Media Release from Jamie Briggs:
If the political marriage between the Greens and the Labor Party is truly over, will Labor now release all the Greens policy costings it has been hiding from the Australian public?
For over six months, Treasury has refused to release the vast majority of Greens policy costings sought under FOI laws, citing Cabinet confidentiality and deliberations of government.
Media Release from Senator Mitch Fifield:
The Government has admitted in Senate Estimates that it will spend one million dollars on preparation for television ads that may never air.
Officers from FaHCSIA confirmed the Government had directed the Department to undertake one million dollars of research and creative work for phase 3 of the Household Assistance Package advertising campaign even though the Government has made no decision to proceed with the campaign.
STAFF building Australia’s high-speed broadband network have been issued with $164,000 worth of coffee machines.NBN Co has justified the purchase by saying it increased productivity, because staff didn’t need to leave the office to buy a coffee.
THE federal government’s laptop program was on the brink of collapse last night after it failed to hand over more than $63m in funding to the state’s public, independent and Catholic schools.A total of 610 technology specialists - employed by schools to repair and service the laptops - were told by email yesterday they would be sacked if the money was not received by February 28, resulting in a loss of IT support for students for the rest of the year.
A $16 million federal Labor commitment to stem the shortage of maths and science teachers by fast-tracking bankers, accountants and engineers into classrooms has been an expensive failure with just 14 participants recruited.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillards-school-plan-a-costly-failure-20130213-2edbi.html#ixzz2KoofD8oR
REDCLIFFE’S five-storey GP super clinic is nothing more than a shell six years after it was pledged as one of four clinics for Queensland during the 2007 election.Six super clinics, including those also pledged for Mount Isa, Townsville and Gladstone, still have not opened while four clinics promised in 2010 do not even have a funding agreement.
Modelling for the federal government’s key climate change adviser acknowledges carbon prices could slump in 2015-16, probably creating a $4 billion revenue hole in the already stretched federal budget.
The government’s carbon pricing scheme was based on forecasts that the market-based carbon price would continue to rise steadily after a $25.40 a tonne fixed price in 2015 converts to a floating price.
ONE of the contractors delivering the National Broadband Network is experiencing “challenges” and will not meet earlier construction estimates.
The revelation by NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley came as Telstra demanded the operator of Labor’s $37.4 billion fibre broadband network promise not to impose charges for checking if a premises can be connected.
Media release from Greg Hunt:
The Government has thrown out the rule book for good financial management, with the revelation that $2 million is being handed out for new Carbon Tax public relations, with no public tender.
The details of the new public information campaign were provided during Senate Estimates today.
The Department confirmed that funding is being made available to those who come forward with unsolicited ideas – but there has been no public tender or advertising that the funding is available.
Media release from Senator Eric Abetz:
It’s been revealed during Senate Estimates that Labor spent more than $440,000 a month to maintain an empty detention centre in Tasmania after it was closed and Labor promised not to re-open it.
“The revelations that it’s cost taxpayers more than $4 million dollars to maintain the empty Pontville Detention Centre in Tasmania is yet another gross example of Labor wasting taxpayers’ money,” Senator Abetz said today.
