News

BRISBANE — In a few months the Queensland Criminal Code Review Committee will release its second report recommending changes to Queensland's 90-year-old Criminal Code. As with the committee's First Interim Report, this document

Following questions in state parliament from Dr Terry Metherell and increased pressure from environmental groups, five new national park areas are to be created in New South Wales. The decision comes out of a complete review of

The problem with Australia, federal opposition leader John Hewson told the Business Council of Australia on October 17, was that most people are paying dearly for the benefit of a few. A privileged but vocal and influential minority

From their inception several years ago, the Greiner government's attempts at industrial relations reform have correctly been seen as a blueprint for the policies of a future federal Liberal-National government. However, until

BRISBANE, October 20 — The perjury trial of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen came to a sensational end yesterday with a hung jury and revelations that the jury foreman was a National Party branch official, with alleged links to the Friends of

MELBOURNE — About 170 journalists from the Age newspaper picketed the headquarters of the ANZ Bank (receivers of the troubled Fairfax newspaper empire) to protest against increased concentration of media ownership and the threat this poses to

HOBART — The council of this fair city is not one of the more progressive bodies in the Australian governmental system. Resting on a system of multiple voting for property owners, its members are elected by a few hundred

WA government stalls on safe sexPERTH — The WA Health Department's safe sex campaign, aimed at 16- to 25-year-olds, has been stalled yet again. Health minister Keith Wilson, a right-wing Catholic, first blocked the

Workers block provocation by MobilMELBOURNE — Workers at Mobil's Yarraville terminal won a victory over management on October 15 after four days of strike action. The strike followed a series of provocative actions by the

Youth depression, suicide at high levelPERTH — An alarming suicide rate and the level of severe depression amongst Western Australian young people are the subjects of two new health reports. One study found that more than

Margaret Perrott and Lesley Warne SHELLHARBOUR — The proposal to build a luxury marina and resort at South Shellharbour Beach, south of Wollongong, seems to be once again on the agenda. Visits to the area in the last month by federal treasurer

SYDNEY — More than 300 people gathered outside the ANZ head office in Martin Place on October 18 to protest against the possible sale of Fairfax to the Kerry Packer-Conrad Black consortium. Speakers at the rally included Freda Whitlam, Andrew