Newswrap

A brief round the grounds of the stories this afternoon

The fate of ABC Learning centres is one step closer to being decided as Julia Gillard confirmed expressions of interest over the company and its assets were open for lodgement with the receiver.

"A number of organisations have already contacted the receiver, and others have contacted various arms of government, with a view to expressing their interest in potentially buying or otherwise operating individual, or several ABC Learning Centres,"

This comes amidst claims that the company may have breached legislative ratios for staff to children.

 

The NSW government is hemorrhaging money and ministers, with Premier Nathan Rees sacking his second minister in as many weeks, while unveiling a mini-budget that will leave the state $1 billion in the red. Tony Stewart was alleged to have verbally abused one of his staffers at a charity function. The budget drips with cuts to infrastructure spending, variable fees on Harbour Tunnel and Bridge, as well as deferring the abolition of some state taxes that should have disappeared with the introduction of the GST. The mini-budget was prompted by a collapse in the flow of stamp duty into the NSW coffers.

Despite Petro Georgiou warning against political attacks on members of the public service, Don Randall launched a broadside at Ken Henry; Treasury Secretary. Just a couple of weeks ago, he was forced to table an apology in parliament for attacking RBA Governor Glenn Stevens, suggesting the rate rise during the last electoral campaign were politically, rather than economically motivated. Georgiou said the Coalition must be "very careful about attacking Treasury or their institutional representatives". On Remembrance Day; it seems that Randall forgot.