I’m not saying Tony Abbott is lying when he denies trying to heavy pharmaceutical companies over the distribution of the contaceptive drug RU666, but, um, well, let’s have a look at the claim first:
An unnamed pharmaceutical industry insider told ABC Television tonight that Mr Abbott and his staff had made private representations warning of […]

Below is a story exactly as it currently appears on the ABC website. Years of reasearch into how people read such material tells us that when reading newspapers the two areas that get the highest readership are the headlines and the captions on photos.
So read the headline and the caption (just scroll down a […]

I heard on the news tonight that the Rann government in South Australia has rejected building a nuclear power plant in the state. I’d link to a press release or something if I could but there doesn’t seem to be one around yet. Anyway, the basic argument was that it wasn’t economically viable […]

When it looked like Australia had secured a post-AWB scandal wheat deal with Iraq, the Howard government was keen to bask in the glory:
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The prime minister promises $8million in welfare to the town of Beaconsfield to “provide some continuity of employment until the future of the mine is known,” and thus encourages terrorism.
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I was really taken by this comment by the prime minister talking about the merger of the Liberal and National parties in Queensland:
Now speaking for myself as leader of the Liberal Party throughout the country, I am totally opposed to anything that would alter the existing identity of the Liberal Party. I am opposed to […]

I notice Oxfam Australia hasn’t launched a specific appeal for victims of the recent earthquake in Indonesia. They are, however, encouraging donations to their International Crisis Fund and it is a good way for you to help if you would like contribute.
As this report makes clear, the situation is still dire.
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Look, Mr Howard, just fuck off:
A reception for the Beaconsfield miners and rescuers has begun at Parliament House in Canberra.
About 250 people, including around 50 miners and their families from the Tasmanian town, have gathered in the Great Hall to pay tribute to the miners, Todd Russell and Brant Webb and their rescuers.
Larry Knight, who […]

Okay, so you’re a big time journalist, travelling with the prime minister on his recent trip around the world. You are one of the privileged few allowed into the joint press conference the President of the United States holds with the Australian prime minister.
What’s more, when the President announces that the two […]

The Queensland Greens have a new, issue-specific website up, and they have asked if I wouldn’t mind notifying people about it and running this guest post by way of background information for you all. As it happens, I wouldn’t! So I’ll hand over to Mark White who can tell you what it’s all […]