Fed Senate Committee to report on Energy Efficiency Trading Scheme

The Senate Standing Committee on Economics was inquiring into the National Market Driven Energy Efficiency Target Bill 2007, reported The Australian (19/9/2007, p.2).

17 October: High max temps for Qld

State and Fed Govt financial-reporting harmonised; AASB looks at more onerous standards for private companies, non-profits

The accounting standards-setter has agreed to harmonise Federal and State Government financial reporting and progressed talks with New Zealand to ensure the two countries’ standards were “as similar as possible”, wrote Patrick Durkin in The Australian Financial Review (8/10/2007, p.8).

National Health Security Bill 2007 promotes improved health surveillance, information sharing and control of biological agents: MP

The National Health Security Bill 2007 had a two-fold purpose, MP Nicola Roxon said in the Commonwealth House of Representatives on 20 September 2007.

Credit markets around the world freeze: UK Bank collapses, street queues: rush of customers desperate to withdraw money from accounts, 9 August

Northern Rock, the provincial also-ran which, in less than a decade, had transformed itself into one of the UK’s biggest lenders, – £100 billion ($238 billion) mortgage portfolio – was in trouble and the court of the Bank of England was required to meet in emergency session to decide its fate.

Wall Street worried as China may prevent foreign investors from taking control of brokerages; central bank predicts economic growth of 11.6pc

The latest initial public offering on the Shanghai exchange was for China Shenhua Energy, one of the country’s biggest coal producers, which raised a record 66.58 billion yuan last week, wrote Colleen Ryan in The Australian Financial Review (4/10/2007, p.13).

Greens leader wants plebiscites to allow local input on all major infrastructure decisions: pulp mills, desal, nuclear power plants and Queensland council mergers

Amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007 deserved support, said Greens leader Senator Bob Brown in the Federal Senate on 17 September 2007.

Greens support Federal plebiscite bill says Greens leader: Positive for democracy

The Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007 could be the greatest contribution to democracy the government has made in its time in office, Greens leader Senator Bob Brown said in the Federal Senate on 17 September 2007.

Prices averaged $247/MWh in NSW for the month compared to an average price of $33/MWh in June 2006, but demand was 3 per cent below last winter

Games were played in June, according to Tim Mendham, writing in The Australian Financial Review, 19/9/2007, p. 4.