If James Alberts, better known as Adelaide-based rapper Jimblah, hadn't discovered hip hop, he could well have ended up serving time in prison. Instead, he now serves prisoners in prison, by teaching them.
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Carbon price not effective
It is unbecoming for the Greens and major environmental organisations to be supporting the Gillard government鈥檚 carbon price, which promises to be so palpably ineffective in reducing Australian emissions.
Even treasury modelling indicates that it will be over a decade before Australian emissions begin to fall, whereas climate science indicates that we need big reductions beginning now.
When it comes to comparing the cases of two publishers of secret information 鈥 WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange and billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch 鈥 the hypocrisy from politicians and media is huge.
A health scare developed at Villawood detention centre in June after an asylum seeker was diagnosed with leprosy.
Despite assurances from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, a whistleblower revealed the extent of asylum seekers鈥 poor health care.
International Health and Medical Services is the private health provider contracted to provide health care to people held in Australia鈥檚 immigration detention centres.
Oh this is such fun. And every few hours it gets better, but always with an announcement there鈥檚 鈥渟till worse to come鈥, leaving us struggling to imagine what they might have done that鈥檚 worse.
Presumably by tomorrow it will turn out they planted a bug in Heather Mills鈥檚 false leg and hacked into Stephen Hawking鈥檚 voicebox.
The only thing that tarnishes it slightly is now everyone hates Murdoch. It鈥檚 like when you follow an obscure band and they become famous.
The federal Labor government released a , Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory, on June 22. It suggests the continuation of much of the NT intervention after the Northern Territory Emergency Response legislation expires next year.
More public servants have voted against proposed enterprise agreements put forward by the management of various federal government agencies.
Places where staff have voted 鈥渘o鈥 include the departments of agriculture, fisheries and forestry; immigration and citizenship; defence; and customs.
Staff in the Australian Taxation Office, the Productivity Commission, Comcare, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and the Attorney Generals Department have also voted no.
Workers are unhappy with the 3% a year limit on pay rises 鈥 less than the expected rise in the cost of living.
Coal seam gas drilling has been a hot topic in Australia over the past couple of years, interest fuelled by the US documentary Gasland.
The land on top of the coal arc stretching from northern Queensland down to the southern Highlands of NSW is being slapped with exploration licences that progress to pilot wells at an alarming rate, especially in rural New South Wales.
In NSW, there is no specific legislation covering coal seam gas, and yet exploration and wells are going ahead.
Members of the Textiles Clothing and Footwear Union Australia (TCFUA), rallied outside boutique called Scanlan and Theodore against job cuts on July 15. The workers were employees of a company called Blossom Road, which made products for the high-end fashion label.
They were protesting because all Blossom Road鈥檚 27 employees were suddenly sacked on May 19, without explanation and without being paid entitlements. The company was liquidated, but the very next day the company re-opened under a different name and owned by the previous boss Bill Jadilebovski鈥檚 son.
As the 28th Australian soldier was killed in Afghanistan, four Christian activists were arrested during a peaceful blockade of the secretive Swan Island military base in Victoria.
News of the death of Sergeant Todd Langley, 35, came on the second day of the week-long 鈥淧eace Convergence鈥 in opposition to Australia's ongoing military involvement in what activists have called an 鈥渦nnecessary and ineffective war in Afghanistan鈥.
Critics have dubbed the Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Bill now before parliament the 鈥淲ikiLeaks Amendment鈥.
It will strengthen the powers of Australia鈥檚 spy agency ASIO to target any individual or organisation that opposes the interests of the Australian government, even if Australia鈥檚 defence interests and international relations are not at stake.
This would include Australian citizens involved in non-violent political activities abroad, which do not constitute a threat to Australia鈥檚 security.
The leader of the National Party, Senator Barnaby Joyce, held and anti-carbon tax rally at Wollongong鈥檚 Crown St Mall on July 13. The self-professed climate change denier drew quite a crowd, but not the kind he was hoping for.
A small number of his supporters, perhaps 30, were present. But more than half the crowd noisily protested against Joyce.
They included Socialist Alliance activists, several Greens members and people from various trade unions. The placards of Greens, Socialist Alliance and unionists visually dominated the scene.
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