Super trawler ban may go to court

David Wroe and Lenore Taylor The Australian operator of the controversial super trawler facing a two-year ban by the federal government has given the strongest indication yet that it will take legal action.

Netherlands raises trawler ban with EU

David Wroe The Dutch government has raised its concerns about the last-minute ban on the controversial Abel Tasman supertrawler with the European Union, potentially inflaming the international backlash against...

Trawler stoush hooks Ludwig

Lenore Taylor, David Wroe Two disaffected members of the fisheries management committee that paved the way for the supertrawler Margiris to come to Australia wrote to Fisheries Minister Senator Joe Ludwig in June pleading...

Super trawler caught in legal net

David Wroe The controversial Abel Tasman super trawler faces a two-year ban on fishing in Australian waters under planned changes to environmental law that have been hailed by recreational fishers but will cost...

Burn on: PM's dirty power buyback plan up in smoke

Lenore Taylor and David Wroe Australia's highest-emitting brown coal electricity generators are between $400 million and $1 billion better off than they would have been without the carbon tax, according to new modelling.

Comments 101

Fears for rejected sheep

David Wroe Animal rights activists have raised concerns about 22,000 Australian sheep aboard a ship.

US suspends training to check Afghan recruits

Greg Jaffe and David Wroe Stricter vetting of trainees for ties to insurgency aims to stem rising tide of insider attacks.

Forces hunt rogue Afghan soldier

Dylan Welch, David Wroe The hunt for the rogue Afghan soldier who mowed down five Australian soldiers, killing three, continues as Julia Gillard described as ''ugly language'' a comment by independent Andrew Wilkie that she...

PM deflects 'blood on hands' jibe from Wilkie

Dylan Welch, David Wroe THE hunt for the rogue Afghan soldier who mowed down five Australian soldiers, killing three, continued yesterday as Julia Gillard described as ''ugly language'' a comment by the independent MP...

Carbon changes will hit budget surplus

David Wroe AUSTRALIA'S carbon price will be set by the volatile European market from 2015 under changes announced by the Gillard government that could hit the budget bottom line and cut incentives for switching...

Carbon fix leaves budget exposed

David Wroe Australia's carbon price from 2015 will be set by the volatile European market under changes announced yesterday by the Gillard government that could hit the budget bottom line.

Murray-Darling rescue not out of the water yet, says frustrated minister

David Wroe NSW has warned there are still major hurdles to be overcome before an agreement can be reached to save the ailing Murray-Darling river system, as the clock ticks down on finalising a deal this year.

'Sloppy paperwork' dogged energy project

David Wroe The federal government's $435 million green energy program failed to keep proper paperwork amid a rush to spend money in the wake of the global financial crisis, an auditor's report has found.

Footage of derelict sites shot to deter boats

David Wroe THE Immigration Department has been gathering footage on Nauru and Manus Island for ''confronting'' videos aimed at discouraging asylum seekers from getting on boats - even though the facilities...

Undersea kelp beds listed as endangered

David Wroe They are the mighty rainforests of the ocean, towering up to 25 metres from the seabed. And as with many forests on land, the giant kelp jungles in the waters off southeast Australia are threatened...

Federal govt may discard permit price regulation

David Wroe The Gillard government is close to striking a deal with the Greens and independents to ditch plans for a floor price on carbon permits - a move that could cut the cost of carbon pricing to Australian...

Watchdog challenges carbon claims

David Wroe The consumer watchdog has taken on some of the nation's most powerful business bodies over their claims that power prices would rise by up to 20 per cent in the next year because of the carbon tax.

Power bills to include price rise 'facts'

David Wroe Utility companies to enclose flyers meant to deflect anger over rising electricity prices.

Now to see if the fuss fades away or keeps burning

David Wroe THE debate over carbon pricing now shifts gear. Two questions are likely to dominate the coming weeks.

Government claims growing understanding of carbon tax

David Wroe Climate Change Parliamentary Secretary Mark Dreyfus says the 'mad debate' on the carbon tax will soon subside.