POLITICS & POLICY

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard revealed his distaste of his deputy prime minister in a memoir scheduled for publication next week, describing Peter Costello as an elite politician who was out of touch with the Australian public.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joined the the growing high-profile personalities offering support to teenagers who are suffering from bullying in the wake of a growing number of suicides linked with bullying in and outside school.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is urging the Opposition to not delay the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment Bill 2010, or Competition and Safeguards Bill, introduced to Parliament yesterday, warning that "every day of delay for these reforms is a day of higher prices and less choices."

Australia's Treasurer Mr. Wayne Swan has warned opposition representative Joe Hockey of his proposal to put federal government reins on the banking industry.

Interest rate limits are welcome, but more reforms are needed for Australian banks, according to the Finance Sector Union.

Communications Minister Mr. Stephen Conroy has urged Australian territories and states to implement the national broadband network (NBN) to properly interconnect the whole of Australia.

Opposition shadow treasurer Joe Hockey on Thursday demanded Treasurer Wayne Swan to compel Australian banks to follow the adjustments put forward by the Reserve Bank, but lenders are calling the Coalition's interest rate policy dangerous.

Federal authorities confirmed on Thursday that an investigation is underway on alleged security loopholes in Darwin’s immigration facilities following the lapses that occurred last month, which was punctuated by a peaceful protest of detained immigrants who sprung out from the centre.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan needs to swing into action and compel Australian banks to follow the policy rates put forward by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).

Australia's three top mining companies have called a meeting with the government to clarify the tax agreement seen on the brink of collapse.

The Victorian Farmers' Federation (VFF) has set up a fund to fight the plan to water entitlements and affect irrigation projects in the Murray-Darling River Basin.

Any upward adjustments in the mining royalty rates to be implemented by states and territories will all be unacceptable to Prime Minister Julia Gillard as this would put Australia's top mining resources industry at risk.

The Australian mining industry and authorities are again headed for another serious debate with regards if taxes and royalties issues are not resolved immediately.

Coalition's lack of commitment to superannuation reform was stoking uncertainty for Australian workers saving for their retirement, the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) said today.

Wary of sending out a wrong signal, NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley refused to divulge the exact cost of the initial National Broadband Network three sites roll out in Tasmania, stressing that cost speculation is purely non-sense.

The frequent earthquakes have been discouraging to some local residents in Christchurch and the rest of Canterbury.

Australia bested only South Korea in the list of six major trading partners that implement measures in reducing carbon pollution dependence, this according to the Vivid Economics report commissioned by The Climate Institute.

External factors especially higher commodity demand from Australia's trading partners will further trigger the rise of the Australian dollar, which is still seeking parity with the U.S. dollar.

Picking up the pieces after its twice failed efforts on emission trading scheme, the federal government has decided to enlist the collective minds of a multi-sectoral group that would infuse fresh ideas on its climate change policy.

South Australian Premier Mr. Mike Rann is prepared to accept the results of his recent approval ratings, which dropped at 38 percent, taking into account the tight budgetary allocations.

Despite the proposed amendments, adverse environmental impacts will continue to occur as CSG companies still retain the right to extract unlimited amounts of groundwater under the Petroleum and Gas Act (PGA), according to Nigel Parratt from Queensland Conservation Council.

The federal government said on Friday that ministers who handled the country’s botched home insulation scheme should not take the entire blame even as a report furnished by the auditor-general declared that risk management measures were largely overlooked during the project’s implementation.

"Today's reported announcement by the NSW Premier about stepping away from national OHS laws and comments regarding the Barangaroo development are extremely retrograde and out of step with the community's interests," Ai Group Chief Executive Heather Ridout said today.

Organised crimes in Australia suffered a major blow on Friday as authorities seized an estimated half tonne of cocaine in Brisbane that could easily fetch some $160 million had it managed to hit the nation’s streets.

The Gillard Government has increased funding for maternity training for doctors that will see more obstetric and anaesthetic services and support for women in rural and remote areas.

The appointment of Mr. Stephen Koukoulas as macroeconomic adviser Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's administration seeks to address the current economic situation in the country.

The Australian banking sector has assured that there will be no changes in the way they do business in areas affected by the implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin project.

The federal government needs to inform affected farmers on specific measures that it would implement to alleviate the anticipated damages set to be caused by the planned reduction of water usage in the Murray-Darling Basin area on South Australia.

Australians continue to pay tribute to Mary MacKillop, soon to be canonised as Australia's first saint.