Electoral Matters Committee Speech

Senator RYAN (Victoria) (12:28): I would like to begin by thanking the secretariat for the extraordinary effort in getting this report out under a very tight time line. With the changeover in the Senate and the Senate sitting this week and a number of other committee...

A year in politics…

Which member of the Labor frontbench said on 23 April 2003 that: “Another boat on the way, another policy failure”? If you guessed Julia Gillard, then you would be right.  A year ago today, Julia Gillard unveiled her ‘East Timor solution’ and...

Matter of Public Interest – Israel

Senator RYAN (Victoria) (12:58): Last June, I spoke in this place about the international furore that followed the alleged flotilla that illegally sought to break the blockade of Hamas controlled Gaza. The news of the last few days, and particularly the last 12 hours,...

Bookshops not ready to RIP

Australian booksellers have dismissed Small Business Minister Nick Sherry’s prediction that most bookstores are doomed to close their doors within five years. Senator Sherry made the comments yesterday at a public event highlighting the expanding online business...