DOMESTIC
World Youth Day – Hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims have been in Sydney this week, with a number of large events, including a harbourside mass on Thursday leading up to the centrepiece Sunday mass at Randwick racecourse, while hundred of thousands of Sydney commuters have stayed at home or gone on holidays.
Emissions trading – The Government released its Green Paper on the emissions trading system scheduled to begin in 2010 during the week to mild applause from the business community and strong criticism from the Greens, with the Paper seen as taking a mild approach to the introduction of a cost on greenhouse gas emissions, the Opposition criticising the petrol exemption not being permanent.
Petrol prices – Some business commentators believe the oil price bubble has burst as international prices dropped sharply late this week, despite a CSIRO paper warning that prices could spike up to $8 per litre within a decade.
Murray Darling – Any news continued to be bad news for the Murray Darling, with a report predicting inflows to the Basin will drop by 40% by 2030, the PM using the report to explain the need for an emissions trading system and pointing out that current inflows were already below the report’s worst case estimate.
Black Hawk Inquiry – The findings of the inquiry into a Black Hawk crash near Indonesia that killed two said that pilot error was to blame, and claimed that the Special Air Service had developed a culture of risky flying tactics, with the Defence Force accepting all but two of the report’s recommendations.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Afghanistan – The death of soldier Sean McCarthy along with a continuing increase in violence across the country saw plenty of media coverage, with pressure rising on both the US and NATO forces to increase their troop commitment.
In other international news - Queensland authorities are still waiting final approval for the extradition of Dr Jayant Patel to face manslaughter and several other charges; Jesse Jackson got himself in even deeper trouble this week after claims he had used the n-word, although not to describe presidential candidate Barack Obama; and the East Timor leadership has accepted the findings of the Indonesian Truth Commission into human rights abuses.
BUSINESS NEWS
US Mortgage crisis – The two key mortgage lenders in the US, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, came close to collapse this week before the Federal Reserve and the Government stepped in to prop them up, with fears continuing that the US financial system is on the brink.
iPhone – The release of the iPhone continued to get coverage this week as technology commentators discussed whether it is a significant advance or not.
TALKBACK
Climate change issues and the ETS were number one again on talkback this week, with criticism of the Government’s Green Paper from both sides, World Youth Day prominent as well, along with the perennial petrol prices issue maintaining its spot in the top five, with sporting stories the Tour de France and Dean Solomon’s king hit rounding out the list.
SPORT
Australian Cadel Evans leads a Tour de France that has yet again been hit with doping scandals, several riders arrested after testing positive in the first stages; the move of Mark Gasnier to a French rugby union side has led to more soul searching for the NRL on ways to keep its top players; Docker Dean Solomon is the latest AFL star to lose his head with a king hit to an opponent’s head; and Jana Rawlinson’s withdrawal from the Beijing Olympics continued to receive coverage.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"it is impossible for Australia to be in front of the world in tackling climate change”
Senator Wong defends the Government’s soft start to carbon trading.
Tracking the media, monitoring the message
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