Welcome to Off the Record: a new Australian blog combining Insight, Ideas and Influence
OTR is an exciting new contribution to the social media or the Web 2.0 phenomenon. We at P&P strongly embrace this new digital evolution for social interaction where ideas can be interactive. At OTR we strive to be open and honest in our contributions and encourage comments and feedback. We all have Insight, Ideas and Influence and we would like to share some of ours with you. As Web 2.0 is such a dynamic place, we welcome your feedback on our digital Off the Record blog to make it better and look forward to your comments and contributions. Finally, watch out for special high profile guest bloggers coming soon and please use the RSS feed on the bottom left of this page to keep on top of new blog postings. Regards the P&P team read more >
“Oh say can you see” – US election tracker
For something a little more light-hearted this week, New York Times columnist, Maureen Dowd, recently asked Aaron Sorkin (creater of political drama, "the West Wing") to conjure up a meeting between Senator Barack Obama and (fictional) President Jed Bartlet. This was composed in response to Obama's problematic poll numbers of late. For anyone who is an avid follower of US politics and The West Wing, you will surely appreciate this. read more >
Insight into Labor’s Forward with Fairness legislation
There is likely to be significant negative feedback from employers regarding today’s announcement. It appears the Government has disappointed John Denton, Chair of the Government’s business advisory group on workplace laws, who has called for urgent policy work on a broader agenda to lift productivity. read more >
Health Ministers' on board
Yesterday’s Australian Health Ministers’ Conference delivered the key news that in six months almost 14,000 additional patients - 55% of the target - had received elective surgery because of the Government’s injection of $150 million for people on waiting lists. This funding was proposed to deliver 25,000 additional procedures within a year for people waiting longer than clinically recommended. read more >
Emissions Trading Scheme OTR Special Edition
Today the Government released its Green Paper on a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, in which it outlined the plans and structure for an Emissions Trading Scheme here in Australia. OTR have prepared this special edition of OTR covering the political highlights of today’s announcement. Have your say on the impact of the ETS on you, on our online poll. read more >
Eyes focused on Climate Change Green Paper
After last week’s Garnaut extravaganza all eyes should now be focused on the released of the Federal Government’s Green Paper on climate change. The paper which should be released next week will canvass some of the options the Government is considering as a response to climate change. read more >
Pope Strike?
If you are thinking the resolution to the potential city stopping crisis of NSW rail workers going on strike next Thursday in the middle of World Youth Day activities was a little too convenient and a little too stage managed you are not alone. While there is no suggestion that it was prompted by John Watkins, who has by all accounts merely sought to do his job as Transport Minister, the same cannot be said of John “Robbo” Robertson Secretary of Unions NSW. read more >
Personality of the week: Hetty Johnston
The convergence of a number of issues related to child protection in recent weeks has led more journalists than usual to the door of Hetty Johnston; vocal children’s rights advocate and founder of Bravehearts whose Google News search hits are sitting up around 700 at the moment. read more >