The Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, & the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, both stood up in our nation's Parliament today & boldly, deliberately & directly lied to the Australian people about the need for Australia to maintain its military presence in Afghanistan.

In perpetrating this foul & obscene act of theatre in the guise of a 'debate', I believe both are guilty of treason, the ultimate act of betrayal.

PEOPLE often remember the past with exaggerated fondness. Sometimes, however, important aspects of life really were better in the old days.

During the three decades after World War II, for example, incomes in the United States rose rapidly and at about the same rate — almost 3 percent a year — for people at all income levels. America had an economically vibrant middle class. Roads and bridges were well maintained, and impressive new infrastructure was being built. People were optimistic.

The foreclosure fraud crisis seems to escalate with each passing now. It is being reported that all 50 U.S. states have launched a joint investigation into alleged fraud in the mortgage industry. This is a huge story that is not going to go away any time soon.

Barry O'Farrell has promised to allow new types of gambling technology and games into NSW clubs if he is elected premier, while ruling out proposed reforms to poker machine laws.

The NSW Opposition Leader has also promised to ease a cap on the number of electronic roulette and blackjack games in clubs.

The concessions are part of a memorandum of understanding struck between Clubs NSW and the Coalition that includes $300 million in tax breaks on their poker machine profits.

''This deal shows a terrifying contempt for the interests of the people of NSW,'' the anti-gambling activist Paul Bendat said yesterday.

going cheap, the mother of all souvenirs .....

At the Vatican Mint we're delighted to announce our new and exciting Mary MacKillop heirloom collection, a unique heritage range of exquisite merchandise, gifts and memorabilia especially created by world famous artists in reverent homage to A Saint For All Australians.

The Mother Mary Figurine

Her former husband thought she was perfectly capable of supporting herself as a legal secretary or personal assistant after their marriage broke down.

But having emerged from the ''long, expensive and fraught litigation'' that followed their separation, the woman wanted nothing more to do with lawyers or the law - and the Family Court has ordered her former husband pay her $1000 a week while she retrains for another career.

The order came as Justice Stuart Fowler determined a property settlement for the Sydney pair who, for legal reasons, cannot be named.

ABC Radio has just stated that the federal government is about to announce a major policy shift in the management of asylum seekers by releasing them into the Australian community pending the processing of their applications ....... with the only caveat being that they must not represent a security threat.

If this is correct, it will be only the 2nd time in more than a decade that I could say that I'm proud of our federal government & not embarassed to be an Australian ..... the first being Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generation.

If this policy change does eventuate, it should be recognised that Australia is one of the last countries in the world to adopt a genuinely humanitarian approach to dealing with the refugee problem.

This announcement will prove to be a defining moment for the Gillard Labor government ....

Statement from Greens Senator .........