The role of record-keeping is close to the centre of what the royal commission into abuse is all about: the battle between the Closed and the Open Society.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has indicated a Coalition government could change its position on gay marriage, after state Liberal premiers came out in support of the idea.

from the shovel ….

They say a measure of a civilisation is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.

THE Australian Federal Police says it’s moving in the Ashbygate matter, but it apparently still cannot get its collective head around the difference between an appeal and seeking leave to appeal.

Queensland's Opposition says it is hard to stomach the State Government's reasons for giving $40,000 to fast food giant KFC.

CONTROVERSIAL broadcaster Alan Jones says he believes students were responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings, and Australia should rethink its intake of foreign students after yesterday's carnage.

And suddenly we have everyone coming from everywhere thrashing the Gillard education policy by giving their two bobs worth of crap... For example Mungo MacCallum tells us at the monthly:

So Julia Gillard has unveiled yet another grand plan, and this time on her chosen ground of education. And obviously the vast increases in spending on schools and students, and particularly the most disadvantaged, should be a vote winner. But as usual, the communication has been flawed, and in the process she has picked two new fights: one with the premiers and one with the universities.

Below is an Open Letter sent to the taxpayer-funded, pro-Zionist ABC ( Australia 's equivalent of  the UK BBC) and protesting its censorship of anti-racist humanitarians demanding human rights for 12 million Palestinians.

Dear Sir/Madam,

from the Drum …..

While America's indefinite detention policy is kept at arm's reach from its citizens, the men, women and children that Australia keeps in legal limbo can be found in the perfectly ordinary suburb of Broadmeadows in Melbourne, writes Jeff Sparrow.

WHO TO TRUST?

Well, in regard to the sorry saga - the reasons put forward to go to war in Iraq - no worries, no contest...

We were bullshitted first class by government propaganda, media laziness and greed, and some of us not only knew that, but also had the information in hand... But, like on many occasion of dissent or whistle-blowing, who wants to listen in, against the tide of orchestrated hysteria....