Progressive voices have lit up social media with memes blaming Queensland for Labor’s loss in the federal election. But characterising the state as regressive and redneck is misplaced.
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Queensland has a proud place in Labor history. But the 2019 election shows the federal Labor Party no longer understands the issues that matter to Queensland voters.
Joh Bjelke-Petersen with his wife, Flo, on their wedding day in 1952. Bjelke-Petersen made an ill-fated bid for PM in 1987 that ripped the Coalition apart.
Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd/Wikimedia Commons
Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen was Queensland’s longest-serving premier, but an inquiry into corruption brought his hopes of becoming the next prime minister of Australia to a sudden end.
Today we’re asking: what Queensland seats are the ones to watch on election night? How to give Indigenous Australians a true voice in politics? And how can we improve trust in the political system?
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The myth of ‘the Queensland voter’, Australia’s trust deficit, and the path to Indigenous recognition
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Today, an election-themed episode about some of the biggest policy questions Australia faces, featuring Indigenous academic lawyer Eddie Synot and political scientist Anne Tiernan.
Argentine ants are a fact of life in many parts of Australia, but can still potentially be banished from Norfolk Island.
Davefoc/Wikimedia Commons
Invasive pest ants cause billions of dollars worth of damage to crops, and threaten some of Australia’s World Heritage rainforests. The federal budget has pledged nearly $30m on wiping them out – but how?
Pauline Hanson claims the Al Jazeera undercover “sting”, which has grabbed international headlines, was a media “stitch-up”.
AAP/Dan Peled
One Nation, particularly in Queensland, has attracted voters who feel “left out” of mainstream politics. But the Coalition’s intermittent courting of the party may end with this week’s revelations.
Fire ant stings can be deadly to people who have an allergic reaction to their venom.
Forest and Kim Starr/Flickr
Walking towards this tree, which grows only on a select few mist-shrouded mountainsides in Queensland, can feel like stepping into a prehistoric dinosaur-filled fantasy.
The aftermath of the Townsville floods brings increased risk of mosquitoes, which breed around water.
Dan Peled/AAP
The more water, the more mosquito eggs are laid, and the more mosquitoes end up buzzing about. But to spread disease to people, they first need to bite infected wildlife.
Monitoring the whereabouts of floodwaters is vital for protecting infrastructure.
AAP Image/Andrew Rankin
The flood zone around Townsville extends for hundreds of kilometres, making monitoring difficult even from the air. But scientists are testing a new satellite method that can peer through the clouds.
Is the black-throated finch getting the legal protection it deserves?
AAP Image/Eric Vanderduys
Just one out of a possible 775 development approvals was refused on the basis that it would harm the southern black-throated finch, despite this endangered species being protected by federal law.
The irukandji jellyfish, up close.
Source: Lisa Ann Gershwin/AAP
Some media have reported shark numbers at ‘plague proportions’ in Australian waters. But a new analysis suggests the opposite: species such as hammerheads and white sharks have plummeted in number.
The abandonment of Adani’s bespoke railway leaves it with a 200km gap to bring coal to its Abbot Point port (pictured).
AAP Image
Indian mining firm Adani has announced scaled-down plans for its planned Queensland coal mine, which it will now fund itself. But there are still many questions hanging over the project.
Storm clouds move over the Illawarra south of Sydney on Wednesday, November 28 2018. Sydney received more than a month’s worth of rain in just two hours, with Observatory Hill recording 84.6mm by 7am. The November average is 83.8mm.
Dean Lewins/AAP
How smart are our cities now? In Queensland, a study of all 78 local government areas reveals major gaps between the ten leading the way in becoming smart cities and the rest of the state.
A student does his homework near a solar power kit in remote PNG - apparently charging his phone or looking up something on the internet.
Geoff Miller/University of Queensland
PNG is enjoying unfamiliar global attention after the APEC summit earlier this week, and the rivalry between the United States and China to exert influence in the region.
The polls are not moving in the right direction for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
AAP/Ben Rushton
And for the first time since the 1999 republic referendum, those opposed to a republic outnumber those in favour of it.
It’s not just about the Great Barrier Reef. Queensland’s rainforests - particularly in the mountains - will also change thanks to a warming climate.
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The reality is that without human intervention, ecosystems will reshape themselves in response to climate change. The Queensland government has launched a climate plan for the state’s ecosystems.
Michelle Grattan speaks to Deep Saini about the week in Australian politics.
Even the slightest touch of a D. moroides leaf can cause excruciating pain. An intense stinging, burning pain is felt immediately, then intensifies, reaching a peak after 20 – 30 minutes.
Marina Hurley, Author provided