Qld teachers union to vote on pay deal
Queensland Teachers Union delegates are voting this morning on whether to accept a proposed three-year pay and allowances deal offered by Education Queensland on Monday.
The new enterprise bargaining agreement offers a 2.5 per cent wage increase, plus a suite of allowances and claims for teachers, costing the Queensland government more than $1 billion over three years if accepted.
M1 and Bruce Highway upgrades approved
Infrastructure Australia has announced $2 billion worth of funding for planned upgrades to the Bruce Highway, south of Cairns, and the M1 Pacific Motorway.
The upgrades to the M1 include widening of an 8.5 kilometre stretch between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill and an extension of the South East Busway to the Springwood bus station, providing capacity for 50,000 extra daily trips by 2041. .
Labor proposes press freedom inquiry
Labor will move to establish a parliamentary committee to examine press freedom in Australia, following AFP raids on a NewsCorp journalist and the ABC.
Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally will move a motion in the senate on Thursday to establish the Joint Select Committee into the Public's Right to Know and Press Freedom, which would also examine whistleblower protections and the independence of the AFP.
LNG as bad for climate as coal
The liquefied natural gas industry will play at least as big a role as new coal investments in bringing on a climate crisis if all planned projects go ahead, according to US-based energy analysts and campaigners.
CoalSwarm executive director Ted Nace says most of the projects are in the pre-construction stage so there is still time for a moratorium on LNG infrastructure before we lock ourselves into even more irreversible climate damage.
China border police installing phone monitoring apps
Chinese border police are reportedly installing surveillance applications on the phones of visitors and downloading personal information as part of the government’s scrutiny of the Xinjiang region.
Analysis by the Guardian, academics and cybersecurity experts suggests the app, designed by a Chinese company, searches Android phones against a list of content authorities view as problematic.
Two women nominated for high profile EU posts
Two women have been nominated to serve in high profile European Union positions for the first time after three days of negotiations by European leaders.
German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has been nominated as the next president of the European Commission, whilst Frenchwoman Christine Lagarde has been proposed as president of the European Central Bank.
ATOM: In Every Dream Home
- There’s a weight of history behind ATOM: a storied trip through the annals of post-punk. The stories belong to its members, the tenure they held in many different bands and still more bands whose influence can be heard creeping through their debut full-length, In Every Dream Home. It’s sort of surprising then, that this bunch of veterans would shrug off the weight of all that and come crashing at us, full force, immediate and unrelenting.
MIKE: Tears Of Joy
- It'd be easy to dismiss MIKE on first listen, his monotone flows and sleepy delivery sound like an uncharismatic parody of 'mumble rap'. Over the past few years he's emerged as a flagbearer for New York's modern underground, spearheading the prolific sLUms collective in their recent rise to prominence.
Fruit Bats: Gold Past Life
<p><span><span><em>- Gold Past Life</em> is the seventh studio album by the venerable folk-rock band, Fruit Bats. Lead by singer-songwriter <strong>Eric D. Johnson</strong>, Fruit Bats are the kind of band that gets better with age. No flash in the pan, their songwriting and sound has developed and progressed over the years. Devoid of any hit singles or cult albums, Fruit Bats have continued creating uncompromising music that never sacrifices quality for popularity.
Review: Wicked at HOTA
The Wicked performance at the Home of the Arts, presented by Matt Ward Entertainment, was a night to remember. Not only was it a splendid evening filled with beautiful set design, costuming, lights and musicality but there was a feeling of suspense in the room for the more dramatic songs of the night. There were no disappointments when it came to delivering each and every hit from the musical. At its core Wicked is a tale about not fitting in and defying expectations, but is also offers up a lot of heartfelt and romantic elements throughout.