Earlier this week the NSW Government passed new legislation aimed at curbing alcohol related violence. These measures include earlier lockouts in Sydney CBD clubs and mandatory sentencing for ‘one-punch’ assaults. This piece looks specifically at the introduction of mandatory sentencing, not at the overall response from the Government.
Category Archives: Politics
Response to light rail extension plan
The NSW Government today announced a CBD transport interchange at Wickham, as originally planned, instead of Hamilton or Broadmeadow. The new interchange would connect the existing heavy rail to a planned light rail track which is now intended to run as far as Pacific Park in Newcastle East.
Response to Belinda Epstein-Frisch’s opinion piece on the closure of the Stockton Centre
Disability advocate Belinda Epstein-Frisch has a written an opinion piece ‘Stockton closure worries can be overcome’, which was published in the Newcastle Herald today. The gist of the piece seems to be that the closure of the Stockton Centre and other large residential care facilities is a good thing for clients living in these centresContinue reading “Response to Belinda Epstein-Frisch’s opinion piece on the closure of the Stockton Centre”
Wallsend in Parliament: November 2013
This is the first post in what will be a monthly summary of the work of Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery in the NSW Parliament. The post is separated into the different types of parliamentary activity and sub-sorted by date – Most recent activity first.
NDIS funding cuts more bad news for NSW
In worrying news for people living with a disability, the federal government looks set to pare back the NDIS.
What could have been: the economic argument for a redeveloped Newcastle Regional Art Gallery
I truly believe all Hunter based Members on every side of politics want the best for their constituents and for the Hunter region. I also believe all Novocastrians want to see a strong Hunter into the future and a revitalised Newcastle city centre. That’s why I find it so hard to believe that the NSWContinue reading “What could have been: the economic argument for a redeveloped Newcastle Regional Art Gallery”
Peppa Pig and the conservative conspiracy
After reading Piers Akerman’s opinion piece today in which he accuses Peppa Pig of being a piece of “Left-wing propaganda” which “pushes a weird feminist line that would be closer to the hearts of Labor’s Handbag Hit Squad than the pre-school audience it is aimed at”, I decided to do my own investigation. Far fromContinue reading “Peppa Pig and the conservative conspiracy”
Mental health in the Hunter
How many people reading this have suffered from depression? How many reading this have a son, a daughter, a sibling or a parent who has suffered from depression or from some other mental illness? This might seem like an odd question to ask, but in the light of statistics (ABS 2007 National Survey of HealthContinue reading “Mental health in the Hunter”
Why Chris Bowen’s National Press Gallery address left me wanting
One of the great things about being on my Christmas holidays is all the lazing around on the couch I get to do. I was doing this earlier today, half watching ABC News 24, half faffing about on my laptop and eating a huge bowl of cereal when the intro to a session of theContinue reading “Why Chris Bowen’s National Press Gallery address left me wanting”
Whatever happened to doing the right thing?
Over the last couple of days I’ve been involved in a pretty frustrating argument over carbon pricing. In particular: the merits of the previous Labor Government’s “carbon tax”.
Jazzua Ki Andrews 