Month: March 2015

Brandis backflips on legal aid cuts

The National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) welcomes the announcement made by the Commonwealth Attorney-General today that the funding cuts to community legal centres (CLCs) included in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) 2013, will be reversed. “The announcement today shows that the Abbott Government has heard the calls from the community that free legal help for people experiencing disadvantage is essential and must continue,” said Michael Smith, NACLC Chairperson. “In particular for women and children facing family violence, the legal support from their community legal centre can be a real lifeline and prevents the violence escalating,...

Read More

Who needs a feed in tariff?

The State Government Bonus Scheme of 44c per KW expired last year, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of Queenslanders from installing PV power every month, according to West End’s Local Power collective. Here’s an edited version of their latest newsletter. Actually, solar is alive and kicking. The 44c Solar Bonus Scheme (Feed in Tariff) has been gone for new applicants since July 2012 and yet South East Queenslanders are still installing Solar PV in over 2000 premises each month. In 2015, instead of putting on as large a system as possible, it’s now most economical to match your solar...

Read More

Another reason to leave coal in the ground

Continuing cuts in China’s coal use sounds warning bell for Queensland communities reliant on coal, says Queensland conservation Council. Analysis released yesterday by The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has shown that Chinese coal use continues to show a steady rate of decline. Queensland Conservation Council’s spokesperson Kirsten Macey said that this should sound a warning bell for Queensland communities reliant on coal mining. “China is moving steadily away from coal use because it is causing dangerous pollution in many cities across China”, Ms Macey said. “China is increasing its use of solar and wind-generated energy...

Read More

Tightening The Noose Around Greece

Ellen Brown explains how Central Banks harness Governments. Remember when the infamous Goldman Sachs delivered a thinly-veiled threat to the Greek Parliament in December, warning them to elect a pro-austerity prime minister or risk having central bank liquidity cut off to their banks?  It seems the European Central Bank (headed by Mario Draghi, former managing director of Goldman Sachs International) has now made good on the threat. The week after the leftwing Syriza candidate Alexis Tsipras was sworn in as prime minister, the ECB announced that it would no longer accept Greek government bonds and government-guaranteed debts as collateral...

Read More

Tribute to Aboriginal warrior Pemulwuy

The life of Aboriginal warrior Pemulwuy is commemorated today at the National Museum of Australia as part of its Defining Moments project, which explores key dates that have defined the country’s history over more than 50,000 years. As Australia’s first Aboriginal resistance leader and a member of the Bidjigal people, Pemulwuy fought the British at Sydney from 1792 by leading attacks on farms, burning crops and dispersing stock in an attempt to starve the settlers out. After surviving a number of battles he was finally killed by settlers in June 1802 at the age of about 52 years. His...

Read More

Commemorative Edition ORDER HERE

Westender Newsletter

Video of the week

Recent Tweets

Donate

Archive

What’s in Westender