Media Room
Industrial Chaos from January 1 Friday, 30 December 2011 07:05
Under the cover of Christmas, the new Codes of Practice for harmonized Occupational Health and Safety laws were registered just a week out from becoming the law of the land. Employers and employees will have to add these Codes of Practice to the 600 pages of regulations that were made two weeks ago to their Christmas reading pile.
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Tribute to Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, VC, MGTuesday, 08 February 2011 13:36
Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith received his Victoria Cross for: … the most conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of extreme peril as Patrol Second-in-Command, Special Operations Task Group on Operation SLIPPER. In an early morning raid on a Taliban stronghold near the village of Tizak in Afghanistan, Corporal Roberts-Smith and two other special forces soldiers were lying in a horribly exposed position just 20 metres in front of an insurgent machine-gun post. According to one report, he was part of a force of 25 up against 100 Taliban. From the cover of a small pile of rubble, Corporal Roberts-Smith saw gunfire tearing up the ground around his friends and realised that they would soon be killed. He stormed the machine gun, drawing fire away from his comrades, silencing it at point blank range. He then moved on to silence another machine gun and then moved on in company to silence a third.
Multiple Voting – Figures reveal 655 cases in TasmaniaThursday, 29 December 2011 08:11
The last Federal election saw 655 cases of identified multiple voting in Tasmania according to official Australian Electoral Commission data. The figures were obtained by Senate Opposition Leader Senator Eric Abetz, a former Special Minister of State.
Condolences - Australian Natural DisastersTuesday, 08 February 2011 14:08
That greatly loved poet who captured so much of that which is unique about our great country, Dorothea Mackellar, summed up Australia’s capacity to deliver brutal weather events in her moving tribute My Country, penned some 100 years ago. In that renowned poem she talked of Australia’s ‘droughts and flooding rains’. She spoke about our country’s terror, of ‘flood and fire and famine’. That word picture of our country by Dorothea Mackellar 100 years ago has rung especially true this summer for many Australians. While she may not have specifically mentioned cyclones, I am sure that those who were confronted by Cyclone Yasi will say it was appropriately covered by the descriptor ‘terror’ in the second verse.
Thousands Multiple Voted in 2010Thursday, 29 December 2011 07:59
Following the last Federal election the Australian Electoral Commission identified 29,920 incidences where electors had potentially voted more than once for candidates standing for the Parliament.
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Condolences - Corporal Richard AtkinsonTuesday, 08 February 2011 13:05
Last Wednesday at about 9.30 am, Australia lost one of its finest in the cause of freedom. Another one of our finest was seriously injured in the incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with him for a full and speedy recovery. Corporal Richard Atkinson’s life was cruelly cut short, but his memory will live on not only in the hearts of his family but also in the heart of a thankful nation. Anyone who saw the pictures last week of 22-year-old Tasmanian Corporal Richard Atkinson and his fiancée, Dannielle, could not help but have been affected by the pathos of a young life so abruptly ended, and with it many dreams and aspirations. Corporal Atkinson leaves behind his fiancée, Dannielle, to whom he was engaged only one month before his deployment and with whom he had planned a trip to Italy. He also leaves behind his parents, Ross and Kate; brother, James; and sister-in-law, Sumah, who are all, deservedly, so very proud of him.
So much for an era of openness and transparencyWednesday, 28 December 2011 07:45
Figures released show Labor’s commitment to being open and transparent was nothing more than spin with more than half of answers to Questions on Notice from Senate Estimates still outstanding well past the due date. “Chris Bowen, Anthony Albanese and Kevin Rudd are the worst culprits, not being able to respond to even one question and Ministers Conroy, Wong and Plibersek aren’t too far behind,” Senator Abetz said today.
The Opposition’s Approach to, and Predictions for, Industrial RelationsMonday, 22 November 2010 17:12
Speech - Thomson Reuters Workplace Conference Melbourne 22nd November 2010 I thank Peter Schwab at Thomson Reuters for this opportunity. The topic of my address was billed as 'The Oppositions Approach to Industrial Relations'. I have decided to make a very slight change to this topic. As well as our 'approach to' industrial relations, I will also talk about the Opposition's predictions' for the future.
$26,000 fine shows ABCC must be keptThursday, 22 December 2011 14:26
The decision from the Federal Magistrate’s Court today to penalise the CFMEU $26,000 after a union boss ignored right of entry provisions shows the Australian Building and Construction Commission must be kept. “Labor must scrap their plans to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Only the ABCC can keep the ruthless lawlessness and thuggery pushed by the union bosses to a stop,” Senator Abetz said today.
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