Another child protection inquiry in Victoria
Ted Baillieu has announced a judicial inquiry into child protection in Victoria, complete with “policy implemented” faux-stamp on the media release. So the policy was to have a review. Great. Didn’t the Rudd government get mocked mercilessly for this? More [...]
Laura Norder’s Victorian visitation, complete with dodgy stats
After a welcome absence in 2006, Laura Norder has taken up residence in Victoria for the election campaign. And the conservatives have her front and center, as their campaign ads show. Their key claim – Victorians are living in fear [...]
Income management and the Tasmanian Children’s Commissioner
When a failure in child protection makes the news, it’s always gut-churning stuff. The case of a 12-year-old Tasmanian girl prostituted by her mother and her mother’s boyfriend is no exception. The political reaction to the release of a report [...]
The beginning of the end for China’s one-child policy?
John Garnaut has a piece in the Fairfax press claiming that China’s one child policy may be on its way out: CHINA’S sometimes brutal one-child policy is expected to be loosened next year, as policy advisers come to grips with [...]
Roundtable: post-election politics and what the broad left and progressive movements can do about it.
I have for some time meant to create an open thread for discussion about how the broad left and progressive movements can most effectively intervene in Australian political life after the election. However people’s thinking on that question would obviously [...]
Kristina Keneally’s speech on same-sex adoption
[Via Nicholas Gruen] Anyone who wants to automatically equate Catholicism with homophobia really should read Kristina Keneally’s fine speech to the New South Wales parliament, explaining why she is casting her vote in favour of a bill allowing same sex [...]
CPD post: Cox on the Coalition’s parental leave plan
During the election campaign, LP will be cross-posting selected items from the Centre for Policy Development’s discussion of policy issues, Thinking Points. Readers may also be interested in the CPD’s collection of policy ideas and priorities for the next term, [...]
Of “normal families” and the gender card
Cross-posted at The Drumroll By far the least edifying aspect of Julia Gillard’s appearance on Q&A last night was a series of risible questions about her life choices, her lack of religious beliefs, and her hairstyle. As if that wasn’t [...]
Coalition MPs set to move against parental leave plan
A report in The Australian this morning has one Nationals MP, Darren Chester of Victoria, going on record against the Coalition’s parental leave plan in its current form. Chester feels it ought to be extended to support “stay at home [...]
The view from Channel Nine V: The disappearing campaign
Continuing an irregular series commenting on how the election looks to commercial tv viewers: commercial free to air is the biggest single source of information for voters. On Channel Nine in Brisbane tonight, the sole election story was the seventh [...]




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