Ebrief #37
The past fortnight the Government has made a number of announcements in key areas of government:
- The Attorney General has announced that NSW will introduce new laws that will remove discrimination against same sex couples in 50 pieces of legislation, importantly providing legal recognition of lesbian parents.
- The government has released the first report of the Two Ways Together 10 year Aboriginal Affairs plan. This report sets up the indicators of how the government will measure progress towards closing the gap between indigenous and non indigenous people in NSW. Here is a copy of the Minister's speech at the launch.
- The Premier has previously announced plans to raise the minimum school leaving age in NSW to at least 16. The Minister for education is seeking your views on this proposal.
I would also like to welcome my new staff member Cathy Brown.
Regards
Penny
PS Video's of the week: Life is greater than the internet, GetUp's Reconciliation song, Yes We Can the Barack Obama Music Video, George Bush is funny.
Labor Party Conference Overview
The primary decision making body of the NSW Labor Party meets this weekend. It is a huge event with 800 delegates and an equivalent number of observers, party members, business bods and the media.
There are a range of debates happening including power privatisation, political donations reform, six months paid maternity leave, action on global warming and climate change, protection of 457 visa workers, funding for mental health services, equality for same sex couples, bans on dealing with the Burmese military junta, a charter of human rights for NSW and the restoration of student services decimated by the previous Howard government.
The conference will also hear from the Prime Minister and the Premier. The conference will also preselect Labor's candidate for the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney.
Blog of the week: Getting Tough on Tobacco
The Iemma Government is proposing tough new anti-smoking measures aimed at protecting kids from the dangers of smoking.
We have released a discussion paper "Protecting Children from Tobacco" which proposes:
- A ban on smoking in cars with children;
- Moving tobacco products out of sight in retail outlets;
- A new licensing scheme for tobacco retailers, with deregistration for retailers caught selling to minors;
- Additional proof of age requirements for buying tobacco products;
- Restrictions on employees under 18 years of age selling tobacco products;
- Limiting tobacco to one point-of-sale in retail outlets;
- A ban on tobacco vending machines; and
- A ban on tobacco products in shopper loyalty programs.
Comments are open until 22 June 2008.
Labor in Government
- The Premier announced tough new measures against the sale of cigarettes.
- Deputy Premier John Waktins announced a UNICEF concert with the Wiggles to raise funds for East Timor.
- Emergency Services Minister Nathan Rees warned residents to keep their smoke alarms working.
- Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald encouraged farmers to make their properties fish-friendly, pointed out the Opposition's basic inability to grasp economics, announced a kebab-shop monitoring scheme, warned about the risks of escaped imported fish, and opened a mine providing more than 200 jobs.
- Eric Roozendaal, Roads Minister, launched a CD of road-safety nursery rhymes.
- Attorney-General and Minister for Juvenile Justice John Hatzistergos announced new powers for Children's Court magistrates and new powers for judges to dismiss rogue jurors and launched an anti-crime design school.
- Energy Minister Ian Macdonald announced an extra $140 million to be spent on Sydney's electricity network, and an expansion of a cloud seeding trial.
- Tony Kelly, Minister for Lands, solicited comment about environmentally-friendly burial practices and announced $249,000 for breakwaters at Narooma and Moruya.
- State Development Minister Ian Macdonald welcomed the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, and announced employment growth in Sydney and regional areas.
- Acting Fair Trade Minister Matt Brown reminded consumers to check their conveyancer's licence.
- Disability Services Minister Kristina Keneally announced a $1.65 million new dementia facility.
- Community Services Minister Kevin Greene welcomed the world's biggest Playgroup Day, announced 24 new caseworker positions in Lismore, and kept the doors of a domestic violence support service open with a $120,000 grant.
- Tony Kelly, Minister for Regional Development opened an avionics plant in Nowra.
Take Action
- Petition the Parliament: on any issue that you care about.
- Join the Don't Trade Lives campaign to prevent human trafficking, advocate for trafficked victims and tackle the underlying causes of human trafficking. This issue touches us all.
- Make Reconciliation #1, and buy GetUp's From Little Things Big Thing Grow single. All money goes to indigenous projects.
Temporary Foreign Workers: Economic Opportunity for Whom?
A one day forum on "Temporary Foreign Workers: Economic Opportunity for Who?" will be held on 6th May at 280 Pitt Street, Sydney. The event will commence at 9.15 am and conclude at 3.15 pm. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, the Hon Chris Evans MP will present the keynote address. This forum is the first event and launch of Catalyst Australia. Catalyst is a new progressive networking organisation that has a brief to impact positively on public policy debates. For more information contact Jo-anne Schofield, Executive Director Catalyst Australia Inc at jschofield [at] catalyst [dot] asn [dot] au.
Quote
From Inside the Lindsay Sting and article in Challenge the Left Labor Magazine:
"I started flicking through the pics. Then the fifth shot, it was some guy covering his face with the flyer. Luke said it was Jackie Kelly's husband. Then I knew we weren't just hot, we were thermonuclear"
——Alex Cram
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