Most recent posts http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/ 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. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=442 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. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=441 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. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=440 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. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=439 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. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=438 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. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=437 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. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=436 It was easy enough when Elvis Presley burst on the scene to protect the youth of the day from his controversial ways by only filming him from the waist up. But the digital age has made protecting young people much more difficult. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=435 Contrary to popular belief, Barack Obama and John McCain are not yet officially nominated to lead their parties into the next US election. Their status is still that of “presumptive nominee”. What does that mean you ask? Well quite simply, they have both clinched the nominations from their respective parties however they are yet to receive the formal nomination. This comes at the Republican (September 1-4 2008 in Minneapolis - Saint Paul) and Democratic (August 25 – 28 2008 in Denver) National Conventions. http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=434 This weekend’s Newspoll makes for fascinating reading. Aside from the natural ebb and flow of voters’ capriciousness and whether this week they prefer the cut of Rudd’s jib or the set of Nelson’s jaw, the real story was buried in the climate change and emissions trading polling http://www.p-p.com.au/blog/post.asp?pID=433