1. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has referred to the Rudd-Gillard government as ‘wacko’ and ‘scandalous’ in an interview conducted with the Washington Post this week. The Prime Minister told journalist Lally Weymouth that the preceding government was “the most incompetent and untrustworthy government in modern Australian history”.
“They did a lot of things that were scandalously wasteful and the actual conduct of government was a circus,” Mr Abbot continued. Abbott also informed the US newspaper that the current bushfires were not linked to climate change, stating that, “The argument has become far too theological for anyone’s good.”
2. A five year old girl has been rushed to Toowoomba Base Hospital with life threatening injuries, after a Kangaroo smashed through the family car’a windscreen. The accident, which occurred west of Brisbane on the Warrego Highway early this morning left three other family members with minor injuries.
3. Over 200 people have greeted Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, who visited the Blue Mountains bushfire zone earlier this morning. The royal couple met with Premier Barry O’Farrell and RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons before speaking to locals about their experiences with the past week’s bush fires.
4. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is set to be questioned over his home insulation programme in an inquiry commissioned by the Abbott government. Set for June next year, the inquiry will determine what extra steps should have been taken to prevent deaths and fires. Mr Rudd along with Julia Gillard, Lindsay Tanner and Peter Garrett are expected to attend the inquiry.
5. A three-year-old Queensland boy is in a critical condition after being mauled by a dog overnight. Ambulance services reported that the dog bit the boy on the neck puncturing a major artery and causing a mass loss of blood. The three-year-old was flown from Mackay to Brisbane and is currently in a stable condition.
6. Seventy year-old Marcia Wallace, who voiced the character Edna Krabappel on ‘The Simpsons’ has died. Executive producer of the show Al Jean released a statement on Saturday, stating that, “It’s a terrible loss for all who had the pleasure of knowing her”. Her character is said to be retired from the show in the upcoming season.
Any other news stories you’ve seen today?
Top Comments
Tony Abbott sounds like he's still in opposition mode - oppose, oppose, oppose. Knocking on his door are the issues of climate change, expenses rorting, gay rights, the so called 'budget emergency' which has ceased to be called an emergency... and what's he doing about it? Oh, nothing but oppose, oppose, oppose. What a surprise. What a joke!
Seriously, even if what Abbott said was true, one doesn't need to wash one's dirty laundry in public and what about a little respect.
How about we discover the truth? Should they pull the various ICAC investigations going on into Labor? Maybe drop the charges against Craig Thompson? Tell the families of the home insulation victims to just get over it?
I think we should add a few more investigations while we're at it - balance it out a bit. How about we look into how James Packer has managed to get approval for a VIP only casino that nobody wants on prime public land? Now that would be interesting study in corruption at the highest level. Then we could investigate why all the other MPs that rorted us for more than Craig Thompson are getting away with their lies. That'd make for good 'truth' finding too.