2SER's Razors Edge

Known as the Birth place of democracy, Greece has had a troubled political existence.

But after the latest election Greece has found its self without a Government in power.

The economic chaos in Greece has caused civil and political unrest and lead to minor parties scooping 16% of the national vote in last weekends elections.

The poll indicated the demise of the two main Parties, New Democracy and PASOK who together only gained 25% of the national vote leaving Greece in political Limbo and opening the door for more extreme parties to enter parliament.

Without a government in power and an economy the uncertainty in Greece continues.

James Jooste reports for 2SER.

With an estimated 50 Australians travelling to Malaysia for cosmetic surgery each month the Sun, Sea, Sand and Silicone project is one of the first comprehensive studies looking at the emerging cosmetic surgery tourism industry.

The cross-cultural study is a collaboration between British and Australian universities asking why patients are choosing to go overseas for cosmetic surgery and how they organise their trip.

Leading the research is Dr. Meredith Jones from the University of Technology, Sydney who just returned from Thailand doing field work.

She says patients are surprisingly much more clued up thanks to social media.

Dr Jones to 2ser’s Tawar Razaghi about the fast growing but not yet well understood industry.

Even after death, some people remain environmentally concerned.

Natural burials are becoming increasingly popular in Australia.

The method is said to be more environmentally sustainable with bodies laid to rest in a shroud or biodegradable coffin and without toxic chemicals in preparing the body.

In addition, headstones are often replaced with native trees and plants.

At the moment natural funerals aren’t recognised throughout Australia.

But the South Australian Government has drafted new laws that would create a register of all graves in the state.

2SER’s Joel Moss spoke to President of the Australasian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association, Bryan Elliot.

A new report from the welfare group Anglicare, has found that over the five past years; almost thirty thousand people in Sydney sought emergency relief because they couldn’t afford food or bills.

And a third of them are children who are at risk of becoming homeless.

And some say the situation will get worse following changes to the single parent benefits announced in the federal budget.

2ser’s Tawar Razaghi spoke to Sue King, director of Advocacy and Partnership at Anglicare.

President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage in an interview this week.

The US President revoked the controversial ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy’ in the US Military last year, but hadn’t supported same-sex marriage until now.

As well as causing a stir in the media in the US, Barack Obama’s comments have also reignited debate about same sex-marriage issues in Australia.

2SER’s Anthony Sonego reports.

This week students protesting staff cuts at the University of Sydney squared off with police in a series of confrontations.

Police have been accused of using excessive force during their clashes with protesters.

On Monday about 1000 students and staff peacefully marched through the campus.

But police claim a small contingent of protesters broke off from the main group and attempted to storm the building where the University’s governing body was meeting.

Scuffles then broke out eventually leading to three arrests and one female police officer suffering a broken arm.

Michael Thomson, President of the Sydney branch of the National Tertiary Education Union has been coordinating the protests at Sydney University.

He spoke with 2SER’s Rory O’Gorman.

Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has appealed to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to seek asylum.

Chen was staying at the American embassy, but after being hospitalised he is now under the control of Chinese authorities.

Chen became a dissident after exposing the failings of China’s one-child policy in his provence.

2SER’s Anthony Sonego reports.

Sydney’s Ferries are free to set sail across the harbour as a privately run business, after the State government signed over the contract to Harbour City Ferries.

The take-over is a joint Private venture by Transfield Services and Veolia, with an approximate value of 800 million dollars.

The privatisation of essential services has never been a popular idea in NSW with controversial ventures such as the Lane cove tunnel creating hostility.

Among the concerns by groups such as the Australian manufactures workers union are that, safety standards, workers entitlements and efficiency will be lost.

James Jooste Reports.

It has been a year since Osama Bin Laden was killed and America has used the anniversary to offer a rare public defense of the use of these unmanned drones to execute militants.

It was the most detailed justification and description of the secretive CIA drone program yet.

Obama’s top counter-terrorism advisor, John Brennan, says drones are legal and ethical.

But numerous critics say they breach international law and kill far too many civilians in the process.

Since Obama was elected he has launched 254 drone attacks in Pakistan alone, killing more than 1200 people.

2ser’s Tawar Razaghi spoke to Dr. Anthony John Billingsley from the University of New South Wales about the legality of these drones.

On Tuesday the government will announce the Federal Budget, with expected cuts on defence and welfare.

But as well these cuts, reports suggest the Government will not be increasing its foreign aid.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr did not comment on whether or not the Gillard government will fulfil its promise and raise foreign aid to 0.5%.

2SER’s Anthony Sonego spoke with Archie Law, CEO of ActionAid Australia.

A global campaign to stop the mandatory detention of children is currently underway with the Australian governments refugee policy one of the first targets in its sights.

Several major Australian human rights and refugee advocate groups are taking part in the campaign which highlights the plight of children being kept in detention.

There are 428 children awaiting processing in immigration centres around the country.

The refugee council of Australia’s chief executive Paul Power spoke with 2SER’s Rory O’Gorman.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the ICC yesterday.

The former Liberian leader was found guilty of aiding and abetting crimes of terrorism, murder, rape, sexual violence and use of child soldiers during the Sierra Leone civil war in exchange for diamonds.

Taylor was the first former head of state found guilty of war crimes since the Nuremberg Trial.

Marius Smith, Centre Manager at the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, spoke with 2SER’s Anthony Sonego.

After a ten year stint in the top job, NSW Prisons Commissioner Ron Woodham is on the way out, with the Attorney General Greg Smith announcing this week that his contract will not be renewed.

There is a lot of debate about whether the Woodham was removed or if he happily stood down.

Some commentators view this decision as Greg Smith’s first successful move in his bid to reform the harsh, old school prison system.

And there are some very mixed reviews of the Woodham era, with the Daily Telegraph calling him “the best ever” prisons boss, while others say his regime was harsh and did little to rehabilitate offenders.

2ser Tawar Razaghi spoke to Brett Collins from the prisoners’ rights group Justice Action.

Demi Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Meryl Streep and Nelly Furtado have all opted to give birth to their children at home.

Many women prefer the intimacy a home birth provides, but there are also concerns about how safe it is - In January this year, a 36 year old mother in Victoria died after giving birth at home.

Today, State and Federal Health Ministers considered a health plan to ensure the service of private midwives performing low risk home births.

Some observers say this will lead to women having high risk home births being forced to use unqualified midwives.

2ser’s Joel Moss spoke to Michelle Meares of Homebirth Australia.

Koalas are expected to be listed as a threatened species in some parts of Australia on Monday.

South-east Queensland and parts of eastern New South Wales are tipped to have their listings upgraded.

The Greens have applauded the government for making a step in the right direction, but say coal seam gas interests will hamper further conservation.

But advocacy groups believe more needs to be done to protect all koala populations.

2SER’s Sam Buckingham-Jones spoke to Australian Koala Foundation Chief Executive, Deborah Tabart, about the koala situation in Australia.

The 2012 Australian climate action summit is being held at the University of Western Sydney this weekend.

The summit provides a forum where climate groups, social justice groups and interested individuals can come together and work with experts in the field.

A key feature of the summit will be a public forum at state Parliament entitled “Beyond the Carbon Price”.

Phil Bradley from the Parramatta Climate Action Network is one of the organisers of the summit and he spoke with 2SER’s Rory O’Gorman.

New data was released on arms expenditure this week showing that worldwide, one thousand, seven hundred billion dollars was spent on the military in 2010 alone.

The figures come from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute which analyzed the spending of 172 countries.

Australia stood out in this year’s release … ranking high up in several categories, most notably being the world’s second largest importer of arms, second only to India.

But with no direct military threat to Australia, is this spending justified?

2ser’s Tawar Razaghi reports.

Pay Justice Action

Union members are being urged to be more active in fighting for greater security in the work place.

A recent report by the Australian Council of Trade Unions has found that 40 per cent of workers are in insecure jobs.

These jobs are defined by the A-C-T-U as casual and fixed term employment and seasonal and contract work.

Pay Justice Action, a group set up to campaign for greater security in the workplace, believe that female workers are most vulnerable under this system and should be more active in campaigning for better work place agreements.

James Jooste spoke to Anthea Stutter, a campaigner and spokesperson for Pay Justice Action.

Silicone breast implants in pigs.

Alcohol given to pregnant sheep.

These are just some of the experiments that are conducted in laboratories across the world.

This week marks the annual World Week for Animals in Laboratories which aims to highlight the plight of millions of animals worldwide who are subjected to experimentation by medicinal and cosmetic companies.

But there are many people that believe animal testing is vital in saving human lives.

Radio 2ser’s Joel Moss spoke to Helen Marston, Chief Executive Officer of Humane Research Australia.

New data released by a tenant’s rights group shows that the unemployment benefit is so low, it either just meets or fails to meet median rent prices in Australia’s capital cities.

The figures from the Tenants Union of Victoria found that in Sydney, for example, the average Newstart and rent assistance income of 315-dollars per week falls far short of the 420-dollars per week median rent on a one-bedroom flat.

Even when the cost of rent is reduced by sharing accommodation, there’s little left to cover basic needs like food, clothing and utility bills.

Toby Archer from the Tenants Union says many Australians looking for work are living below the poverty line because rent takes up such a large part of their income.

He spoke with 2SER’s Rory O’Gorman.

A co-operative business group says it’s expecting to see an increase in the number of people joining food and farming co-ops this year.

With supermarket price wars raging, questions are being raised about the sustainability and ethics of big food retailers.

And Social Business Australia says many consumers are turning to the more local and morally reliable businesses.

2SER’s Sam Buckingham-Jones investigates.

This year’s commercial seal hunt officially began in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada this week.

The Canadian government has set a total catch limit of 400,000 seals.

Many fishermen will hunt these animals for their fur and oils, but conservationists say the annual event is inhumane and horrific.

2SER’s Joel Moss spoke to Alexia Wellbelove, senior program manager of the Humane Society International, about the seal hunt in Canada.

Social media giant Facebook has spent a staggering $1 Billion US dollars to buy photo sharing app Instagram.

The move has shocked venture capitalists, who put the 13-man company’s value at $500 million.

Many Instagram users are outraged at the idea of Facebook owning their vintage-look photos, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that Instagram will remain an independent app.

2SER’s Sam Buckingham-Jones spoke to social media expert Thomas Tudehope about the purchase.

Reports confirm that environmental activists are being spied on by ASIO.

This comes after Martin Ferguson’s department of Resources and Energy denied releasing briefings because they contained “intelligence information.”

For many environmental groups this does not come as a surprise as it only confirms long running suspicions.

One anti-coal activist received a surprise visit by two alleged intelligence officers.

2ser’s Tawar Razaghi reports.

The search for Sydney’s second airport is now in its fourth decade with the issue turning into one of the state’s biggest political hazards.

The Federal government has raised the matter again but there are many disagreements over where the airport could be built.

A new study says Badgerys Creek in Sydney’s far west is the best site.

But the Federal government has its eye on Wilton in the city’s South West while the NSW government wants a new airport in Canberra.

James Jooste reports.

The Education Action Group has given the Vice Chancellor of Sydney University an ultimatum; withdraw the job cuts or face student action.

Last week over one thousand students protested against Sydney University’s proposal to cut staff numbers.

The National Tertiary Education Union claims the University want to cut up to 360 jobs.

But Sydney University has denied this number.

Clare Fester from the Education Action Group at Sydney University spoke with 2SER’s Anthony Sonego.

Yesterday the Australian Greens leader Bob Brown shocked many with his sudden resignation.

Often one to cause controversy, Senator Brown transformed the Greens from a small environmental party into a legitimate third force in Australia.

But his departure has raised questions about tensions within the party and its future.

2SER’s Anthony Sonego reports.

New South Wales’ first female Bishop has just been consecrated at St Saviours Cathedral in Goulburn in front of the 900- strong congregation.

Genieve Blackwell is the third female to be appointed to the position in Australia and was in the company of 20 plus Anglican male bishops at the recent ceremony.

But the promotion hasn’t happened without controversy.

The Bishop of Newcastle, Brian Farran, carried out the ceremony, because the man who should have done it, the Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jenson, doesn’t believe in the ordination of women.

On the line now is Elaine Peterson from The Movement for the Ordination of Women.

A complaint has been lodged against an advertising campaign funded by EnergyWatch, a NSW based energy broker.

The ad shows a frail, elderly lady being harassed by a tax collector with a tin labelled ‘Carbon Tax’.

The complaint, lodged through the Environmental Defender’s Office, says that the campaign is misleading as it makes out that there will be a carbon tax levied on consumers.

An earlier advertisement by EnergyWatch was banned by the Advertising Standards Bureau for racial stereotyping of Indian people.

Sam Buckingham-Jones reports.

The murder of 17 year old African American TRAYVON MARTIN has become a national political issue in the US - with two million signatures now on a petition calling for charges against the killer.

Trayvon Martin was shot dead last month by neighborhood watch officer George Zimmerman.

Zimmerman claims he shot the unarmed seventeen year-old in an act of self-defence after being attacked by Martin.

But new police surveillance footage obtained by ABC America shows Zimmerman after the attack without any apparent injuries, which contradicts his account.

2SER’s Anthony Sonego reports.

A new report by the Medical Journal of Australia has suggested that 25 percent of cancer cases could be prevented by changes in diet and exercise alone.

One of the authors of the study, Dr Philippa Youl, from the Cancer Council of Queensland, says that by following a healthy diet and doing regular exercise, 43 thousand cases of cancer could be prevented over the next 15 years.

This would save state and federal governments an estimated 674 million dollars in cancer treatment.

The report has also called for a much greater focus on preventative services and health education for young children.

Dr Youl spoke with 2SER’s Breana McGee.

Parents are neglecting the care of their children as unpaid child support in Australia has now reached a staggering $1.2 billion.

Previous attempts by Government to ensure child support have included surveillance and seizing assets of those who avoid payments.

In its latest response, the federal Government plans to train its Child Support Agency workers in “assertive debt conversations” in an attempt to force payments.

2SER’s Joel Moss spoke with Kathleen Swinbourne from The Sole Parents Union about the origins of the $1.2 billion amount in unpaid child support.

The NSW Government has lifted the ban on uranium mining, after the Mining Legislation Amendment Bill was passed in the Upper House this week.

Premier Barry O’Farrell said that the ban was lifted for the exploration of uranium not uranium mining.

But the ALP has criticised Premier O’Farrell for having no mandate for uranium and not taking the issue to an election.

Natalie Wasley from The “Beyond Nuclear Initiative” says that the government will eventually allow uranium mining despite the potential dangers and health risks.

She spoke with 2SER’s Anthony Sonego.

Australian has become a prime target for foreign nations to invest in farm land and agricultural produce but it may be at risk of selling out our farming resources.

While Australia has a rich domestic food supply, it exports over 60% of its agricultural produce and there are concerns that this high level of foreign investment ships Australian profits overseas.

Yet foreign investment in agriculture is already highly regulated in Australia compared to other developed nations.

So does foreign ownership mean we are sending our profits off shore along with Australia’s precious resources?

2ser’s James Jooste reports.

White collar criminals are being let off too easy, according to retired former Federal Judge Ray Finkelstein.

In an opinion article for the Taxation Office’s magazine, Finkelstein slammed the judiciary for letting corporate criminals off lightly.

Finkelstein says most judges believe that the humiliation, loss of job and loss of status experienced by white collar criminals is usually sufficient punishment.

Under current law, someone who holds up a milk bar is likely to serve the same sentence as someone who commits million dollar fraud – 18-24 months.

2SER’s Sam Buckingham-Jones spoke to Fiona Haines, Associate Professor of Crime at the University of Melbourne and White collar crime expert.

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