 Latest Program:Monday, 2 August, 2004. PM covers a broad spectrum of issues relevant to all sections of Australia's geographically and culturally diverse community. It looks behind political, economic, industrial, business, social, cultural, rural, regional and arts stories. Below is the latest program summary and transcripts are published as soon as they become available. You can listen to today's full program or individual reports using the Microsoft Windows Media Player or Real Player:
Senate Committee backs FTA overall
The Federal Opposition looks set to decide to back the Australia – US free trade deal tomorrow, after Labor senators today recommended that the Senate pass legislation giving effect to the agreement. The Chairman of the Senate Committee that's been scrutinising the free trade deal, Labor Senator Peter Cook, says that while the deal is not perfect, it's not so bad that it should be rejected. |
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Labor denies FTA cave-in
Labor's Trade Spokesman Stephen Conroy has denied that Labor has caved in. He says that after examination by the Senate Committee, Labor has fewer concerns now about the deal. But the report still identified risks in the current deal in the areas of healthcare, intellectual property, cultural protection and impact on the manufacturing sector. |
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Trade negotiator and unionist debate FTA decision
There are strong views on both sides of the FTA debate, and PM is joined now by two people who have taken strong positions on either side. Alan Oxley is Managing Consultant of International Trade Strategies. He's also a former Australian trade negotiator and a long-term advocate of multinational free trade. Doug Cameron is National Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, and he has argued strongly that the FTA will damage Australian industry and Australian jobs. |
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More damaging evidence against James Hardie revealed
Yet more damaging evidence was revealed today about the former asbestos maker James Hardie and its legal advisers. The Special Commission of Inquiry into the compensation fund established by James Hardie in 2001, was told that Hardie and its lawyers were concerned about the political ramifications of cancelling a $2-billion lifeline to asbestos victims, but that they pushed ahead because there was nothing the court could do about it. |
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Vatican document on women causes confusion
Is the Vatican's latest edict on the role of women in society a step forwards or backwards? On the one hand the document, prepared by the Catholic Church's doctrinal chief, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and approved by the Pope, denounces feminism. On the other, it encourages the participation of women in the workplace. |
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Security alert on US financial buildings
Five of America's most significant financial buildings have suddenly been pushed to the frontline in the war between America's intelligence agencies and al- Qaeda. For the first time the US colour coded threat system has been used on the small geographic areas around those buildings. It's all because of the arrest of an unemployed Pakistani computer engineer, who's believed to be one of the most important people in al-Qaeda's global communication system. |
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Security guard charged with murder
A man is dead and the security guard who shot him is about to face court, but for the commercial television networks, securing the exclusive interview is about position and valuable advertising dollars. This is the case that has transfixed Sydney tabloid journalism. |
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Australians spend up big in retail
Is it a healthy economy? Is it the Government's injection of large lump sums into hundreds of thousands of bank accounts? Whatever the reasons, Australians have been spending up big. The latest figures show that retail turned over more than $16-billion in June. |
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