Afghanistan: In the worst week yet for Australian forces in Afghanistan since their first deployment in 2001, two soldiers were killed, one leaving behind a new born child, as the Government claimed there was no guarantee they would agree to increasing troop levels if asked by the U.S. Administration, while the media continued to focus more heavily on the security situation in both Afghanistan and Pakistan following recent events.
Queensland Election: The country’s media started to heavily focus on the Queensland Election as polls continued to show an extremely close election, despite most commentators’ early expectations of an easy win by the Labor Government. Both leaders tried to fit in as much campaigning as they could in the last few days before Saturday’s poll, with previously safe Labor seats expected to be threatened up and down the coast as well as the South East corner.
Alcopops bill: All the national political focus was on the Senate this week, as Family First Senator Steve Fielding refused to give support the tax changes to ready-mixed alcoholic drinks, joining with the Coalition to defeat the legislation, leaving the government $1.6 billion short on revenue estimates. Health groups criticised the rejection of the bill while industry representatives called for the already collected $300million to be spent on anti-binge drinking programs.
Pauline Hanson: There was intense self examination in the media this week, as the debate over whether photos claiming to be of a scantily-clad 19 year-old Pauline Hanson should have been paid for, or published, or whether the photos were indeed of Ms Hanson, a claim she immediately rejected.
Industrial relations: The next big battle in the Senate came close on the heels of the alcopops issue, with the cross benchers and Opposition making amendments to the Fair Work Bill the Government has introduced as a replacement to WorkChoices legislation. The Government immediately rejected the amendments, with another showdown in the Senate likely to follow in the Budget session.
About the index
This list reports Australia's weekly top news stories by volume across thousands of newspaper, magazine, televion, radio and Internet news sources monitored by Media Monitors, including international and domestic, business, sport and enterainment news.
Data and analysis provided to Slice Media by Media Monitors Australia
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