Bianca Hall

Bianca Hall is immigration correspondent based in Canberra.

Media test not a knee-jerk reaction to Rinehart - Conroy

Bianca Hall MEDIA owners will be forced to submit to a public interest test under a plan to be presented to the federal cabinet within weeks.

Public interest test for media owners

Bianca Hall Media owners will be forced to submit to a public interest test, under a plan to be presented to cabinet within weeks.

Military justice gets new court

Bianca Hall New military court to replace courts martial to try members of military accused of serious offences.

MPs back reforms on school cash

Bianca Hall Landmark federal school funding reforms boosted by crucial public support of crossbench MPs.

Rinehart media muscle stumps Swan

Bianca Hall, Kirsty Simpson THE federal government has rejected a bid for new legislation to force mining magnate Gina Rinehart to abide by the Fairfax Media charter of independence.

Nothing to stop Rinehart's run: Swan

Bianca Hall, Kirsty Simpson The federal government has rejected a bid for new legislation to force mining magnate Gina Rinehart to abide by the Fairfax Media charter of independence.

School scheme gets 'F' despite millions spent

Bianca Hall A $540 MILLION government scheme to lift numeracy and literacy rates has made no discernible difference to the performance of schools taking part, an audit of the program found.

Audit pans literacy, numeracy program

Bianca Hall A $540 million government scheme to lift numeracy and literacy rates has made no discernible difference to the performance of schools taking part, an audit of the program found.

Customs to beef up watch on islands

Daniel Flitton, Bianca Hall The near simultaneous arrival of three asylum seeker boats across a vast stretch of ocean has stretched Australia's border patrols as the government concedes more vessels are expected direct from Sri...

Higher education lagging behind burgeoning Asia

Bianca Hall AUSTRALIA'S standing as the regional educational beacon is fading, thanks to the burgeoning Asian higher education system, an international conference will hear today.

Refugees rounded up as threats to security

Daniel Flitton, Bianca Hall Three more Sri Lankan refugees who fled the country's bloody civil war have been rounded up across Australia in the past week after being branded as a security threat by intelligence agencies.

Sri Lankan refugees are 'security threat'

Daniel Flitton, Bianca Hall Three more Sri Lankan refugees who fled the country's bloody civil war have been rounded up across Australia in the past week, having been branded a security threat by intelligence agencies.

AFP lets Captain Emad leave Australia

Bianca Hall The accused people smuggler ''Captain Emad'' fled Australia on Tuesday, it emerged yesterday, with authorities powerless to prevent him leaving Melbourne Airport.

Apology accepted: Thomson

Bianca Hall Embattled independent MP Craig Thomson has welcomed the apology made by an ex-prostitute who recanted a statutory declaration provided to A Current Affair alleging she had slept with him in 2005.

School funds reform may be delayed

Bianca Hall Education Minister Peter Garrett says painstaking work to overhaul Australia's school-funding arrangements continues, but it's far from clear the work will be finished this year.

Gonski-model school funding legislation may miss 2013 deadline, says Garrett

Bianca Hall THE School Education Minister, Peter Garrett, says painstaking work to overhaul Australia's school funding arrangements continues, but it is far from clear the work will be finished this year.

New civics curriculum calls for students to be citizens of the web

Bianca Hall Students will be encouraged to use Twitter, blogs and Facebook as study tools in the new Civics and Citizenship curriculum.

Indigenous languages in threat of extinction

Bianca Hall A number of Aboriginal languages are in danger of extinction, a parliamentary committee was told this week, with just 20 to 30 considered viable.