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Federal Labor welcomes the Government’s announced humanitarian assistance to Burma.

Scores of Burmese are still being arrested, as the country’s military continues its crackdown following last week’s protests.

Therefore, Australia needs to maintain its active assistance to the people of Burma.

The Howard Government has missed an important opportunity to join an international development initiative which breaks new ground in financing the fight against the world’s three most dangerous infectious diseases.

Yesterday the German and Indonesian governments signed an agreement to cancel a proportion of Indonesia’s debt on the condition that Indonesia invests half of the freed up money into national health programs.

The Howard Government's so-called Australia Connected ignores the plight of thousands of people in city, suburban and outer metropolitan areas that are denied access to broadband because of the poor quality of existing infrastructure.

Comments made by HIV/AIDs Ambassador in Senate inquiries yesterday have raised concerns that the Howard Government may have underestimated the HIV/AIDs problem in PNG.

While I welcome the work of AusAID’s HIV/AIDs program, the limited increase in new funds for HIV/AIDs programs in this year’s aid budget was a disappointment.

Federal Labor today announced the formation of an Advisory Group on Federal/State Relations.

It will make recommendations on how to improve relations between the two levels of government and assist on policy development in this important area before the forthcoming Federal election.

The Business Council of Australia is right. The Federal-State relations reform process is progressing much too slowly. I join Michael Chaney of the BCA in expressing disappointment at the lack of outcomes from the COAG meeting last Friday.

Bob McMullan today welcomed plans for the Healthy Kids Check – an initiative which will include an assessment of a child’s basic health such as teeth, hearing, balance and sight.

The sneaky stunt of the federal and NSW liberal parties is proof the Howard Government will always play politics with water.
This is a very bad sign given the Howard Government’s intention to announce a water package later today

Kim Beazley, ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy, Member for Fraser Bob McMullan and Member for Canberra Annette Ellis today met with Canberra cleaners regarding their concerns about being pushed off the ACT cleaning award and onto AWAs.

Bob McMullan, Member for Fraser, Annette Ellis, Member for Canberra, and Senator Kate Lundy have today called on Senator Gary Humphries to support the ACT government against the attempts of Attorney-General Ruddock to intervene in ACT affairs.

According to new figures from the Department of Education, Science and Training, university students and graduates in Fraser now owe a staggering $ 183,544,578 in HECS debts, Member for Fraser Bob McMullan said today.

The loss of 300 jobs at Airservices Australia is a stark reminder that while the ACT economy is strong, there are always some people doing it tough.

The current restrictive employment practices of the Howard government don’t provide the level of support employees are entitled to expect from their employers.

Nicholas Gruen's Progressive Essay discussses "the Backstop Society", a proposal for a framework that seeks to assist members of society by setting ‘designed defaults’, influencing perceptions of what is normal and prudent.

For 2 years the Howard Government has claimed that Labor’s proposal to achieve savings in the PBS through generic drugs could not be achieved. Barely one week out from and election John Howard has suddenly discovered that there are savings for the PBS in Generic drugs to fund his billion dollar pension bribe. His announcement is timely confirmation of Federal Labor’s fiscal credentials.