Category: Australia
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The exchange rate according to today’s Apple announcements
[Apple](http://www.apple.com) announced some shiny new things today. Given that the Australian dollar is around 92 cents, we’d hope for a good exchange rate. What has Apple actually done? * iMac 22-inch: US $1,199, AUS $1,599 * iMac 27-inch: US $1,699, AUS $2,199 * Mac Mini Base: US $549, AUS $849 * MacBook: US $999, AUS…
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Stupid, stupid policy
From [ABC News](http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1823033.htm) is this brain dead bit of policy: >Australian Young Labor is calling on the ALP to adopt a policy of not taxing people under 18. >Young Labor president Sam Crosby says it is unfair that those aged under 18 have to pay tax even though they cannot vote. OK, let’s ignore the…
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Year of the Election
2007 will be, almost certainly, the year we see the next Federal Election. According to [the timetable published by the AEC](http://aec.gov.au/_content/When/elections/faq_elections.htm) the election has to occur between 4 August 2007 and 19 January 2008. A double dissolution can occur any time, but those are the only dates that avoid a half-senate election too, something we…
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Wow!
From Barista is this incredible photo of the Victorian fires:
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Labor leadership: It’s on
Exciting times: Kim Beazley has put his job on the line by announcing a caucus leadership ballot for Monday morning. Ballots will also be called for the deputy leadership as well as all positions on Labor’s frontbench. (From the Herald). I don’t know who to go for here. Beazley has shown himself to be serially…
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Will I live longer because I live in Canberra?
News Limited reports: The Australian Capital Territory record the highest life expectancy for males and females at 79.9 and 84 years respectively. Which they headline ‘Live longer, live in Canberra’. But of course, this is the wrong way around. Living in Canberra is very unlikely to do anything for you. But the kind of people…
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Fairfax versus News Limited
First, the background (from the Sydney Morning Herald): The annual Walkley Awards for journalism were rocked by an attack on stage on Thursday night at the Crown Casino in Melbourne. Controversial crikey.com.au writer Stephen Mayne was attacked by Sunday Telegraph columnist Glenn Milne. Mayne had just finished awarding the best business news report to the…
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Victorian elections
First off: I miss Jeff Kennet. I haven’t cared about Victorian politics very much ever since he left the scene. That said, it seems that the Victorian government is just about where the NSW government was one term ago – getting a bit long in the tooth perhaps, but still with enough talent to justify…
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What free trade agreement?
From The Courier-Mail (via Boing Boing): THE United States has slapped a ban on Vegemite, outraging Australian expatriates there. I don’t feel that I’m exaggerating when I say that this is the greatest outrage ever! Where’s Mark Latham when you need him?
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From the Annals of Laws Certain to be Followed
The Australian Government Attorneys General’s Department has just announced (long overdue) changes to copyright law with respect to making personal copies of television shows and CDs. Most of it seems fairly sensible, albeit long overdue. But one aspect of it strikes me as… somewhat optimistic about the willingness of Australians to comply: The first private…