MODERN history suggests that democracy aligns, and progresses, with the expansion of civil liberties, including access by ordinary citizens to government information. But the new media reform bills tabled in [Australian] federal Parliament last week appear unashamedly about the introduction of an additional layer of bureaucracy unaccountable to the public or the judiciary. To address […]
Tim Yeo used his casting vote as chairman of the all-party Environmental Audit Select Committee to push through a report, published last week, which backed the decision by Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, that new, higher rates of vehicle excise duty (VED) rates should apply to previously-purchased cars. The committee had been evenly split, with three […]
Queensland's former Douglas Shire is no more. Under amalgamation, the new Cairns Regional Shire extends where Douglas once existed, but not so far that its constituents remain entitled to elect representatives for the genuine care for development. Rather, for the first time in Queensland's modern history, this entitlement has been usurped by Parliament, so that […]
Contrary to the intent of the outgoing Douglas Shire Council’s resolution to not allow Council staff to participate in the process of preparing submissions to Queensland’s Draft Iconic legislation, the Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning has contracted the Planning Consultant primarily involved in developing the Douglas Shire’s Planning Scheme, to prepare a Draft Iconic […]
In the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney on Thursday 20th December 2007, the Court rejected the Commonwealth's application to strike out a Statement of Claim entered into the Court by Monaro District farmer Mr Peter Spencer. Mr Spencer has claimed that Intergovernmental Agreements between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories, along with the […]
In August 2007, the Queensland Government introduced legislation to bring about forced amalgamations of many local governments in Queensland. Extensive argument was responded to by Premier Beattie, who proposed the introduction of ‘iconic legislation’ to afford protection to the particular characteristics of distinctive places, particularly from the councils-to-be-subsumed of Noosa and Douglas. One month has […]
