http://2ser.podOmatic.com Current Affairs from Radio 2SER-FM 107.3 en-us podOmatic RSS Generator Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:44:55 GMT Current Affairs from Radio 2SER-FM 107.3 no no 2ser Selected reports from "Razors Edge" - a weekly news program on Radio 2SER FM. (Sat 1-2pm) To contact 2SER visit www.2ser.com A new report released this week claims that, across the country, up to $72 billion dollars, or 6% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product is attributable to unpaid overtime. The report, published by the Australia Institute found that the average employee works unpaid overtime which adds up to 6 and a half weeks over the course of the year. 2SER’s David Fanner reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-21T07_22_01-08_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-21T07_22_01-08_00 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:25:54 GMT 2009-11-21 2009-11-21 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 335 no A new report released this week claims that, across the country, up to $72 billion dollars, or 6% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product is attributable to unpaid overtime. The report, published by the Australia Institute found that the average employee works unpaid overtime which adds up to 6 and a half weeks over the course of the year. 2SER’s David Fanner reports. Advocacy groups are calling on the Federal Government to establish a national commissioner to uphold the rights of children. A new poll has found that almost four in five Australians are in support of the move. A national commissioner would work with existing state commissions, to put kids rights higher on the political agenda. 2SER's Justin Cinque spoke to Doctor Annie Pettitt, from the aid agency, Save the Children. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-21T03_35_49-08_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-21T03_35_49-08_00 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:40:39 GMT 2009-11-21 2009-11-21 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 281 no Advocacy groups are calling on the Federal Government to establish a national commissioner to uphold the rights of children. A new poll has found that almost four in five Australians are in support of the move. A national commissioner would work with existing state commissions, to put kids rights higher on the political agenda. 2SER's Justin Cinque spoke to Doctor Annie Pettitt, from the aid agency, Save the Children. Forty-nine million people in the United States struggle to find enough food to eat. That’s according to new statistics by the US Agricultural Department. It is the highest figure in the fourteen years since the department began its survey. Anti-hunger groups in the United States say it’s a problem now hitting more affluent sections of society, while commentators say the figures reveal more chronic problems in the country’s food and welfare system. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-21T03_16_32-08_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-21T03_16_32-08_00 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:21:04 GMT 2009-11-21 2009-11-21 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 332 no Forty-nine million people in the United States struggle to find enough food to eat. That’s according to new statistics by the US Agricultural Department. It is the highest figure in the fourteen years since the department began its survey. Anti-hunger groups in the United States say it’s a problem now hitting more affluent sections of society, while commentators say the figures reveal more chronic problems in the country’s food and welfare system. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports. Many have questioned the religious motivations behind of the Church of Scientology since its inception in 1953, particularly because the founder was American science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. It’s been labeled a dangerous cult by the French Government and is under investigation by German security organisations. But this week in parliament, independent Senator Nick Xenophon called the Church of Scientology a criminal organisation, and produced written allegations of illegal activity. Several former church members told the Senator that they had witnessed false imprisonment, coerced abortions, physical violence, intimidation and blackmail within the church Xenophon has called for a Senate inquiry into the Church and has questioned its tax free status. 2SER's Rebecca Leaver spoke to Raphael Aron, the Director of “Cult Counselling Australia”, an organisation which assists cult victims and their families. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-20T22_09_40-08_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-20T22_09_40-08_00 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:14:20 GMT 2009-11-21 2009-11-21 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 309 no Many have questioned the religious motivations behind of the Church of Scientology since its inception in 1953, particularly because the founder was American science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. It’s been labeled a dangerous cult by the French Government and is under investigation by German security organisations. But this week in parliament, independent Senator Nick Xenophon called the Church of Scientology a criminal organisation, and produced written allegations of illegal activity. Several former church members told the Senator that they had witnessed false imprisonment, coerced abortions, physical violence, intimidation and blackmail within the church Xenophon has called for a Senate inquiry into the Church and has questioned its tax free status. 2SER's Rebecca Leaver spoke to Raphael Aron, the Director of “Cult Counselling Australia”, an organisation which assists cult victims and their families. With the Copenhagen climate change talks coming up in December, a group of Australians have joined one hundred others around the world, in a hunger strike for climate change action. This campaign has come to be known as the Climate Justice Fast. 29-year old, Paul Connor, has been fasting for fifteen days, and is planning on continuing through the talks that are due to occur in December. He spoke to 2SER's Jane Want from outside Parliament House in Canberra. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-20T22_04_59-08_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-20T22_04_59-08_00 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:09:04 GMT 2009-11-21 2009-11-21 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 344 no With the Copenhagen climate change talks coming up in December, a group of Australians have joined one hundred others around the world, in a hunger strike for climate change action. This campaign has come to be known as the Climate Justice Fast. 29-year old, Paul Connor, has been fasting for fifteen days, and is planning on continuing through the talks that are due to occur in December. He spoke to 2SER's Jane Want from outside Parliament House in Canberra. Climate change activists around the world have condemned proposals by the Danish government to crack down on public protest during the upcoming Copenhagen climate summit. The new laws target a raft of protest staples, from mass public assembly to the wearing of face coverings or masks. Those convicted can be punished with up to forty days imprisonment. 2SER’s Ann Deslandes discussed the implications with Dr Greg Martin, Lecturer in Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Sydney. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-19T20_21_41-08_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-19T20_21_41-08_00 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:26:36 GMT 2009-11-20 2009-11-20 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 296 no Climate change activists around the world have condemned proposals by the Danish government to crack down on public protest during the upcoming Copenhagen climate summit. The new laws target a raft of protest staples, from mass public assembly to the wearing of face coverings or masks. Those convicted can be punished with up to forty days imprisonment. 2SER’s Ann Deslandes discussed the implications with Dr Greg Martin, Lecturer in Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Sydney. They’re a feature of inner–city Sydney streets, but not all street marketers are volunteers. Some are employees of a professional street marketing company that have been outsourced by charities to solicit donations. Red Cross, Oxfam and Amnesty International are some of the large charities who use professional street marketing companies. Charities revealed this week that up to 95 percent of first-year donations collected through this method will end up with a marketing company, reduced to 24 percent over four years. While this has angered some members of the public, charities say face-to-face fundraising has been an important long-term funding source for its expanding operations. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-01T17_21_43-08_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-11-01T17_21_43-08_00 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:28:34 GMT 2009-11-02 2009-11-02 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 378 no They’re a feature of inner–city Sydney streets, but not all street marketers are volunteers. Some are employees of a professional street marketing company that have been outsourced by charities to solicit donations. Red Cross, Oxfam and Amnesty International are some of the large charities who use professional street marketing companies. Charities revealed this week that up to 95 percent of first-year donations collected through this method will end up with a marketing company, reduced to 24 percent over four years. While this has angered some members of the public, charities say face-to-face fundraising has been an important long-term funding source for its expanding operations. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports. Australia’s medical community has this week criticised the Federal Opposition for failing to pass the National Preventative Health Bill. The legislation would create a national agency, designed to reduce Australia’s chronic disease burden, related to obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. But the Opposition has this week moved a motion to delay consideration of the Bill, until possibly next year. 2SER’s David Fanner reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-31T17_51_19-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-31T17_51_19-07_00 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:52:51 GMT 2009-11-01 2009-11-01 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 273 no Australia’s medical community has this week criticised the Federal Opposition for failing to pass the National Preventative Health Bill. The legislation would create a national agency, designed to reduce Australia’s chronic disease burden, related to obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. But the Opposition has this week moved a motion to delay consideration of the Bill, until possibly next year. 2SER’s David Fanner reports. More than 78% of people surveyed believe it should be compulsory for all primary and high schools to offer sex education programs based on a national curriculum. That's according to a study released recently by Newspoll. Sex education has been the subject of many political battles between religious and non-religious groups in the past. With the proliferation of sexually explicit material now freely available on the net, new questions are being asked about how sex and sexuality should be taught in schools. The Australian Sex Party is a new political group which represents the adult entertainment industry and is running candidates in upcoming elections. Rebecca Leaver spoke to the leader of the party, Fiona Patton. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-31T17_46_25-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-31T17_46_25-07_00 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:48:06 GMT 2009-11-01 2009-11-01 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 215 no More than 78% of people surveyed believe it should be compulsory for all primary and high schools to offer sex education programs based on a national curriculum. That's according to a study released recently by Newspoll. Sex education has been the subject of many political battles between religious and non-religious groups in the past. With the proliferation of sexually explicit material now freely available on the net, new questions are being asked about how sex and sexuality should be taught in schools. The Australian Sex Party is a new political group which represents the adult entertainment industry and is running candidates in upcoming elections. Rebecca Leaver spoke to the leader of the party, Fiona Patton. Sydney’s live music community has been celebrating the abolition of complex and costly venue licensing arrangements. The new system means that restaurant and pub venues will no longer need separate development approval from the State Government if they want to host live music. But is there really much to celebrate, if local councils and police can still crack down on venues when the neighbours don’t want them there? 2SER’s Ann Deslandes reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-30T22_19_05-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-30T22_19_05-07_00 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:24:19 GMT 2009-11-01 2009-10-31 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser &,news,politics 323 no Sydney’s live music community has been celebrating the abolition of complex and costly venue licensing arrangements. The new system means that restaurant and pub venues will no longer need separate development approval from the State Government if they want to host live music. But is there really much to celebrate, if local councils and police can still crack down on venues when the neighbours don’t want them there? 2SER’s Ann Deslandes reports. The State Government has given the NSW Rape Crisis Centre an additional seven hundred thousand dollars to fund extra staff. This is in response to a doubling of calls from victims over the past 4 years. The centre says this rise in calls is not due to a surge in rape attacks, but rather, a growing confidence in women to report the crimes. The extra grant will fund more phone counselors and also boost face to face help in rural communities. 2SER’s Alexia Attwood spoke to Karen Willis, the manager of NSW Rape Crisis Centre http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-30T22_12_54-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-30T22_12_54-07_00 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:18:16 GMT 2009-11-01 2009-10-31 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 334 no The State Government has given the NSW Rape Crisis Centre an additional seven hundred thousand dollars to fund extra staff. This is in response to a doubling of calls from victims over the past 4 years. The centre says this rise in calls is not due to a surge in rape attacks, but rather, a growing confidence in women to report the crimes. The extra grant will fund more phone counselors and also boost face to face help in rural communities. 2SER’s Alexia Attwood spoke to Karen Willis, the manager of NSW Rape Crisis Centre Despite the Federal government committing billions to develop controversial carbon capture and storage or (CCS) technology to combat global warming, more needs to be done to get the projects moving. That’s according to a report released this week by the federally funded Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. The institute is calling for more action to reduce the financial and regulatory barriers to implementing CCS technology. The report’s findings are echoed by leading Australian CCS research organisation, ‘the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies.’ They say we don’t have any alternative to developing carbon capture and storage technology. Fergus Grieve asked the Centre’s CEO, Dr David Cook, how important CCS technology in tackling climate change. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-31T18_01_48-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-31T18_01_48-07_00 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:58:08 GMT 2009-11-01 2009-11-01 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 305 no Despite the Federal government committing billions to develop controversial carbon capture and storage or (CCS) technology to combat global warming, more needs to be done to get the projects moving. That’s according to a report released this week by the federally funded Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. The institute is calling for more action to reduce the financial and regulatory barriers to implementing CCS technology. The report’s findings are echoed by leading Australian CCS research organisation, ‘the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies.’ They say we don’t have any alternative to developing carbon capture and storage technology. Fergus Grieve asked the Centre’s CEO, Dr David Cook, how important CCS technology in tackling climate change. Despite being one of the country’s biggest health issues, Australian medical authorities have no official strategy when it comes to dealing with chronic pain. One in five Australians suffer from the condition and it's estimated to cost the economy more than $30 billion a year. An expert committee is calling for chronic pain to be treated as a disease in its own right. This would give sufferers greater access to health services and improving their quality of life. Jessica Bineth reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-29T20_52_34-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-29T20_52_34-07_00 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:50:29 GMT 2009-10-30 2009-10-30 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 303 no Despite being one of the country’s biggest health issues, Australian medical authorities have no official strategy when it comes to dealing with chronic pain. One in five Australians suffer from the condition and it's estimated to cost the economy more than $30 billion a year. An expert committee is calling for chronic pain to be treated as a disease in its own right. This would give sufferers greater access to health services and improving their quality of life. Jessica Bineth reports. The next time you find yourself in need of new car tyres, spare a thought for where your old steel belted radials end up. Conservation group, the Boomerang Alliance, says 60% of Australia’s old tyres end up in developing countries as hazardous waste. As a signatory to The Basel Convention – which has set global rules for the movements and disposal of toxic waste across the globe – Australia has been accused of ignoring the guidelines. 2SER's Rebecca Leaver spoke to Dave West, National Campaign Director of the Boomerang Alliance, about Australia’s embarrassing export trade. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-26T00_00_52-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-26T00_00_52-07_00 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:59:03 GMT 2009-10-26 2009-10-26 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 256 no The next time you find yourself in need of new car tyres, spare a thought for where your old steel belted radials end up. Conservation group, the Boomerang Alliance, says 60% of Australia’s old tyres end up in developing countries as hazardous waste. As a signatory to The Basel Convention – which has set global rules for the movements and disposal of toxic waste across the globe – Australia has been accused of ignoring the guidelines. 2SER's Rebecca Leaver spoke to Dave West, National Campaign Director of the Boomerang Alliance, about Australia’s embarrassing export trade. Global demand for the southern bluefin tuna could be about to drive it off menus all together. The Humane Society International says that stocks of southern bluefin tuna are at critically low levels, and unless there is a total suspension of fishing for the species, it won’t have a chance of recovering. On Friday, the major southern bluefin tuna fishing countries met in South Korea to decide upon limits for the 2010 catch. The Australian government is reportedly recommending a 50 per cent cut – a considerable blow to an industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But even a 50 per cent reduction is well short of the zero catch called for by the Humane Society and other environmental groups. Fergus Grieve spoke to Nicola Benyon from the Humane Society International. UPDATE: And late on Friday the meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna concluded with an agreement to cut the worldwide catch by 20 per cent next year, with Australia taking a 30 per cent cut to its quota. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-25T21_02_42-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-25T21_02_42-07_00 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:25 GMT 2009-10-26 2009-10-26 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 255 no Global demand for the southern bluefin tuna could be about to drive it off menus all together. The Humane Society International says that stocks of southern bluefin tuna are at critically low levels, and unless there is a total suspension of fishing for the species, it won’t have a chance of recovering. On Friday, the major southern bluefin tuna fishing countries met in South Korea to decide upon limits for the 2010 catch. The Australian government is reportedly recommending a 50 per cent cut – a considerable blow to an industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But even a 50 per cent reduction is well short of the zero catch called for by the Humane Society and other environmental groups. Fergus Grieve spoke to Nicola Benyon from the Humane Society International. UPDATE: And late on Friday the meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna concluded with an agreement to cut the worldwide catch by 20 per cent next year, with Australia taking a 30 per cent cut to its quota. The issue of logging in the Riverina red gum forests has pitted two NSW government departments against each other. That’s according to internal documents obtained through a freedom of information application by Greens MP Ian Cohen. The documents reveal Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, denied he prevented Department of the Environment and Climate Change officials from assessing the red gum forests. They also revealed Ian McDonald’s department believed the Department of Environment, would take ''a pseudo-scientific position'' to favour protection of the red gum forests. As the National Resources Commission prepares to hand down its recommendations in late November, there are fears they will be watered down. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T22_47_28-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T22_47_28-07_00 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:43:50 GMT 2009-10-25 2009-10-25 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 370 no The issue of logging in the Riverina red gum forests has pitted two NSW government departments against each other. That’s according to internal documents obtained through a freedom of information application by Greens MP Ian Cohen. The documents reveal Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, denied he prevented Department of the Environment and Climate Change officials from assessing the red gum forests. They also revealed Ian McDonald’s department believed the Department of Environment, would take ''a pseudo-scientific position'' to favour protection of the red gum forests. As the National Resources Commission prepares to hand down its recommendations in late November, there are fears they will be watered down. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports. Increasing prosecution and biased media reports of people living with HIV are countering efforts to combat the virus. That’s according to the National Association of People Living with HIV’AIDS or NAPWA. In their recent report, the peak body claims HIV transmission should be seen as a public health issue instead of a criminal one. NAPWA also argues there are several inconsistencies with the way HIV transmission is handled throughout the states and territories. 2SER’s David Fanner spoke to NAPWA President Robert Mitchell on the day of the report’s launch. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T18_15_31-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T18_15_31-07_00 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:12:33 GMT 2009-10-25 2009-10-25 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 277 no Increasing prosecution and biased media reports of people living with HIV are countering efforts to combat the virus. That’s according to the National Association of People Living with HIV’AIDS or NAPWA. In their recent report, the peak body claims HIV transmission should be seen as a public health issue instead of a criminal one. NAPWA also argues there are several inconsistencies with the way HIV transmission is handled throughout the states and territories. 2SER’s David Fanner spoke to NAPWA President Robert Mitchell on the day of the report’s launch. Australia has the highest rate of pet ownership in the world. But more than 60,000 pets are put down each year in NSW – not including those that are dumped in national parks, die of starvation or are killed by other animals. Independent MP Clover Moore has put forward a new bill designed to tighten regulation of the pet shop industry. 2SER’s Jane Want spoke to Kelly Lachman, a campaigner with the animal welfare group Paws for Action. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T06_02_23-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T06_02_23-07_00 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:59:53 GMT 2009-10-24 2009-10-24 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 308 no Australia has the highest rate of pet ownership in the world. But more than 60,000 pets are put down each year in NSW – not including those that are dumped in national parks, die of starvation or are killed by other animals. Independent MP Clover Moore has put forward a new bill designed to tighten regulation of the pet shop industry. 2SER’s Jane Want spoke to Kelly Lachman, a campaigner with the animal welfare group Paws for Action. The Humanist Society of New South Wales has been attacked for allowing a white supremacist group to meet on its premises in Chippendale. A demonstration was recently held at the site to protest the meeting of a group known as Klub Nastiya or Klub National. The Humanist Society says that, while it doesn’t endorse racism, it does support freedom of expression. But the demonstrators say that's not good enough. 2SER’s Ann Deslandes reports. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T05_57_08-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T05_57_08-07_00 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:54:55 GMT 2009-10-24 2009-10-24 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 246 no The Humanist Society of New South Wales has been attacked for allowing a white supremacist group to meet on its premises in Chippendale. A demonstration was recently held at the site to protest the meeting of a group known as Klub Nastiya or Klub National. The Humanist Society says that, while it doesn’t endorse racism, it does support freedom of expression. But the demonstrators say that's not good enough. 2SER’s Ann Deslandes reports. The Australian Electoral Commission has just released figures showing that one third of young Australians are not enrolled to vote. The AEC says it’s doing all that it can to encourage people to enroll, but under current laws there are limits to what it can do. While many have suggested making enrolment easier by using online forms, existing law makes it illegal. But with more than a million people not taking part in the democratic process, there’s a new push to modernize the system. 2SER’s Alexia Attwood spoke to Phil Diak from the Australian Electoral Commission http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T05_52_14-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-24T05_52_14-07_00 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:48:18 GMT 2009-10-24 2009-10-24 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 250 no The Australian Electoral Commission has just released figures showing that one third of young Australians are not enrolled to vote. The AEC says it’s doing all that it can to encourage people to enroll, but under current laws there are limits to what it can do. While many have suggested making enrolment easier by using online forms, existing law makes it illegal. But with more than a million people not taking part in the democratic process, there’s a new push to modernize the system. 2SER’s Alexia Attwood spoke to Phil Diak from the Australian Electoral Commission International education is Australia’s third biggest export, worth over $15 billion. Now for the first time, key industry figures have engaged in debate over a national strategy for international education. Stakeholders from government, universities and private education providers gathered for the annual conference on Australian International Education held by IDP Education this week. This follows recent shocks to the sector triggered by the Indian student protests in Melbourne and Sydney earlier this year. The debate also comes ahead of the report by the NSW Ministerial Taskforce into International Education due next month. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports from the conference. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-18T22_13_14-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-18T22_13_14-07_00 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:10:19 GMT 2009-10-19 2009-10-19 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 363 no International education is Australia’s third biggest export, worth over $15 billion. Now for the first time, key industry figures have engaged in debate over a national strategy for international education. Stakeholders from government, universities and private education providers gathered for the annual conference on Australian International Education held by IDP Education this week. This follows recent shocks to the sector triggered by the Indian student protests in Melbourne and Sydney earlier this year. The debate also comes ahead of the report by the NSW Ministerial Taskforce into International Education due next month. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports from the conference. Children under the age of 2 should not be allowed to watch TV. That's according to new guidelines created by early childhood experts. A report written for the Federal Government says that TV time can stunt language development and shorten attention spans. The study is designed for childcare centres but suggests parents should reduce TV time for kids at home as well. Statistics show that four month old infants watch an average of 44 minutes of TV a day and children under the age of four with access to pay TV watch at least three hours a day. 2ser’s Jessica Bineth spoke to Glenn Cuppit, a Senior Lecturer in Child Development at the University of South Australia. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-17T05_04_03-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-17T05_04_03-07_00 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:01:50 GMT 2009-10-17 2009-10-17 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 288 no Children under the age of 2 should not be allowed to watch TV. That's according to new guidelines created by early childhood experts. A report written for the Federal Government says that TV time can stunt language development and shorten attention spans. The study is designed for childcare centres but suggests parents should reduce TV time for kids at home as well. Statistics show that four month old infants watch an average of 44 minutes of TV a day and children under the age of four with access to pay TV watch at least three hours a day. 2ser’s Jessica Bineth spoke to Glenn Cuppit, a Senior Lecturer in Child Development at the University of South Australia. Iraq has released 36 Iranians who had been imprisoned for nearly three months in Baghdad. The hostages were members of the People’s Mujahadeen Iranian Organisation, PMOI. The PMOI are a pro-democratic group of 3,500, fighting the regime in Iran. They were forced into exile over 20 years ago and have lived at a refugee facility, Camp Ashraf, ever since. The 36 hostages were captured in a raid on the camp in July and jailed on the grounds they had entered the country illegally. 2SER's Rosie Lewis spoke with the secretary of the Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition, Peter Murphy, about what lies ahead for the people of Camp Ashraf. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-17T02_23_08-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-17T02_23_08-07_00 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:20:50 GMT 2009-10-17 2009-10-17 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 321 no Iraq has released 36 Iranians who had been imprisoned for nearly three months in Baghdad. The hostages were members of the People’s Mujahadeen Iranian Organisation, PMOI. The PMOI are a pro-democratic group of 3,500, fighting the regime in Iran. They were forced into exile over 20 years ago and have lived at a refugee facility, Camp Ashraf, ever since. The 36 hostages were captured in a raid on the camp in July and jailed on the grounds they had entered the country illegally. 2SER's Rosie Lewis spoke with the secretary of the Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition, Peter Murphy, about what lies ahead for the people of Camp Ashraf. A former New South Wales treasury official says fifty per cent of registered clubs in the state don’t pay any tax at all on the money they make from poker machines. Casino Club NSW: Profits, tax, sport and politics is the title of Betty Con Walker’s book, released this week. Con Walker says she wrote the book because she was disenchanted by politicians who opposed increasing taxes on the three billion dollars that clubs make out of gaming each year. She says the taxes on clubs are unnecessarily low and are far below the rates paid by the clubs’ competitors in the hotel industry. 2SER's Fergus Grieve asked Betty Con Walker just how big a tax advantage clubs have over the competition. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-16T23_11_51-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-16T23_11_51-07_00 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:09:32 GMT 2009-10-17 2009-10-17 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 304 no A former New South Wales treasury official says fifty per cent of registered clubs in the state don’t pay any tax at all on the money they make from poker machines. Casino Club NSW: Profits, tax, sport and politics is the title of Betty Con Walker’s book, released this week. Con Walker says she wrote the book because she was disenchanted by politicians who opposed increasing taxes on the three billion dollars that clubs make out of gaming each year. She says the taxes on clubs are unnecessarily low and are far below the rates paid by the clubs’ competitors in the hotel industry. 2SER's Fergus Grieve asked Betty Con Walker just how big a tax advantage clubs have over the competition. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s stimulus package has helped to stabilise Australia’s economy through a very difficult economic period. But how successful have federal and state Labor government’s been at looking after the nation’s most needy? This week was Anti-Poverty week and welfare agencies have been highlighting Australia’s worsening living standards for many people. One study found that 10% of all people in Queensland are living below the official poverty line. 2SER’s Jane Want spoke to Jane Woodruff, the CEO of Uniting Care Burnside and co-chair of New South Wales Anti-Poverty Week. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-16T23_07_26-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-16T23_07_26-07_00 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:04:15 GMT 2009-10-17 2009-10-17 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 345 no Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s stimulus package has helped to stabilise Australia’s economy through a very difficult economic period. But how successful have federal and state Labor government’s been at looking after the nation’s most needy? This week was Anti-Poverty week and welfare agencies have been highlighting Australia’s worsening living standards for many people. One study found that 10% of all people in Queensland are living below the official poverty line. 2SER’s Jane Want spoke to Jane Woodruff, the CEO of Uniting Care Burnside and co-chair of New South Wales Anti-Poverty Week. Australia’s universities are heading for a major shortfall in academic staff. That’s according to a study into the future of the academic profession in Australia. The study, conducted by higher education researchers in Melbourne, found conditions at Australian universities are not good enough to attract new staff to meet the needs of a growing population of students. The study’s authors say the problem is compounded by universities’ reliance on casual staff, whose needs are inadequately understood by university management, 2SER's Fergus Grieve spoke to the study’s lead author, Dr Hamish Coates, from the Australian Council for Educational Research in Melbourne. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-11T19_19_18-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-11T19_19_18-07_00 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:17:07 GMT 2009-10-12 2009-10-12 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 298 no Australia’s universities are heading for a major shortfall in academic staff. That’s according to a study into the future of the academic profession in Australia. The study, conducted by higher education researchers in Melbourne, found conditions at Australian universities are not good enough to attract new staff to meet the needs of a growing population of students. The study’s authors say the problem is compounded by universities’ reliance on casual staff, whose needs are inadequately understood by university management, 2SER's Fergus Grieve spoke to the study’s lead author, Dr Hamish Coates, from the Australian Council for Educational Research in Melbourne. Up to a third of the herbal medicine Ginkgo Biloba, sold in Australia, might be adulterated, or “spiked” according to recent Government tests. But the Therapeutic Goods Administration appears to be doing little about it, and refuses to reveal the offending brand names. Public Health expert Ken Harvey has been fighting the TGA to release these names for the past year, with no luck. He says the TGA is too closely linked to business. He's speaking here with 2SER's David Fanner. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T05_51_13-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T05_51_13-07_00 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:48:38 GMT 2009-10-10 2009-10-10 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 331 no Up to a third of the herbal medicine Ginkgo Biloba, sold in Australia, might be adulterated, or “spiked” according to recent Government tests. But the Therapeutic Goods Administration appears to be doing little about it, and refuses to reveal the offending brand names. Public Health expert Ken Harvey has been fighting the TGA to release these names for the past year, with no luck. He says the TGA is too closely linked to business. He's speaking here with 2SER's David Fanner. The introduction and regulation of nutritional additives in food and water is often contentious. Queensland is a case in point, having previously been hesitant to introduce water fluoridation, This public health measure was finally introduced last year under Premier Anna Bligh. And again yesterday, it became mandatory for bread sold Australia-wide to contain Iodised salt. This new regulation is an attempt to tackle what has become a growing health issue for millions of Australians, with Iodine deficiencies, which can cause a wide range of adverse heath effects. 2SER’s Jane Want spoke to Lydia Buchtmann, from “Food Standards Australia, New Zealand”. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T05_21_32-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T05_21_32-07_00 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:18:49 GMT 2009-10-10 2009-10-10 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 264 no The introduction and regulation of nutritional additives in food and water is often contentious. Queensland is a case in point, having previously been hesitant to introduce water fluoridation, This public health measure was finally introduced last year under Premier Anna Bligh. And again yesterday, it became mandatory for bread sold Australia-wide to contain Iodised salt. This new regulation is an attempt to tackle what has become a growing health issue for millions of Australians, with Iodine deficiencies, which can cause a wide range of adverse heath effects. 2SER’s Jane Want spoke to Lydia Buchtmann, from “Food Standards Australia, New Zealand”. With the Copenhagen summit just weeks away, the issue of climate change is making daily headlines. But despite all the talk of emission trading schemes and carbon reduction technologies, coal mines in Australia seem to be expanding, seemingly without end. One protest group has had enough, and say that it’s time for more direct action. Climate Camp is a three day protest, which began yesterday. The action is taking place in Helensburgh, the site of the Metropolitan Collieries, which has recently been given the go ahead from the state government to expand coal mining activities. Julia Holman compiled this report. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T00_18_29-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T00_18_29-07_00 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:14:42 GMT 2009-10-10 2009-10-10 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 327 no With the Copenhagen summit just weeks away, the issue of climate change is making daily headlines. But despite all the talk of emission trading schemes and carbon reduction technologies, coal mines in Australia seem to be expanding, seemingly without end. One protest group has had enough, and say that it’s time for more direct action. Climate Camp is a three day protest, which began yesterday. The action is taking place in Helensburgh, the site of the Metropolitan Collieries, which has recently been given the go ahead from the state government to expand coal mining activities. Julia Holman compiled this report. Anti-war protestors took to the streets to mark the anniversary of US invasion of Afghanistan this week. After eight years of war, peace activists say there has been little improvement in the lives of the people in Afghanistan. They say Western governments should pull the troops out and let Afghanistan have self-determination. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports from the Sydney rally. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T00_09_46-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-10T00_09_46-07_00 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:05:31 GMT 2009-10-10 2009-10-10 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 404 no Anti-war protestors took to the streets to mark the anniversary of US invasion of Afghanistan this week. After eight years of war, peace activists say there has been little improvement in the lives of the people in Afghanistan. They say Western governments should pull the troops out and let Afghanistan have self-determination. 2SER's Biwa Kwan reports from the Sydney rally. One in five species of Australian mammals are at risk of extinction. These are the figures included in a report, The Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, which was released by federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett earlier this week. 2SER’s David Fanner talks to Cameron Slatyer, the Director of the Australian Biological Resources Study, an Australian government program tasked with publishing species discovery. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-05T21_41_56-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-05T21_41_56-07_00 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:40:22 GMT 2009-10-06 2009-10-06 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 273 no One in five species of Australian mammals are at risk of extinction. These are the figures included in a report, The Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World, which was released by federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett earlier this week. 2SER’s David Fanner talks to Cameron Slatyer, the Director of the Australian Biological Resources Study, an Australian government program tasked with publishing species discovery. A new report from the Federal Government says Australia could become the leading producer of electric cars within the next decade. But with Japan, Europe and the US so far ahead with this technology, how realistic are these predictions? Experts say the electric car could become a common sight on our roads in the next few years. The Federal government announced a six billion dollar car industry assistance package last year, which includes grants for the production of so called "green cars". 2SER's Jessica Bineth spoke to Conal Horgan from the Institute for Sustainable Futures, at UTS, about the report and the impacts the electric car is likely to make. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T05_52_20-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T05_52_20-07_00 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:48:57 GMT 2009-10-03 2009-10-03 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 263 no A new report from the Federal Government says Australia could become the leading producer of electric cars within the next decade. But with Japan, Europe and the US so far ahead with this technology, how realistic are these predictions? Experts say the electric car could become a common sight on our roads in the next few years. The Federal government announced a six billion dollar car industry assistance package last year, which includes grants for the production of so called "green cars". 2SER's Jessica Bineth spoke to Conal Horgan from the Institute for Sustainable Futures, at UTS, about the report and the impacts the electric car is likely to make. Soaring numbers of women in Victoria’s jails has prompted a review of the State’s prison-system. In the past twelve months, incarceration rates for women have grown by 25%. The Women in Prisons Advocacy Network says the jump reflects a national trend, with more and more women being sent to prison across Australia. They also claim the majority of women jailed have been inside before, showing the need for more support services on release. The Network’s Kat Armstrong spoke to 2SER’s Ann Deslandes. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T05_28_47-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T05_28_47-07_00 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:26:21 GMT 2009-10-03 2009-10-03 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 247 no Soaring numbers of women in Victoria’s jails has prompted a review of the State’s prison-system. In the past twelve months, incarceration rates for women have grown by 25%. The Women in Prisons Advocacy Network says the jump reflects a national trend, with more and more women being sent to prison across Australia. They also claim the majority of women jailed have been inside before, showing the need for more support services on release. The Network’s Kat Armstrong spoke to 2SER’s Ann Deslandes. If you know anything about healthy eating, you’ll probably know that too much saturated fat, found in animal products like butter and bacon, is not good for you. But what you may not know is that some vegetable fats are just as bad for you, if not worse. Palm oil and coconut oil are both vegetable oils that are high in saturated fat. Processed vegetable oils known as trans fats increase the risk of heart disease. According to the Australian Heart Foundation, under Australia’s current food labelling laws, it’s not always easy to tell what kind of fat you’re getting. The issue was a key topic at the World Congress on Oils and Fats in Sydney this week. While many people are switching to healthier oils in their home cooking, they are still getting a lot of unhealthy fat when they buy pre-prepared food or eat out in restaurants. 2SER’s Fergus Grieve spoke to Barbara Eden, a Senior Food Supply Manager at the Australian Heart Foundation. http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T05_24_28-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T05_24_28-07_00 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:22:19 GMT 2009-10-03 2009-10-03 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 284 no If you know anything about healthy eating, you’ll probably know that too much saturated fat, found in animal products like butter and bacon, is not good for you. But what you may not know is that some vegetable fats are just as bad for you, if not worse. Palm oil and coconut oil are both vegetable oils that are high in saturated fat. Processed vegetable oils known as trans fats increase the risk of heart disease. According to the Australian Heart Foundation, under Australia’s current food labelling laws, it’s not always easy to tell what kind of fat you’re getting. The issue was a key topic at the World Congress on Oils and Fats in Sydney this week. While many people are switching to healthier oils in their home cooking, they are still getting a lot of unhealthy fat when they buy pre-prepared food or eat out in restaurants. 2SER’s Fergus Grieve spoke to Barbara Eden, a Senior Food Supply Manager at the Australian Heart Foundation. Legal academic Jennifer Burns has called for a stand-alone criminal conviction for labour trafficking - or non-sex related trafficking - at a forum this week. Although labour trafficking is often seen as less significant than sex trafficking, it is potentially a bigger problem. It affects multiple industries and with the growth in global migration, forced labour is set to increase. NGOs report that labour trafficking is already happening in Australia. 2ser’s Biwa Kwan reports. --- To get help for victims of human trafficking visit the Anti-Slavery Project website at www.antislavery.org.au http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T00_10_13-07_00 http://2ser.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-10-03T00_10_13-07_00 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:07:14 GMT 2009-10-03 2009-10-03 http://2ser.podOmatic.com 2ser 371 no Legal academic Jennifer Burns has called for a stand-alone criminal conviction for labour trafficking - or non-sex related trafficking - at a forum this week. Although labour trafficking is often seen as less significant than sex trafficking, it is potentially a bigger problem. It affects multiple industries and with the growth in global migration, forced labour is set to increase. NGOs report that labour trafficking is already happening in Australia. 2ser’s Biwa Kwan reports. --- To get help for victims of human trafficking visit the Anti-Slavery Project website at www.antislavery.org.au