interest rates.

That is because we got the big calls right on the economy.

Now we enter a period where new choices must be made.

Challenging global conditions and the high Australian dollar have put huge pressure on the budget and led to a significant reduction in expected tax receipts totalling over $60 billion over the four years to 2015-16.

Speaker, we face a clear choice.

Radical cuts to the bone that would risk jobs and our economy. Or a sensible, calm and responsible approach that puts jobs first. We have always put the interests of working Australians first. In this budget, we do so again.

Just because the global economy took an axe to our budget, does not mean we should take an axe to our economy.

Just as we shielded Australia from the worst during the GFC, we will continue to follow the responsible middle course.

Two simple but powerful words are at the heart of our approach and they mean an awful lot to every Australian watching tonight – jobs and growth.

Speaker, because of our deep commitment to jobs and growth we have taken the responsible course to delay the return to surplus, and due to a savage hit to tax receipts there will be a deficit of $18 billion in 2013-14.

The alternative, cutting to the bone, puts Australian jobs and our economy at risk, something this Labor government will never accept.

Speaker, this is our choice.

To those who would take us down the European road of savage austerity I say the social destruction that comes from cutting too much, too hard, too fast is not the Australian way.

Instead, we’re making targeted, sustainable savings of $43 billion over the forward estimates.

To deliver a measured and balanced consolidation of around 0.5 per cent of GDP a year on average from 2013-14.

Since mid-2009 we have fully offset all new spending with savings measures and that continues tonight.

This discipline gives Australia a responsible pathway back to balance in 2015-16 and surplus by 2016-17.

It is a fairer way forward, by helping modern families with targeted assistance for the everyday pressures, by delivering the Schoolkids Bonus and through the Low Income Super Contributions.

A smarter way forward providing businesses with a skilled workforce, boosting incentives to innovate and adapt, to reap the benefits of the Asian Century.

And a stronger way forward, investing in education and training, boosting productivity, protecting and creating jobs, growing the economy, and keeping inflation and interest rates low.

ECONOMIC AND FISCAL STRENGTH

Speaker, tonight we build on Australia’s resilience during the global financial crisis and its fallout.

Our nation’s outlook is bright and our economy is set to grow faster than most of the developed world.

Real GDP growth of 2.75 per cent in 2013-14 and 3 per cent in 2014-15.

By mid 2015, our economy will be 22 per cent bigger than before the global financial crisis, outstripping every major advanced economy.

An economy in transition

From this position of strength, our economy is undergoing an important transition.

Our nation’s largest resource investment boom is shifting to a boom in production and exports.

As the resources boom enters its new phase, the economy is also transitioning towards broader sources of economic growth.

And while our opportunities are great and our future bright, this transition will not be seamless.

Unemployment is forecast at 5.75 per cent in 2013-14, up slightly, but still among the lowest in the developed world.

This transition comes against the backdrop of a profound shift in the global economy.

The weight of economic activity is shifting towards our region. As the Asian century unfolds, there are many new opportunities.

Not just in mining, also for our farmers, manufacturers, and service providers, but only if we make the choice to invest.

Because you don’t want to find yourself in the fastest growing region in the world, with yesterday’s economy.

You can’t be a first-world economy in the 21st century if you haven’t laid the groundwork to seize the opportunities.

Training a highly skilled, educated and productive workforce.

Supporting business to be innovative and competitive.

Investing in high quality infrastructure.

Ensuring a strong, fair and sustainable tax system.

All achievements of this budget.

And you can’t be a first-world economy in the 21st century if you’re not on the path to a clean energy future.

As is widely accepted, putting a price on carbon pollution is the lowest cost and most efficient way to tackle dangerous climate change.

This budget recognises as we move to an emissions trading scheme the carbon price is likely to be lower as is associated spending, reflecting lower costs to the economy, households and business.

We will continue to deliver existing household assistance, including increases in pensions, allowances, family payments and other benefits, and ensure future assistance remains adequate.

Weaker tax revenue

While our economy remains resilient, powerful global forces and the stubbornly high Australian dollar have savaged budget revenues.

Not since Hawke and Keating floated the dollar has it remained so high.

This has put acute pressure on prices and company profits, weighing more heavily than expected on tax receipts.

Speaker, let’s be clear about the magnitude of the hit to revenue.

This year we face the second largest revenue writedown since the Great Depression.

Since last year’s budget, expected tax receipts for 2012-13 have been written down by $17 billion.

And since our mid year update in October, there has been a total revenue writedown of over $60 billion over the next four years.

Company taxes, capital gains tax, resource rent taxes have all been hit. We’ve seen almost $170 billion wiped off our tax receipts since the GFC.

The tax-to-GDP ratio in 2013-14 is estimated to be 22.2 per cent, 1.8 percentage points lower than the average of the 5 years prior to the GFC.

It’s as simple as this — if we were taxing Australian families and Australian businesses like our predecessors did, we’d have an extra $24 billion in taxes in 2013-14 and be comfortably in surplus every year of the forwards.

The hit to our tax collections will see our very low level of net debt peak at 11.4 per cent of GDP, still less than 1/8th the level of major advanced economies.

This budget sets a sensible pathway to surplus, while making room for the big investments in our nation’s future.

We’ve put in place over $180 billion in responsible savings over six budgets since 2008-09.

And we have been putting structural savings in place since day one.

The long-term savings we’ve made over the last five years add up to over $300 billion by 2020-21.

Of course, these savings involve some very difficult decisions.

But Labor has always tackled the reforms our nation needs.

We take the difficult decisions knowing they allow us to fully fund better schools for our children, the historic creation of DisabilityCare Australia, and of course the next wave of nation building.

BUILDING A SMARTER NATION

Speaker, we know that a smarter Australia means a stronger Australia.

An Australia able to grasp the opportunities of the Asian century.

A skilled workforce and a strong, productive and resilient economy.

We know we’ll only win the economic race in the Asian Century if we win the education race.

Our current school funding system is broken, it’s failing our children.

That’s why we are transforming our nation’s schools by investing $9.8 billion in new school funding.

Delivering more teacher training, extra resources for school libraries, specialist language assistance, and literacy assessments in the early years.

We are also ensuring funding will grow for every school.

The budget fully funds this investment over the next decade, meaning we can return the budget to surplus without leaving our children an education deficit.

Building on our unprecedented investments in early childhood education and care with $660 million to continue the National Partnership that will achieve universal access to preschool.

And establishing a $300 million Early Years Quality Fund to support childcare workers.

Speaker, this Labor government has delivered a 75 per cent funding increase for university places, supporting around 189,000 more university students.

And in this budget we ensure this funding continues to grow sustainably.

Tonight we announce an additional $97 million investment to boost the number of Commonwealth-supported university places, and an extra $186 million for research infrastructure.

Speaker, the investments we make tonight will ensure our children are equipped to take up the high-skill, high-wage jobs of the future.

On this side of the House, we believe every Australian child deserves the same opportunities in life, and a child’s postcode should not determine their future.

BUILDING A FAIRER AUSTRALIA

Speaker, the fair go is at the heart of everything Labor stands for.

That’s why we’re so proud to establish DisabilityCare Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Supporting Australians with significant and permanent disability has long been in our

nation’s heart.

In March we put it in our nation’s laws, and tonight we put it in our nation’s budget.

Following in the huge footsteps of Medicare and Labor’s record of historic social policy reforms.

In 2018-19 around 460,000 Australians with significant and permanent disability will get the support they deserve.

Our current disability system is underfunded, unfair and fragmented.

For too long, people with disability have been denied the opportunity to live a life many of us take for granted.

For too long, Australia has failed to reform this broken system.

Speaker, tonight we right this wrong.

We provide choice, control and dignity to people with disability.

This could mean the difference between getting the right wheelchair now or waiting three long painful years using a wheelchair that doesn’t fit.

It could mean the difference between a shower every day, or only once a week.

This budget will fully fund our share of DisabilityCare Australia, beyond the next decade.

From 1 July 2014 the Medicare levy will increase by 0.5 a percentage point.

The money raised will be placed in a special fund for 10 years and only used for the additional costs of DisabilityCare Australia.

Tonight, we end the cruel lottery of the current system.

Speaker, the government is investing $64.6 billion in health funding, up 40 per cent since we came to office.

This includes National Health Reform funding for state and territory governments who will receive unprecedented growth of 35 per cent for public hospital services over the next four years.

This includes $14 billion in 2013-14 which grows to $19 billion in 2016-17.

This means that health funding to every state and every territory will grow over the forward estimates.

As a cancer survivor myself, I’ve experienced the high quality treatment provided by our health system but I know more needs to be done to prevent, detect and treat this disease.

Tonight’s budget builds on the $3.5 billion we’ve already invested in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and research.

We continue the fight against cancer, investing over $226 million in world-leading cancer care.

Investing over $100 million in screening for breast, cervical and bowel cancer.

Supporting critical chemotherapy medicines, and investing $23.8 million for life-saving bone-marrow transplants.

Funding a third Prostate Cancer Research Centre and continuing support for the two existing centres.

Supporting CanTeen’s work with young people living with cancer, and supporting those affected by lung cancer.

Speaker, Labor also has a strong record of supporting older Australians.

We introduced the largest single increase in the age pension in 100 years, and we introduced the Superannuation Guarantee, which we’re raising gradually to 12 per cent starting from 1 July this year.

We’re improving aged care services through our $3.7 billion Living Longer. Living Better package.

Tonight marks another step in the Gillard government’s plan to turn Grey into Gold and harness the wisdom of our senior Australians.

We will invest another $127 million to help senior Australians continue their active engagement in society and introduce a pilot program to help downsize their home without affecting their pension.

We’re also tackling entrenched disadvantage.

Committing $777 million to renew the National Partnership on Closing the Gap on Indigenous Health Outcomes.

And funding a new transitional National Partnership to continue vital homelessness services.

BUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

So we are investing in Australia’s human capital, at the same time as we invest in our economic capital.

Nation-building infrastructure

We have already invested a massive $36 billion in roads, rail and ports.

Tonight we continue our ambitious program with a new $24 billion investment in the next wave of nation building infrastructure.

It’s critical to invest in both urban road and rail infrastructure.

Traffic congestion costs commuters time with their families and is estimated to cost our economy up to $20 billion a year by 2020 if not addressed.

That’s why we have committed more to urban public transport infrastructure than all our predecessors since Federation combined.

But there is more to be done.

So tonight we’re investing in transformational public transport projects like Brisbane’s Cross River Rail and Melbourne Metro.

These projects will change the way these cities work and allow them to grow into the future.

We’re also putting funds towards productivity-enhancing infrastructure in Sydney — the M4 extension and M5 duplication — and funds that will see the Missing Link between the F3-M2 constructed.

We will partner with the private sector and state governments to deliver these critical projects as efficiently as possible.

We are also investing in the Gateway North Upgrade in Brisbane, Melbourne’s M80 Ring Road, and the South Road Upgrade in Adelaide.

And in our regions we are investing in the Swan Valley Bypass in WA, the Bruce Highway in Queensland, the Pacific Highway in NSW, the Midlands Highway in Tasmania and the Tiger Brennan Drive in the Northern Territory.

These investments will boost productivity, build capacity, improve safety, and relieve congestion, as well as improving the quality of life in our communities across the nation.

The National Broadband Network is putting Australia at the cutting edge of broadband technology and turbocharging productivity for decades to come.

Tonight we announce $12.9 million to connect more local councils to the NBN and provide training for small business and not-for-profits in 20 regional NBN rollout sites.

Supporting business to innovate

Speaker, the strength of our economy also depends on the ability of Australian businesses to win work at home and abroad.

We’re boosting innovation, productivity and competitiveness through our $1 billion Plan for Australian Jobs.

Investing over $500 million to create Industry Innovation Precincts around Australia.

And providing $378 million to stimulate private sector investment in entrepreneurial small to medium-sized enterprises.

Part of our plan to support and create jobs, building on our loss carry-back and instant asset write-off reforms for three million small businesses.

Meeting industry’s skills needs

Speaker, as well as having the infrastructure for the future, we must also ensure our economy has the skilled workers it needs.

Labor has increased annual funding for skills and training by almost 50 per cent.

Tonight we build on that record, with a $69 million Alternative Pathways to the Trades program, providing more flexible pathways for 4000 Australians undertaking trade and technical qualifications.

We have created a $45 million Skills Connect Fund to deliver more effective workplace training for Australian businesses.

Workforce opportunity

Speaker, this Labor government will do everything in its power to boost workforce participation and support transitions to employment.

Tonight we continue our support by allowing Newstart recipients to earn around $1000 more a year before their payments are affected, the first increase in more than a decade.

We are also supporting parents in their efforts to balance work and family with around 280,000 parents already reaping the benefits of the nation’s first Paid Parental Leave scheme.

Our scheme has been in place for two years, is fully funded, affordable, sustainable, equitable, and supported by every member on this side of the House.

Stronger regions, resilient rural communities

Speaker, tonight we announce new reforms to build stronger regions and more resilient rural communities.

Over $330 million to support the historic Tasmanian forests agreement, and continuing our investment in Tasmanian economic growth and jobs.

Nearly $100 million for a new Farm Household Allowance to support farmers in hardship, part of the National Drought Program Reform.

And a new Farm Finance package to help farmers struggling with debt, providing concessional loans, more rural financial counsellors, and a better approach to debt mediation.

This comes on top of the almost $1 billion of investment in the Regional Development Australia Fund supporting the infrastructure needs and sustaining economic growth in Australia’s regions.

We also commit another $200 million for Reef Rescue to help farmers improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef.

Recovering from natural disasters

Speaker, Australians well know the devastation nature can unleash on our country, our communities, and our people — from floods, cyclones to bushfires.

Since 2010-11, Labor has paid $5.7 billion to the states to support disaster relief.

We expect to pay a further $6.2 billion over the five years from 2012-13, including $1.9 billion to help Queensland through the January floods.

Tonight we invest $40 million to rebuild local council infrastructure to a better and more resilient standard.

Strong foundations

And Speaker, as we build a stronger Australia for the future, we continue to honour those who laid the foundations of our country’s strength.

As the Centenary of Anzac draws near, we honour the hard work and sacrifices of Australian service personnel and their families.

We build on our previous commitment to commemorating the Centenary of Anzac investing a further $25 million and expanding veterans mental health services.

And this budget funds the core defence capabilities required to protect Australia’s national security interests.

Royal Commission

We have also provided the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse with the resources required to go about its important work and ensure survivors have the support they need.

ENDURING SAVINGS

Speaker, this budget makes historic investments in our children’s education, in care for our most vulnerable citizens, and in building our nation.

But you only get to make the big investments if you are willing to make the savings to fund them.

To fund the critical investments over the next decade and to return the budget to surplus, this government has made $43 billion in savings over the forward estimates.

In addition to the savings already mentioned we are:

• improving the sustainability of the family payments system by extending indexation pauses; not proceeding with increases to FTB-A announced in the 2012-13 budget and abolishing the Baby Bonus; while providing new support for families of newborns through FTB-A;

• closing loopholes and protecting the corporate tax base to ensure multinationals and big businesses are not being given an unfair advantage;

• better targeting superannuation tax concessions to improve the system’s fairness,

sustainability and efficiency;

• improving the sustainability of the health budget through phasing out the poorly-targeted Net Medical Expenses Tax Offset and making changes to the timing of Medicare Benefits Schedule indexation;

• changing tobacco indexation to make it more consistent with consumers’ purchasing power;

• continuing to grow overseas development assistance to 0.5 per cent of gross national income, but deferring the target date by one year from 2016-17 to 2017-18; and

• continuing to improve the responsiveness of income tax instalments for all large entities.

CHOOSING OUR FUTURE

Speaker, tonight this Labor government has made the choice — a clear choice — to keep our economy strong and invest in our future.

We’ve chosen to give every child a world class education, and to make sure no Australian is left behind.

We’ve chosen a responsible path to surplus while supporting jobs and growth.

To make our economy stronger, our nation smarter and our society fairer.

Labor has a proud record of making visionary choices that strengthen this great nation.

The Age Pension…Medicare…Universal Superannuation…Paid Parental Leave…the National Broadband Network…Pricing Carbon.

And with the ground-breaking investments I have announced tonight, we build upon that proud Labor tradition.

This is the Australia that Labor governments choose.

Because creating prosperity and spreading opportunity are the values that drive this Labor government every single day.

I commend the Bill to the House.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

Then you see their promo shots – four pairs of eyes peeking out from between great bushy facial tufts. The kind one could sit and stroke in silent contemplation, in a rocking chair, smoking a pipe. I’m getting the feeling they are… pro beards?

Next you have a listen to their songs – ‘If Your Dad Doesn’t Have a Beard You’ve Got Two Mums’, ‘You Should Consider Sex with a Bearded Man’ and ‘No Beard, No Good’ – and it all starts to make sense. It seems The Beards are firmly in the facial hair camp – on an almost evangelical mission to take their message of the benefits of beards to the masses.

The next target of conversion – the UK. After three albums in Australia, a YouTube channel with over two million views, and numerous accolades including a place in Triple J’s Top 100 and nomination for APRA Song of the Year and Comedy Album of the Year, Australian rock folk band The Beards are bringing the bearded revolution to the UK and Europe.

Following a number of gigs in Europe, the bearded beauties head to Edinburgh and Glasgow, taking in the Bearded Theory Festival in Derby before landing at the Hoxton Square Bar in London on Monday, 20 May. Subsequent dates take in Bristol, Manchester and Sheffield.

Australian Times talks to The Beards guitarist and backup vocalist, Facey McStubblington ahead of their first world tour.

Interview with The Beards

Did the beards come first or the band?

Beards always come first.

Why beards as a topic?

Well that’s a silly question really. That’s like asking Einstein “Why physics?”

In 2009 you played at the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Alaska – how was that?

That gig was akin to a utopia. We played, but didn’t really need to, as everyone already had a beard. We played, not driven by our usual contempt for the beardless audience, but more so by the fact we were swept up in the gay and pomp of the occasion – a celebration of beards. Everyone one had a beard so everyone was a winner. The only shame is a beardless face.

You have been nominated for APRA Song of the Year for the song ‘You Should Consider Having Sex With a Bearded Man’. Has the song had any practical effect when talking to the ladies?

Yes, yes it has. Most women we speak to now consider having sex with us – baby steps.

You have had particular success online, including over 2 million views on YouTube – how do you use social media platforms to the best effect?

Like growing a beard it’s all about consistency and high-speed broadband.

We knew of someone who went to one of your gigs in Oz and she mentioned there was a fairly strong smell amongst the bearded crowd. Do beards require any particular maintenance?

Yes, of course they require maintenance. How else do you think we keep such a high standard of perfume such as the one your friend spoke of? You don’t just roll out of bed smelling awesome.

Are most of the people at your gigs bearded, supporters of beards, or just lovers of musical comedy?

Let me make this clear, we are not musical comedy. There’s nothing funny about The Beards. Therefore you can assume that the clientele who frequent our performances are high-brow social commentators, professors and raconteurs.

How do you think your pro-beard message will be received on your UK and Europe tour? 

We assume that everyone will fully embrace our message and subscribe to our ideas without question. That’s why we’re going into crippling debt in order to come visit you all.

Where are you looking forward to visiting on your tour?

London is an iconic city. We look forward to visiting all of the historic sights and stroking our beards in judgment of it.

What can an audience expect from a Beards show?

Predominantly, songs about beards. Moreover, they can expect to experience a spiritual epiphany similar to that of what Buddhist monks spend a life time trying to achieve … but mostly songs about beards.

Will you branch out into other topics or stick with beards?

There are topics other than beards now?

Not interested.

The Beards play Hoxton Square Bar 20 May 2013, as well as a number of other UK locations.For a full list see their Facebook page. Their EP ‘If Your Dad Doesn’t Have a Beard You’ve Got Two Mums’ will be released in the UK on 3 June by Big Bearded Productions.

The Beards – Got Me a Beard

[ Source: Australian Times ]

 

I moved to the UK in August 2007. Having never been to Europe before, a key motivation was to travel and see Europe. The plan was always to settle here for at least seven years in order to naturalize and get a British passport – the last six years has flown by in a good way and I am starting the process of becoming a citizen.

I have worked in recruitment in Australia, New Zealand, and now the UK, for more than eight years. The biggest difference in the industry between the countries is there is a much higher level of competition in the UK, and higher expectations in terms of corporate polish. There is also much more red tape for almost everything you need to do. It makes the UK market one of the most challenging in the world, as it is constantly changing. However, if you are successful in London, it proves you’re resilient and have developed a level of commerciality which will help you be successful wherever you next move on to.

I am now Associate Director of the Insurance Sector business at Robert Walters. This section recruits core finance accounting, underwriting, actuarial, claims, risk, compliance and projects (change and transformation) professionals on both a temporary and permanent basis. We have always recruited accounting professionals into insurance companies, but I have now been charged with building a complete service offering for our clients. The insurance sector is considered the “new banking” as it is growing rapidly, making substantial profits and having a massive economic impact locally and globally.

I joined six years ago as a consultant in the contract finance and accounting team. I then progressed to managing one of the bigger finance contract divisions in London before being promoted to my current role. A career highlight (besides being sponsored by the company, allowing me to stay in the UK) was reaching a “high achievers” target in 2010, and being invited on a global incentive trip to Las Vegas for a long weekend. This trip was truly amazing. Flights to Vegas staying at the Wynn Encore in a junior suite. Meals, clubs and activities – including a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon – all paid for. Only the gambling was unfortunately covered personally.

If you’re looking to work in London you will unfortunately have to wait until you are on the ground, as securing interviews is only really possible (except for niche skills) once you are in London. The market in London generally does move quite quickly but a key challenge for Australians is that the roles we do back home are normally broader than the roles in London, which are typically more specialized. This can make securing a role difficult. Expanding on your CV and detailing all your experience, rather than summarizing it is really important in reflecting your suitability for the role you want. Insurance industry experience is really hard to find, so anyone with it in Australia will be in high demand in London.

More generally, I think Australians coming to the UK should prepare for a reality check – London is the big smoke, and it can certainly pitch some fast curve balls at you. Working long hours and transport (despite being very good in comparison to Australia) can be a barrier to meeting or catching up with people. Make sure to put yourself out there as much as possible, and you’ll be surprised how friendly people are. Most importantly, choosing a good flat and great people to live with makes a huge difference – particularly when you’ve left your support network half a world away.

I miss the beaches, sun, BBQ’s, work-life balance of Australia and of course treats like Cherry Ripes and Wagon Wheels! But England has amazing theatre, culture and history, all of which are so accessible. You can go to great concerts, festivals, stage shows and international sporting events, without having to pay a fortune in travel as it is on your doorstep. What else? English pubs, food and wine – and people’s accents! The Scottish and Irish accents still intrigue me, even if you can’t understand what they are saying.

I’ll eat brunch out on a typical weekend – normally in an Aussie or Kiwi café as we do it best! Before I worked in recruitment I spent eight years managing small businesses, including managing a chain of ten cafés – so I know good coffee. My favourite cafes here are Artesian (Putney), Flat White (Soho), All Press Roastery (Shoreditch) and Caravan (Kings Cross). After brunch I’ll probably do some exercise – go for a run or a cycle along the Thames or in Richmond Park, near where I live in Putney. I try to get out of London at least one weekend a month – whether that is somewhere else in the UK or Europe. I love the South of France and Tuscany, though there’s still lots of places I haven’t been to yet. That being said, nothing beats Primrose Hill on a sunny day, or a drink at Searcy’s bar at the top of the Gherkin or Madison Bar opposite St Paul’s Cathedral, looking at the panoramic views of iconic London.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

AUSTRALIAN Ironwoman and triathlete Candice Falzon has sparked rumours of a relationship with Manchester United superstar Anderson after tweeting a series of images from several of the Brazilian footballer’s recent matches.

27-year-old Falzon has attended two Premier League football matches at Manchester’s Old Trafford stadium since arriving in the United Kingdom two weeks ago for a “fun little post season trip.” Ms Falzon’s first tweet on 6 May included a picture from what appeared to be premium front row seats at the iconic stadium.

Ms Falzon’s tweet read: “At Old Trafford watching Manchester United v Chelsea. WOW.”

The Ironwoman returned to Old Trafford six days later, tweeting on 12 May: “Going to ManU v Swansea today. ManU will lift the cup & Sir Alex Ferguson’s last game as manager at Old Trafford. Its going to be incredible.”

Ms Falzon has been linked to Anderson in a number of social media interactions that indicate that the pair has a close relationship. Despite Anderson having over 34 000 followers on picture sharing site Instagram, Ms Falzon is one of only 251 that the footballer follows in return. The Australian sportswoman has also befriended a woman named Manuela Brando on Facebook, whom Anderson refers to as ‘mum’ in postings made on the site.

Ms Falzon is no stranger to dating high profile sportsmen, having been linked to individuals including rugby league international Braith Anasta and rugby union player Matt Henjak. She has also been linked to Sonny Bill Williams after being photographed with him at Sydney’s Clovelly Hotel.

Anderson, 25, has played for Manchester United for six years after moving from European team Porto in 2007. He was sold to the British team for a transfer fee of £20 million, going on to make 24 Premier League appearances for the club in his first season.

Ms Falzon declined to comment when contacted about her relationship with Anderson by The Daily Telegraph.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

NORTHERN Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles has announced he will remove neglected Aboriginal children from their homes and adopt them out if necessary, claiming that fears of a return to the Stolen Generation have put Indigenous children at serious risk in recent years.

Mr Giles, who became the country’s first Indigenous state or territory leader earlier this year, said his government was committed to making parents take responsibility for their children. He said that if parents were unable to provide satisfactory conditions for their children that alternative solutions had to be considered, including putting neglected children up for adoption.

Mr Giles has told The Australian: “Whatever we do has to be about making parents take responsibility for their kids. And if they won’t, (we’re) prepared to provide alternative solutions. If that means those kids are loved and cared for by other parents, then so be it.”

The Howard Government introduced the Northern Territory National Emergency Response package in 2007, which was designed to address allegations of child abuse and neglect in the territory’s Indigenous communities. Mr Giles said despite ongoing commitment to improving quality of life for Northern Territory’s Aboriginal residents, only one Indigenous child had been removed from its home and adopted out in the past decade.

Mr Giles said: “There are situations in the Northern Territory where nobody has been prepared to support a permanent adoption of a child for fear of Stolen Generation. There is a lineup of families out there who say, ‘If you want help with children, we’ll be happy to foster a child, look after a child.’”

There are currently processes in place in the Northern Territory that allows for the adoption of a child that has been subjected to serious neglect or abuse, however Mr Giles claims that previous governments have hesitated to use adoption within Indigenous communities in an attempt to avoid comparisons with the Stolen Generation. He said that his government would not advocate a ‘mass grab’ of children, instead considering adoption as an option on a case-by-case basis.

Mr Giles said: “You mean to tell me when we’ve got all these alleged cases of chronic child sexual abuse, children running around on petrol, going on the streets at night sexualising themselves in some circumstances, and there’s only one permanent adoption, for fear of Stolen Generation? That is not standing up for kids.”

The Stolen Generation refers to the Indigenous children that were removed from their families by the Australian government between 1909 and 1969, in a policy intended to ‘civilise’ the country’s native population. There are no exact figures stating how many children were taken during this period, however it is believed that at least 100 000 Indigenous children were taken as a part of the Stolen Generation.

Mr Giles said: “If you’ve got kids who aren’t being looked after by their parents, there’s only so many times you can try and intervene to get that right. It’s not like we’re coming in to take kids, but where individual issues come up, we will take that decision. People were too scared of Stolen Generation. And I believe that’s why there’s a lot of kids out there with such social dysfunction.”

Mr Giles became Chief Minister of the Northern Territory in March after defeating fellow Country Liberal Party member Terry Mills in a leadership challenge. He is a former public housing manager for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, and served on the Northern Territory’s Indigenous Economic Taskforce.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

WHAT’S not to love about the public transport network in London? It’s easy to navigate, runs frequently and is (relatively) fast. Yet we absolutely love complaining about it and it makes a fantastic conversation filler.

On paper it’s hard to fault, and with buses, the Tube, the Overground, trams, ferries and trains going everywhere and anywhere 24 hours a day, it becomes difficult to justify leaving your Oyster at home.

While certainly an improvement on what’s on offer back in Oz, we’ve all experienced those cringe-worthy moments getting groped left, right and centre as you “file” onto the train, or flying down the stairs of a bus as soon as it hits the brakes. If your daily commute involves you constantly being sandwiched up against the walls of a suffocatingly full carriage, you may perhaps begin to think that an alternative way of getting around town wouldn’t be so unwelcome.

Many places in central London are in short walking distance of one another. It’s hard to get your head around what’s where if you’re only ever navigating the underground network, but once out in the open air it doesn’t take long to start connecting the dots. You can quickly learn there’s no need to take the tube from Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square, or a bus from Soho to Holborn. It’s much faster (and more pleasant) to go on foot.

Short cuts aren’t the only advantage to staying above ground. London is full of charming cafes, nifty bars and musky pubs just waiting to be discovered. There’s a new art gallery or pop-up shop, a vintage boutique or tea house around every corner. Walking is a basic but often neglected way to better get to know this intriguing city, and if that’s not enough to convince you to dust off your runners, it’s also good for burning off a winter of one too many sweet treats.

Of course if you’re too fast paced for a leisurely stroll around town, riding is another fast, cheap and green alternative to public transport. There are thousands of cyclists in London, whether it’s a passion, occasional pleasure or just a way to save a buck, it’s a very popular means of getting around especially with students and young people.

Many cyclists (the non-appassionatos that is) prefer to purchase second hand bikes to reduce the risk of coming back to a partly dismantled one. If the bike has a basket, it’s always wise take it with you, likewise the seat. There’s not much need to mention that chains and locks are essential.

There are also the Barclays bike-sharing bikes which can be signed up to use if the responsibility of owning your own is too daunting. Just be sure to return them on time to avoid finding yourself with a hefty bill for a replacement bike.

But before you tear your oyster to shreds and rush off to buy a new set of wheels, a word of advice: if you’re not used to riding in traffic, London isn’t the place to learn. With the very fast moving traffic and many buses it may be worthwhile sticking to one of London’s many parks until you find your bike legs.

For other hints and ‘how to’s’ for getting around London, check out Bianca’s new book, “An Aussie’s Survival Guide to London” from talktraveltome.com; tackling the little problems for newcomers to London. Next week Bianca tackles the age old question – umbrella or hoodie?

[ Source: Australian Times ]

“The AFL welcomes you back to normal programming…”

Well that should have been the press release statement following this week’s action, as all the drama, anguish, pure euphoria and brain-fades returned with a passion – maybe making up for the previous weeks snorefest.

Of course we have been looking forward to round 7 for a long time, the GF rematch, and two heavyweight bouts of top four aspirants.

Possibly Sunday was a bit of a letdown, but we got to simply watch on in awe – all for the wrong reasons mind you – as Melbourne slipped further down the abyss, self imploding and handing the Suns their first ever win on the hallowed MCG turf.

Unwatchable yet unmissable at the same time, the Dees put on a display that was impossible to describe. You could say that they played angry, with intent, and tried their absolute guts out. Problem was, this usually ended up with a Suns player either getting stretchered off or kicking one of many great goals. Also the appearance of a Melbourne fan literally waving a white flag doesn’t seem to instil faith in the general supporter base. It seems the question is not if Mark Neeld gets the sack, it’s who gets to kick him up the clacker as he gets escorted out of his office. Sad times indeed.

On the positive side though, the Giants are still a complete basket case. About 0.3% of the population of Western Sydney bothered to turn up to see the local lads get destroyed by the Crows, with a bloke that they got out of the cheer squad to stand at full forward, for a bit of a laugh. He ended up kicking 10 majors. Nice.

Onto the main events. Hawthorn made amends for the heartbreak in last years Granny, by totally owning the Swans. Buddy was back to his best, kicking 3.17. Hodge was simply unmovable down back, and Roughhead is still rough.

The only team that sits undefeated is the Cats, as they brushed aside the Bombers in a bruising encounter under the roof. There was one passage of play that had to be seen to be believed, when Stevie J ran the ball the length of the field with the ball up his jumper.

In the West, Freo won an epic battle that had more ups and downs than an end of season footy trip.

“The Dockers did plenty early, only to nearly stuff it up but come good again and hold off the Pies.” This was a direct statement from Nathan Buckley’s summary of the game.

BREAKING NEWS: Maybe Port are a bit rubbish after all.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

WITH the Ashes approaching faster than a Brett Lee bouncer, a number of high profile cricketers, including Australia’s very own Glenn McGrath, believe there is only going to be one winner in the series. Former England captain and now commentator Bob Willis recently labelled the team: “A Rabble who will surely go down in history as one of the weakest to set foot on English shores.” But when you compare both teams in all departments I’m not so sure.

Those sensible enough to actually take a look at the squad in-depth will realise that realistically it is not as bad a group as some may think. Ok, so they have drafted in two guys who in cricketing terms are well past their sell by dates, but will provide huge knowledge of the English conditions and the experience to help to settle the nerves of some of the younger players. Michael Clarke will once again be teamed up with his right hand man Brad Haddin, who will certainly aid him with some vital decision making during the series. Chris Rogers, a 35 year old with only one test cap behind him, has been playing in the UK for a number of seasons chalking up big scores for the number crunchers to collate, so is he really such a gamble? He has gathered some huge experience playing in English conditions, so surely has to be considered a great asset for the team.

The overall look of the squad appears to provide some excitement and worry. I don’t honestly see much difference between the quality of the bowling attacks apart from the spinning area. Rumour has it that the wickets will be prepared to suit the spinners and not the seamers. That’s all well and good if we were to have a hot and dry summer, but we are talking England here, so expect plenty of lush green grass and big movement from the ball. Nathan Lyons is the only spinner that has been included in the Aussie squad. We keep hearing stories that Fawad Ahmed will make the last Test. Well, from what I have seen in the past, David Warner has a pretty mean leg break that I am sure could cause a little trouble for us Poms. Michael Clarke is a proven partnership breaker with his gentle turners too. So I think although only secondary spinners, they are capable of doing a decent job of backing up Lyon should the rumours about spinning wickets materialise.

One of the main concerns for the Aussies has to be with the productivity of some of the batsmen. We know they have the ability, the record books generally back that up. Hughes who was found out badly on his last Ashes expedition though and Khawaja has done very little to excite. In Watson, with all his recent problems, there is plenty of scope for one to have more than a little cause for concern. But if the top order actually play to their ability and with a bit of lady luck on their side, who knows what might happen.

England will be a tough nut to crack. They have been the top dogs of world cricket recently, leading to Aakash Chopra from The Cricket Club labelling them a “near perfect side”. There’s quality in every department, but plucky New Zealand proved earlier this year that the Poms can be rattled. It will be fascinating to watch their forthcoming return series against the Kiwis to see how they fair against them back on home soil.

Both teams’ final choices may turn out to be slightly different to what is forecast. Both have their fair share of injury concerns. Pietersen and Swann are overcoming problems that have put their Ashes preparation on hold, as with Starc and now Harris for the Aussies. We also have to consider Michael Clarke’s back issue. How would that would affect the balance of the team should he aggravate it again? We dread to think.

As for my tip for the little brown urn, I really do believe that Australia can win it back. If the batsmen finally hit form then I think the rest will just follow and we will see the Ashes return Down Under; a 2-1 series win for the Baggy Greens.

What we do need to pray for is some grace from the weather gods.

[ Source: Australian Times ]

With the early summer tag rugby season well under way Try Tag Rugby is pleased to announce a large increase in tag rugby players across London and Reading in 2013.

The early summer season (May – June) has always been the peak season for Try Tag Rugby, and this year is no exception. The 2013 early summer season has smashed last year’s 2012 record of 142 teams, with a total of 184 teams battling it out for tag rugby supremacy across London and Reading.

Try Tag Rugby Managing Director, Alistair Davis commented: “This is Try Tag Rugby’s fourth summer and to attract 184 teams into our competitions in our fourth year is an amazing achievement.

“We’ve worked really hard to launch the great sport of tag rugby in London and Reading and it’s just fantastic to see so many players enjoying it over here in the UK.”

The competitions cater for all standards of players with divisions including beginner, intermediate, A grade and for the ultra competitive, super league.

Early summer leagues take place at Acton, Balham, Borough, Canada Water, East London RFC, Finsbury Park, Fulham, Highbury, Hoxton, London Bridge (beach court), Reading, Richmond, Shoreditch Park, Southfields (Wimbledon Park) and Wandsworth Town.

There is still limited space available for individuals to join some leagues.

Try Tag Rugby’s annual Corporate Challenge tournament is set to take place at London’s iconic Regent’s Park on Friday 24 May. Last year’s inaugural Corporate Challenge was won by Tullett Prebon who fended off challengers such as Google, Yahoo!, PCubed and Robert Walters to claim the silverware.

The Corporate Challenge is a great way to finish off the working week and is a fun team building exercise with great networking opportunities. Can Tullett Prebon defend their 2012 title this year?

Registrations close Friday 17 May so register ASAP if you would like to enter your company into the 2013 Try Tag Rugby Corporate Challenge.

If you would like to register for a Try Tag Rugby early summer competition or for the 2013 Corporate Challenge, go to www.trytagrugby.com or email info@trytagrugby.com for more details. 

[ Source: Australian Times ]

By Alex Ivett

HAVING been a frequenter of a range of Antipodean coffee shops in London for a while now, Coffee Cult is aware of the significant influence of the Down Under cafe culture on a city which used to think a can of baked beans slopped on a plate next to a black pudding sausage was the height of culinary sophistication. Or, at least, we like to pretend to take credit for the revolution which has swept the London brunching world  – as we’ve witnessed fry-ups be replaced with poached eggs, corn fritters and tomato kasundi, and laminated no-spill menus give way to looping script chalked on recycled bricks.

Arguably the forerunner to this capital awakening, this collective discovery of the perfection of a carefully brewed textured coffee in a paper cup, is Flat White – the ‘original’ Australian coffee shop in London. First opening its doors in September 2005 it aimed ‘to bring the refined artisan style coffee prevalent in Australian and New Zealand cafes to London’. And so it did – quite effectively, if reviews and blogs are anything to go by. Now established as a well known Antipodean haunt, it is regularly cited in ‘top ten’ lists as the best coffee in London, and a great place to grab breakfast in Soho.

Therefore, visiting it for the first time this week, Coffee Cult felt somewhat like they were going on a pilgrimage to the faraway kingdom of Mordor. Attending a live Paul McCartney show after too many gigs by Beatles tribute bands. Or maybe most like finally casting eyes on the painting of Princess Catherine at the National Portrait Gallery after seeing it reproduced ad infinitum in the Daily Mail.

It would be an homage, a tribute. A recognition of the debt owed to this forerunner by all other Antipodean imitators that followed in its wake.

Why then, after all the hype, did we leave feeling underwhelmed? It felt a bit like Kate Moss to the other’s Cara Delevingne. Still good, but a little weathered and a bit off colour – as if it had smoked too many darts on the deck of a yacht in the French Riviera, resting on its laurels.

The Crucials

It pains us to say it, it really does. In fact it feels almost as un-Australian as not eating lamb – according to Sam Kekovich. But, the coffee at Flat White didn’t live up to expectations. Maybe they were too high, maybe we should have ordered the signature cup instead of a cappuccino, but it wasn’t to our taste.  Strong, yes. Creamy milk froth, yes. Bitter, well – slightly. However, for those who like their coffees in this style, it may well still be the best place in Soho to get a decent takeaway cup.

The food too was mildly disappointing, though my friend’s toasted banana bread did at least pass the apparent ‘moist’ test. I opted for the scrambled eggs with a side of roast tomato from the relatively simple offerings of porridge, croissants, pastries, eggs and sides. It was a generous portion, for what remain very reasonable prices, but the eggs are unfortunately slightly cold and not quite as creamy as they could have been.

Perhaps the lunch menu should have been the go – appealing sounding sandwiches such as chorizo, zamrano and piquillo, or a packed full salad.

The Craic

Flat White is a cafe for those media types that stalk Soho’s structured streets during the day – loud, brash, rushy and definitely not awake at the opening hour of 8am. It is simple enough decor – a long bench seat with plain wooden tables all lined up in a row. Catering to the quick meal, takeaway coffee crowd. Coffee Cult does appreciate a good photograph however – and there is a lovely selection covering the wall.

The Connection

Like Alfred Hitchcock to Gus Van Sant’s Psycho, Flat White is arguably the original Antipodean cafe in London – and is therefore owed its due from thousands of crazy capital coffee hunters.  In addition to the Berwick Street Market cafe, the owners also opened a sister cafe, Milkbar, a few streets away. They run a 10-coffee-free promotion with credits for coffees available at both cafes.

The Conclusion

It does the job. Pretty good coffee, pretty good food, served quickly and efficiently so you’re back on the streets yelling down your Bluetooth in no time. For any Australian in London, it is an ageing icon still worth visiting – even if its trendy Aussie offspring dotted elsewhere in the city may just have outgrown this Antipodean matriarch.

Flat White
17 Berwick St, London, Soho, W1F 0PT

Milk Bar
3 Bateman St, London, Soho, W1D 4AG

[ Source: Australian Times ]