Tag: Howard Government
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Lifetime Pensions for MPs: Ruddock on Howard Reforms
Introduction: A veteran voice challenges a controversial reform Former federal MP Philip Ruddock has voiced criticism over the decision to scrap lifetime pensions for Members of Parliament, arguing that the change encouraged politicians to view their Canberra careers as a stepping stone rather than a service to the public. While the debate over pension arrangements…
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Ruddock Laments MPs’ Lifetime Pensions Removal as Howard-Era Cabinet Papers Surface
Background: A Surprise Return to Lively Debate Former Australian politician Philip Ruddock has reignited a contentious public debate by arguing that the removal of lifetime pensions for federal MPs was a mistake. Speaking ahead of the release of cabinet papers, Ruddock suggested that the decision by Prime Minister John Howard and then-Labor opposition leader Mark…
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2005 Cabinet Warnings: Australia Considered School Closures and Border Shuts in a Pandemic
Summary of the Findings In a set of previously unreleased cabinet papers, health officials warned the Howard government in 2005 that a future global influenza pandemic could force drastic measures, including closing schools and restricting international borders. The revelations illuminate early planning efforts for an illness that, two decades later, would redefine public health policy…
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2005 Warning: Howard Government on Pandemic School and Border Closures
Introduction Aged cabinet papers released from the mid-2000s reveal a stark warning: Australian health officials told the Howard government that a global influenza pandemic could necessitate drastic measures, including closing schools and shutting international borders. The revelations, documented nearly 15 years before the Covid-19 crisis, underscore the longstanding concern among public health experts about how…