LETTERS

Grand ash forests face destruction

Another union boss dumps on state Labor

THE leader of a key union has warned that her members will desert the state government at the election, saying they are "going to walk away" from Labor in favour of the Greens and even the Liberal Party.

Enough bickering, let's get on with rebuilding

Some simple facts.

Berger with the lot

As technical director, this wiry Dutchman has the recipe to develop the new generation of Australian soccer stars. Michael Lynch reports from Doha.

Risking life and limb to feed the nation

The death of 17-year-old meatworker Sharga Taite (right) was another black mark in the grim safety record of Victoria's abattoirs. Ruth Williams reports.

Bad advice means Gillard has blown a lot of political capital

The Prime Minister faces a lot of potential grief for little gain.

Abbott to urge government to adopt Henry tax reform

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott today will urge income tax reform as a way of boosting Australia's labour supply.

A LEAP TOO FAR?

After three decades of phenomenal growth, the risks to China's economy are mounting. Australia needs to take note, writes John Garnaut.

Crouching tiger, soaring cranes, rumbling doubts

China's developers weigh floor space and global commodities, writes John Garnaut.

Milk prices tumble, and dairy farmers prepare to walk

THE NUMBER of dairy farmers walking off the land will rise above the long-term yearly average of 4 to 5 per cent if the supermarket milk discounting war continues for several months, a NSW industry leader has warned.

Striking the right balance

Naturopathy is often the last resort for the patients naturopath Johanna Clark sees, she says. Consequently, her job can be emotionally intense because patients often have severe conditions and illnesses that, by that stage, they're quite desperate to resolve.

Players pushing for better pay

THE AFL has had its first chance to respond to the players' log of claims, heightening concerns among the game's on-field performers they face a testing negotiation period.

Gillard banks on sympathy for flood victims

The need for a levy is more political than financial.

Fast visas for foreign workers

OVERSEAS workers and the unemployed will be targeted to undertake the massive Queensland flood rebuilding program.

'All should pay as all are affected'

IN THE front yards of the Brisbane suburb of Tennyson, piles of rubbish are stacked high with pieces of sodden chipboard walls, ruined couches and TVs destroyed in the flood.

Cup bidders wanted more

THE Football Federation of Australia sought as much as $55 million from the federal government for its failed World Cup bid but the request was rejected by cabinet and stripped down to $45.6 million, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

Cup bidders wanted more cash

THE Football Federation of Australia sought as much as $55 million from the federal government for its failed World Cup bid but the request was rejected by cabinet and stripped down to $45.6 million, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

High stakes pay off as punter bets $5.25 million

A MELBOURNE punter has waged more than $5 million on Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer during the Australian Open, taking apparent advantage of a change in betting rules prompted by concerns that injury-related forfeits could be corrupted.

Queenslanders just as deserving of help, Bligh says

IN FRONT yards in the Brisbane suburb of Tennyson, piles of debris are still stacked high, with pieces of sodden chipboard, ruined couches and

Visa rules eased to bring in foreigners for post-flood rebuilding

OVERSEAS workers' visa applications will be fast-tracked so they can help in Queensland's reconstruction, and unemployed local workers will receive cash incentives to move to the state to assist with the rebuilding process.

Investors warn of China crisis

GLOBAL investors are bracing for the end of China's relentless economic growth, with 45 per cent saying they expect a financial crisis there within five years.

Mining workers, on $115,000, lead the pack on wages

MINING workers are paid two-thirds more than those on the average wage, figures show, and the gap is likely to widen as skills shortages take hold during the flood reconstruction.

Miners on top as pay gap widens

MINING workers earn two-thirds more than the average wage-earner, new figures show, and this gap is likely to widen as skills shortages take hold during the flood reconstruction.

Letters

Look to the future - you can't rewrite history

Letters

Finer points of payments to private schools

Canberra paid Cup consultants

THE federal government paid millions of dollars in wages at the privately operated Football Federation of Australia during the preparation of Australia's failed World Cup bid, but had limited control over the work done.

Migration cuts set to stunt growth

AS HARD as the floods will hit the economy, Access Economics expects new migration rules to do worse.

Migration cuts will hurt, says Access

AS HARD as the floods will hit the economy, Access Economics expects new migration rules to do worse.

Video war on anonymity is infectious

FILM SUPER NIGHT SHOT Opera House, January 25 Until Sunday

Revealed: the public cost of failed Cup bid

THE federal government paid millions of dollars in wages at the privately operated Football Federation of Australia during the preparation of Australia's failed World Cup bid - but had limited control over the work done.

1922

The prime minister, Billy Hughes, said Australia faced industrial chaos unless the nation addressed a central issue: the costs of production were exceeding the value of the products. He said this was a worldwide problem. There were 2 million people unemployed in Britain and many millions more in the US. He said economic conditions were so unsettled that there were "breakdowns every day".

Irish election looms after Greens quit coalition

LONDON: Ireland will go to the polls as early as February 25 after the Greens pulled support from the embattled Fianna Fail government, sparking a political crisis and spooking already jittery financial markets.

Greens' desertion forces Ireland to polls

IRELAND will go to the polls as early as February 25 after the Greens pulled support from the embattled Fianna Fail government, sparking a fresh political crisis and spooking already jittery financial markets.

TONI JORDAN

The shop fairy arrives and the quiet evolution of a suburban strip rolls on.

Woolworths chief gives fresh food for thought

The pugnacious Gerry Harvey and his equally entertaining partner, Solly Lew, may have whipped up a frenzy among smaller retailers about the threat of the internet to traditional shopkeepers - inadvertently inciting a backlash from consumers in the process - but the Woolies boss Michael Luscombe yesterday provided a dose of sanity and perspective to the debate.

Productivity report on aged care welcome start to debate

Australia must plan now for its growing greying population.

Parents' private angst over whether to go public SUNDAY REPORT: THE GREAT SCHOOL DEBATE

Settling on a secondary school for a child can be one of the most stressful decisions parents ever make. Even when money is no obstacle, the choice may not be easy, writes Michael Bachelard.

Trauma surgeon drops claim

TRAUMA surgeon Thomas Kossmann has dropped his $30 million defamation and unfair dismissal claim against former employer Alfred Health, and Alfred Health has dropped its counter-claim for wages it said were owed under a fee-sharing scheme.