Fingers crossed he’s forced to resign. STEPHEN Conroy has been a guest of the three commercial television networks at some of Australia’s biggest sporting events during his time as Communications Minister. The extent of the largesse received by the sports-loving minister adds to the appearance of a conflict of interest after his decision to offer a rebate to the free-to-air TV networks worth $250 million over the next two years. Parliamentary documents reveal that Senator Conroy has attended football, AFL, motor racing and horse-racing events as guests of the commercial TV networks...

The New South Wales Government has been accused of “reaching headlines” without doing its homework after incorrectly printing 650,000 brochures about its new transport ticketing system. Premier Kristina Keneally announced the new MyZone system earlier this month, saying many commuters will benefit from a fall in prices. But the glow of the announcement has been tarnished with the news that the first print run of brochures has to be pulped because the zone boundaries as printed were incorrect. The website map of the boundaries has also been changed. Opposition transport spokeswoman Gladys...

THIS JUST IN! In the face of a significant public backlash, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has backed down on plans to install speed humps on every Australian freeway. Last week Senator Conroy said he was confident that placing speed humps every 100 metres on all Australian freeways would protect children – reducing accidents by 100 percent with a “negligible” impact on traffic congestion and travel times. The plan was supported by traffic management trials which had only been conducted in suburban back streets. The plan to throttle Australia’s road transport system...

Another great idea from the wonderful Senator Conroy. What will this wonderful brain think of next? Oh wait, here’s one: In an ambitious plan to protect Australia’s children, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has announced plans to install speed humps every 100 metres on all Australian freeways. After a 12 month trial of speed humps in several suburban back streets, Senator Conroy says he is confident that placing speed humps on every Australian freeway will reduce accidents by 100 percent with a “negligible” impact on traffic congestion and travel times. “Australia’s...

AUSTRALIANS are spooked by record high immigration and also believe the country is increasingly racist, according to an exclusive Sunday Mail poll by Galaxy. Two-thirds of respondents – 66 per cent – think the Federal Government should cap immigration rates. Of these, 72 per cent of Australians polled favour an immigration cap, while 55 per cent of those who live here but do not consider themselves Australian also favoured an immigration cap. Well it’s racist – I suppose, to want a cap on immigration. Leading immigration expert Dr Bob Birrell said the figures show “the...

First of all, let me state that in no way shape or form do I support drugs. Any kind of illegal drug in fact. There’ll be people who say weed is good for you, healthy, etc. Well they’re wrong, sure go ahead, flame me. It causes depression – no it’s not a side effect, it just happens. So the people who are depressed cope by smoking more weed, and it just goes on. ECSTASY pills are getting cheaper and more dangerous, a new national study has revealed. The drug’s street price in Western Australia alone dropped for the first time last year to hit a new low, Perth Now reports. The...

The ACT Health Minister has apologised to a woman who was billed for a medical test performed on her baby son, who died after being exposed to tuberculosis in the Canberra Hospital. Uhh, how the hell does TB get into a hospital or whatever they put up his nose? Kylea Gill was charged for a nasal swab test on her son Douglas before he died, although ACT Health withdrew the bill yesterday. Katy Gallagher says the families of people who die in hospital are not automatically exempt from bills. But she says she will change the Health Department’s billing procedures so it can approach some cases...

FORMER Labor finance minister Peter Walsh has savaged the Prime Minister as an “economic illiterate” in the wake of the government’s decision to reject the Productivity Commission recommendations that would have slashed book prices. Mr Walsh, who remade the national economy in the 1980s with Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, is regarded as a tough and uncompromising economic reformer but one who never forgot Labor’s working-class roots. He slammed Kevin Rudd’s reform credentials and style of governing. “The Prime Minister is an economic illiterate,” he told The...

School texts such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet could fall victim to the Northern Territory’s controversial underage sex laws, the Australian Education Union claims. Amendments to the Care and Protection of Children Act were signed into law last week, making it compulsory for all Territorians to report any sexually active child under the age of 14 to authorities. Oh Romeo, Romeo, for where art thou Romeo? Sorry mate, we have to report you to the coppas for being sexually active. The Territory’s AEU president, Rodney Smith, says that has huge implications for teachers. “At...

Family First Senator Steve Fielding has revealed he has a learning difficulty, after mixing up “physical”, “fiskal” and “fiscal” in an interview with journalists this morning. Recently, Senator Fielding has frequently mispronounced “fiscal policy” as “physical policy”. Speaking to journalists this morning he was questioned about the mispronunciation. “I’ll make it quite clear: fiscal, F-I-S-K-A-L,” he spelt. The journalist repeated his misspelling, at which point Senator Fielding corrected himself. “F-I-S-C-A-L....