ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

NewsMail Afternoon Edition Wed 21 May, 2014 Top Stories More Top Stories » Budget like a fire brigade fighting fiscal blaze: PM By political correspondent Emma Griffiths Tony Abbott has described the budget as a "fire brigade" putting out a fiscal fire, as he battles to sell the tax hikes and billions of dollars in spending cuts announced last week. The PM has taken his post-budget sales tour to Victoria, where he cancelled a visit to Deakin University due to security concerns ahead of expected student protests. "We had a fire, and the budget is the fire brigade. And sure, sometimes the fire brigade knocks over a few fences in order to put out the fire. But if you've got a fire you've got to put it out," he told 774 ABC Melbourne. More » Network Ten cuts jobs; axes news programs Phone sex grandmother challenges Abbott over budget University students rally against budget Alleged Harris victim admits lying about media deals Potentially deadly legionella pathogen thrives in windscreen wiper fluid: study Australian children among least active in the world: report 11-year-old Lucy Li qualifies for US Women's Open Meninga released from jail after 21 years SBY's bodyguard 'involved in people smuggling' More Analysis » I still live in hope of spin-free politics I entered politics as an advisor in the early Fraser years in the belief that good policy is good politics, with a relatively short lag. But politics has progressively become even more of a game over the last couple of decades, and policy substance and debate has been almost totally eschewed. Naïve as I may be, I still live in hope of change. There is a limit to just how long a government can survive with poor policy, based on manufactured evidence or argument. More » Lessons to be learnt from the pink batts disaster The little conference that kickstarted the Web Four things voters don't hate about the budget The little conference that kickstarted the Web Don't flock to New Zealand just yet Budget creates a new state of play for premiers Can Twitter save the Nigerian schoolgirls? Education funding hasn't been cut - fantasy has Cranky Christians against asylum seeker cruelty Just In More Just In » Xie told remaining Lin family 'I hate you all to death', court hears Months after five members of a Sydney family were slain in their home, their accused killer, Robert Xie, allegedly told his father-in-law: "I hate you all to death". More » Blasts, shockwaves could join battle against fast-moving bushfires Mal Meninga hoping his brother can adjust after 21 years in jail for murder Man jailed for 'revenge' murder of former wife Wage growth remains stagnant, trails consumer price rises Tinkler sells cash-strapped horse empire Patinack Farm Two accused of importing euthanasia drug Budget like a fire brigade fighting fiscal blaze: PM Network Ten cuts jobs; axes news programs Bradman's first Test bat fails to fetch expected price at auction World More World » Human rights challenge for Indonesian candidate Indonesia correspondent George Roberts A group of Indonesian lawyers has launched a court challenge aimed at forcing one of the country’s presidential candidates to stand trial over allegations of human rights abuses. More » Explained: the factors behind Thailand's martial law declaration Five convicted of killing Russian journalist Politkovskaya Iranians arrested after posting clip of Pharrell song 11-year-old qualifies for US Women's Open A third of S Sudan population facing starvation: UN Business More Business » Network Ten cuts jobs; axes news programs Troubled television network Ten has announced it will axe some of its news shows, including breakfast show Wake Up and the early, morning and late news. The ABC understands 150 jobs will go from across news and operations, with one insider describing the network's finances as being in a "parlous state". In an email to staff, Ten chief executive Hamish McLennan said the shows would go to air for the last time on Friday. More » Consumer sentiment slumps after budget Woodside pulls plug on Israeli Leviathan deal Wage growth remains stagnant, trails consumer price rises Qantas gives up on capacity fight as economic realities bite Tinkler sells cash-strapped horse empire Patinack Farm Politics More Politics » Budget like a fire brigade fighting fiscal blaze: PM By political correspondent Emma Griffiths Tony Abbott has described the budget as a "fire brigade" putting out a fiscal fire, as he battles to sell the tax hikes and billions of dollars in spending cuts announced last week. The PM has taken his post-budget sales tour to Victoria, where he cancelled a visit to Deakin University due to security concerns ahead of expected student protests. "We had a fire, and the budget is the fire brigade. And sure, sometimes the fire brigade knocks over a few fences in order to put out the fire. But if you've got a fire you've got to put it out," he told 774 ABC Melbourne. More » Fisheries head spruiks opportunities for expansion in NT Phone sex grandmother challenges Abbott over budget University students rally against budget 'Parasite' outburst exposes SA Labor tensions Sport More Sport » Mile Jedinak named Socceroos captain for World Cup Mile Jedinak has been named Socceroos captain for the team's World Cup campaign in Brazil. More » Maroon McQueen 'ready to go' in Origin series opener Blues bunker down in Coffs Harbour Origin camp Naitanui staying put at Eagles Pearce still has Blues role No consolation for Reds after O'Donoghue gets cleared Science and Technology More Science and Technology » Blasts, shockwaves could join battle against fast-moving bushfires By environment and science reporter Jake Sturmer and Alex McDonald An explosive charge, a controlled blast and a powerful shockwave could be the winning formula for battling fast-moving bushfires in the near future. The technique is being developed by University of New South Wales scientist Dr Graham Doig, who recently travelled to an explosives test site in a remote part of New Mexico in the United States to examine how the method may work. More » Potentially deadly legionella pathogen thrives in windscreen wiper fluid: study Fossils of largest dinosaur found in Argentina 13,000-year-old skeleton sheds light on Native American ancestry Clean energy bodies criticise 'depressing' budget cuts Environment More Environment » Australia's black market for endangered wildlife thriving online By Alex McDonald and environment reporter Jake Sturmer Australia's black market for endangered wildlife is thriving, with mainstream websites eBay and Gumtree caught out listing illegal ivory and native reptiles for sale. More » Cuttlefish swarm back to SA breeding site Plant death is latest threat facing Macquarie Island World Heritage advised to reject delisting of Tasmanian forest Coalition stands firm on World Heritage forest reduction About this email You received this email because you are subscribed to ABC News email alerts. This message was sent to you at starnewsposting@gmail.com Please add newslists@your.abc.net.au to your email address book to see images by default and stop the email being treated as spam. This email address is not monitored - Please don't reply to this email. Manage your preferences | Unsubscribe | Contact Us   This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 700 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007 © 2014 ABC | Conditions of Use | Privacy Policy | Discover other ABC Email newsletters