Fears bullying will increase in public service
Peter Jean Pressure on public servants from budget cuts and increasing workloads could lead to a rise in workplace bullying, the public sector union fears.
COAG's summit lifts gaze toward royal ascent
Peter Jean, Jacqueline Williams The rules which govern who can be King or Queen will be on the list of topics discussed when Prime Minister Julia Gillard meets with premiers and chief ministers at a meeting of the Council of...
Fat farm: Australia is a global heavyweight
Peter Jean It's no wonder that Australia is the fifth fattest nation on earth.
It's official: We eat too much
Peter Jean It’s no wonder that Australia is the fifth-fattest nation on earth. We're eating too much food.
Breastfeeding could contribute to nut allergies: new study
Peter Jean Nursing mothers have been advised to stop eating nuts by the co-author of a study which found children who are solely breastfed for the first six months of life may be at increased risk of developing...
Flexibility needed to keep angels at work
Peter Jean Plans by half of Australia's nursing workforce to quit or retire over the next decade will force hospitals to offer more flexible working hours to keep Baby Boomer and many young nurses working,...
Dogged Abbott sticks to his pet subject
Peter Jean He was already worried about how families would cope with the carbon tax. But what about the homeless dogs, cats, birds and lizards who need to be kept warm?
Abbott not changing stand on refugees
By Peter Jean Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has continued to hit out out at the government's border protection policies, stifling hopes of a bipartisan agreement on the issue in the wake of the latest asylum...
A parent's nightmare: invisible snare that can cut off a baby's toe
Peter Jean A baby is brought to the hospital emergency department with excruciating pain in a toe which is red and swollen. Parents and doctors are mystified by what is causing the pain.
Fake breasts high on list of regrets
Peter Jean Ilise Girvan regrets getting silicon-gel implants 12 years ago. They're now ruptured and she can't afford to have them removed.
Same-sex unions: Obama says 'I do' , PM says 'I don't'
Peter Jean They see eye-to-eye on many international political issues, but Julia Gillard says she won't be following the example of Barack Obama by supporting same-sex marriage.
Scandals spark call for a code of conduct
Peter Jean Federal politicians have been urged to subject themselves to a code of conduct that sets a new international benchmark for self-regulation by a Parliament.
Flu vaccine could save thousands of hospital visits
Peter Jean More than 17,000 hospital admissions might have been avoided last year if the patients had been vaccinated, according to figures issued by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Auditors comb hospital data
Peter Jean, John Thistleton Forensic auditors are investigating the tampering of Canberra Hospital performance data which had the potential to see the ACT incorrectly allocated at least part of $3.
Heat on PM as Speaker stands aside
Peter Jean The Gillard government's support on the floor of the House of Representatives has been further eroded by Speaker Peter Slipper's announcement he will stand aside while police decide whether to...
Aged-care reforms to weed out rorters
Chris Johnson, Peter Jean Cracking down on aged-care providers who over-claim on their services will end the rorting of the current funding system and allow the federal government to claw back $1.6 billion over five years.
Gillard to drive aged-care overhaul
Ross Peake, Peter Jean The federal government will today propose means-testing for aged care, in long-awaited changes that will force affluent older people to pay more for their care.
Teen drug leads to depression: study
Peter Jean Teenagers who take speed or ecstasy appear to have an increased risk of developing depression, regardless of whether or not they have previously suffered from depressive symptoms.
Tsunami alert action praised
Peter Jean As the news flashed around the world of a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean, Bekele Geleta's first emotion was fear.
Greens push for alcohol warnings
Peter Jean The federal government should disassociate itself from international objections to a Thai plan to introduce mandatory health warning labels on alcohol bottles, the Greens say.
