Latest pieces from the YouDecide2007 Citizen Journalism project. http://www.youdecide2007.org Sun, 18 May 2008 21:26:24 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.youdecide2007.org/images/M_images/visit-youdecide2007.png http://www.youdecide2007.org Latest pieces from the YouDecide2007 Citizen Journalism project. http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/372/102/ The grains industry could produce an additional $157 million worth of canola and wheat each year if genetically modified (GM) canola is commercialised in Australia. A report released today by The University of Melbourne shows that if GM canola is adopted on over half the current canola area there will be substantial economic and environmental benefits. In the report, Dr Robert Norton and Professor Rick Roush from the Faculty of Land and Food Resources provide a summary of more than 20 recent reports on the impact of GM canola in Australia. Those reports show that the great bulk of GM canola is sold at similar prices to conventional canola in most major canola markets throughout the world said Dr Norton. Australia is not realizing any price premium for producing non-GM canola and is missing out on significant agronomic and environmental benefits from growing non-GM canola varieties under Australian conditions . Professor... Media Releases - Premium Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:35:55 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/360/101/ Australian Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett, while cautiously welcoming the ALP decision to target a 20% reduction in greenhous gas emissions by 2020, has challenged them to set shorter term targets. I think it’s good to have a target for 2020...if Labor’s position is solid on that…but I do think there needs to be...a shorter term target than that. Senator Bartlett expressed concern about the strength of Labor's commitment. Well it’s hard to comment on Labor policies sadly because they do seem to shift. What’s most concerning is that they seem to shift on the basis of collapsing under the political heat. He said that it didn't matter whether developing countries ratified the Kyoto treaty or not. The Democrats' view is that we should have ratified Kyoto a long time ago. The protocol has a long way to go, there’s still benefit in ratifying that, not least because it will give us credibility and leverage in what... News - Premium Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:10:31 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/278/101/ Charles Worrington Independent candidate for Ryan at Ryan candidates' forum on education at UQ News - Premium Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:00:00 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/279/101/ Andrew Bartlett, Democrats senator speaking at the Ryan candidates' forum at UQ News - Premium Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:20:20 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/272/103/ It was supposed to be Kevin Rudd who would be playing with the Prime Minister's mind , but it seems like the PM is doing some tinkering of his own. Yesterday's Liberal ad (http://www.liberal.org.au/info/multimedia/detail/20071017_GrowUpMrRudd.php) targets Kevin Rudd's positive attack ad, targetting the Liberals' negative attack ad, with a school masterly attack on Rudd by the PM which mirrors and mocks Rudd's own attack ad. (If this is confusing sometimes you just need to watch the real thing, so just click on the link). To understand what is happening here you should also read my blog post of the 29th January (http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/archives/001858.html), a quick summary of which is my suspicion that Kevin Rudd was bullied at Marist Brothers Ashgrove to the extent where he moved schools, and that he has still not gotten over it. I remember being regularly bulied at Villanova - the Brisbane southside equivalent of Marist Brothers Ashgrove - so I can empathise with Kevin. It was hard being one of... Opinion - Premium Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:07:53 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/263/101/ The most significant finding from our environment survey is that the word future means more than you might think. News - Premium Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:16:57 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/262/103/ The latest ALP attack ad is cute - it's the wounded innocence approach. John Howard opened his campaign with some negative advertising hanging L plates around Kevin Rudd's neck. Rudd responds with an ad which opens with Howard's ad and then cuts out to show Rudd saying Mr Howard always resorts to negative scare campaigns...it's a sign of a government that's just lost touch. Australia needs fresh ideas. I have a positive plan for our country's future. An education revolution, for hospitals, for climate change, for water, and for a fair and balanced work place. Keeping our economy strong, or making sure it also delivers for Australian working families. Both the Howard ad and the Rudd ad are reasonably predictable (although the Rudd ad is clearly superior). In truth, they're both negative ads, even though one's brooding and dark and the other flooded with light. But the... Opinion - Premium Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:10:38 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/249/101/ Interviewed after church this morning, these Brisbane Anglicans appear to agree with Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen (http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/14/2058955.htm?section=justin) that if Howard is re-elected he needs to pay more attention to Aboriginal Reconciliation and climate change, but that Australians are ready for a change themselves. They also share Jensen's concern about Work Choices. News - Premium Sun, 14 Oct 2007 20:33:08 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/215/101/ Queensland Greens Senate candidate Larissa Waters says that being a mother is no barrier to success in politics. News - Premium Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:10:57 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/209/102/ Morgan Poll Finding No. 4219 - October 05, 2007 On September 29/30, the ALP primary vote dropped 0.5% to 53.5%, while Coalition support also fell 0.5% to 35.5% during the same period. With preferences distributed as they were at the 2004 Federal election, the two-party preferred vote is ALP 61% (up 0.5%), L-NP 39% (down 0.5%). If the Federal election had been held last weekend the ALP would have won in a massive landslide, the latest ‘face-to-face’ Morgan Poll finds. Among the minor parties, support for The Greens is 5.5% (unchanged), Family First 1.5% (up 0.5%), Australian Democrats 1.5% (up 1%); One Nation 0.5% (unchanged); and Other Parties and Independent Candidates 2% (down 0.5%). More electors now think the ALP will win the next Federal election (61%, up 4.5%), while 27% (down 3.5%) think the L-NP will win and 12% (down 1%) can’t say. Less than half the number... Media Releases - Premium Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:51:12 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/198/103/ Has Kevin Rudd learnt from his part in reform of the Queensland health system which saw the abolition of hospital boards in favour of centralised bureaucratic control? Opinion - Premium Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:54:45 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/190/101/ Exclusive YouDecide2007 polling analysis shows that crate gate wasn't all Rudd's way. You agree with Lindsay that expectations are too high. News - Premium Wed, 26 Sep 2007 23:04:05 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/188/101/ Second part of an interview with Graham Perrett, Labor candidate for Moreton. News - Premium Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:58:48 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/186/82/ The Howard Government is wondering why it is on the nose, let me tell them why. It is on the nose because it focuses on monetary motivation, it assumes money is the only motivation for people. All of us do many things every day without money being the reason. Money is a not a motivator, it in effect, enables us to; buy food, drink, clothing and shelter. To some extent it satisfies some social and psychological needs. But any pay rise, as most will recognise, is absorbed into our spending within six weeks and so is not a motivation but a help to fund the new sofa, and then we are back to looking for more to meet our needs. True motivation often comes from inside us. We do things because we enjoy doing it; our work makes us feel good about ourselves. We improve productivity because we want to.If individuals... Opinion - Raw Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:13:25 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/184/102/ Federal Labor Candidate for Herbert, George Colbran says Liberal MP Peter Lindsay should tell the electorate how many tax-payer dollars he’s spending on self-promotion. T he call comes as the Prime Minister refuses to admit just how much taxpayers' money he and his party are wasting on his pre-election advertising strategy. That's because after eleven long years in office and nearly $2 billion spent on government advertising, Mr Howard and Mr Lindsay think taxpayers' money is for their own campaign funds. Peter Lindsay has abandoned any pretence of a plan for the future. With no more ideas, no more energy and no more tricks, his only plan is to drown voters in self promotion. In the year leading up to the election, the Howard Government is spending over $500 million of taxpayers' money on advertising.* This desperate binge will take the Howard Government's total advertising spend to nearly $2 billion by polling day.... Media Releases - Premium Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:42:59 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/182/102/ Four tiers of Greens candidates have launched The Greens’ Light Rail plan for Brisbane this morning. Green candidates Anne Boccabella (Brisbane Central by-election), Jo-Anne Bragg (Brisbane Lord Mayoral candidate), Elizabeth Guthrie (federal seat of Brisbane) and Larissa Waters (Senate candidate for Queensland) will call for united government action on sustainable transport in the rapidly expanding city of Brisbane. “The Greens’ comprehensive light rail plan for Brisbane 2007-2020 services the CBD, inner city, middle and outer suburbs, filling in the gap between the heavy rail lines. Everyone will get the benefit of this plan,” said Jo-Anne Bragg, The Greens’ Brisbane Lord Mayoral Candidate. “Our plan shows real vision not tunnel vision and is better value than the disastrous TransApex mess created by Liberal and Labor,” said Ms Bragg. “The current state government funding for road-based infrastructure like tunnels and bridges will massively increase in pollution in Brisbane Central and damage the health of residents and... Media Releases - Premium Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:38:32 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/181/101/ Barry Saunders interviews Moreton Greens Candidate Emma Hine News - Premium Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:06:56 +0100 http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/177/101/ The people of Petrie (QLD, Fairly Safe Liberal) (http://elections.nationalforum.com.au/federal-election-2007/seats/petrie.html) speak about their election issues. News - Premium Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:08:55 +0100