ASIO red-flags Liberal Party donor Huifeng Haha Liu over foreign interference risks abc.net.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc.net.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Two charismatic gentlemen: Minister Paul Fletcher and NBN CEO Stephen Rue Image: Chris Duckett/ZDNet
Australia s Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts Paul Fletcher has formally declared that the National Broadband Network (NBN) is built and fully operational , as one of the first steps towards the eventual sale of the company responsible for the roll out of the NBN.
On Wednesday, Fletcher made the declaration after reviewing a report from NBN on the extent to which the NBN access network is built and fully operational. In my view, the evidence before me shows it is appropriate to make the declaration that the NBN should be treated as built and fully operational, he said on Wednesday.
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2020 has been a wild ride that’s seen the creation of new words like ‘iso’ and TV presenters forgetting to wear pants as they work from home.
Let’s recap on the year that’s killed satire, seen absurd conspiracy theories hit the mainstream and that, let’s be honest, everyone’s looking forward to ending.
The Hawaiian holiday
Most of us kicked off the new decade, wearing face masks and trying not to inhale hazardous smoke brought on by some of the worst bushfires in Australian history. And with the pandemic, some of us will likely end the year the same way: wearing a face mask.
Australia s amateurish China diplomacy sets business on edge
17 Dec, 2020 03:28 AM
6 minutes to read
The Chinese embassy in Canberra. Photo / Getty Images
Financial Times
By: Jamie Smyth This week marks the fifth anniversary of the China-Australia free trade deal, a diplomatic triumph that has boosted trade by A$100 billion ($106.4b) a year. But no one is celebrating in Canberra amid a breakdown in bilateral relations, which has sparked a rare debate about Australian diplomacy.
Foreign policy is characterised by bipartisan agreement between Labor and the conservative government, which has held power since 2013. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison s furious reaction to a tweet by a Chinese diplomat and Beijing s imposition of trade sanctions on Australian products have caused disquiet about the handling of China relations.
Sovereignty, Treaty, Recognition: Voices From Community
In recent years, you might have heard or been party to discussions around ‘voice,’ ‘recognition,’ ‘sovereignty’ or ‘treaty’.
These concepts have become buzzwords in Indigenous Affairs and media coverage, plastered on pamphlets and referenced one hundred times over by politicians or in government consultations.
While we may see and use some of those terms regularly and offhandedly, their meanings have evolved over a long period of time and with the complexities akin to the communities it represents.
If you’ve found yourself lost along the way, you’re not alone.
With a potential referendum on the cards to change the Constitution, it’s important to understand the origin stories of well-known campaigns and the possibilities of what can be achieved.