DOMESTIC
Deficit: Australian political coverage this week was dominated by the D word, with the Prime Minister finally admitting what many commentators felt was already a foregone conclusion, that the budget may go into deficit for the 2008-09 financial year in an attempt to alleviate the expected slowdown in economic growth. The Opposition jumped on the admission, claiming that the Government’s own forecasts showed no need for deficit spending.
Australia: Strong coverage continued into the week of the wide release opening of the movie Australia, following last week’s rain soaked premiere, with reviews ranging across the full spectrum from strong praise to open-throated attacks on Baz Luhrmann’s vision of 1940’s outback Australia.
Queensland storms: The clean-up continued across South East Queensland continued in the wake of last week’s storms, with heavy intermittent rain further hampering the efforts of emergency service workers.
Workchoices gone: The Government’s new industrial relations legislation was introduced to parliament this week, establishing a new oversight body named Fair Work Australia, replacing the structure put in place by the previous government’s WorkChoices reforms, although some unionists continued to describe the reforms as WorkChoices lite.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Mumbai attacks: Three Australians have been confirmed dead, and an unknown number may remain as hostages in Mumbai after a coordinated terrorist raid involving bombs and teams if gunmen rampaged across several hotels and restaurants in downtown Mumbai. The attacks began on Wednesday evening, with terrorists thought to be specifically targeting US and British passport holders.
In other international news: The Thai Prime Minister has returned home from the APEC meeting and refused calls for him to resign from a large group of protestors that have occupied both airports in Bangkok; unsurprisingly the global financial crisis was the dominant topic at the APEC meeting in Peru, although Kevin Rudd called on the group not to ignore the threat of climate change; and another Australian soldier has been killed in action in Afghanistan, the seventh Australian to die in combat since the start of 2007.
BUSINESS NEWS
ABC Learning: Up to a third of ABC Learning’s child care centres may close, after the receiver confirmed that the business would continue to operate and would attempt to trade out of its current situation.
BHP-Rio bid ends: after around $100million in advisory fees, BHP has called off its bid for Rio Tinto, the share market applauding the decision to not attempt to change regulators minds about the merger by increasing BHP’s share price, while the debt laden Rio Tinto saw its market valuation drop 40%.
TALKBACK
Unsurprisingly it was the (reformed) bad boys of AFL and cricket that dominated talkback this week, many callers on both sides of the debate about whether Ben Cousins and Andrew Symonds should be playing at the top level once more.
SPORT
Most of the discussion in the lead-up to the second test against New Zealand (apart from the Andrew Symonds incident) revolved around whether Jason Krejza would be fit to play his second test after injuring his ankle, with Nathan Hauritz eventually earning the nod; while Andrew Symonds was cleared of any wrongdoing following an incident in a pub; and Ben Cousins looked set for the AFL Draft, although where he may end up remains a mystery; and John Daly was well off the pace after the first round of the Australian Masters golf.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I was playing a gay guy. I actually took it as a compliment"
Hugh Jackman responds to rumours about his sexuality while he was appearing in the Boy from Oz
Tracking the media, monitoring the message
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