Greens bill to ban odds on sport shows

Richard Willingham Proposed legislation outlaws sports-related programs spruiking odds during their shows.

Napthine makes peace offer to teachers

Richard Willingham and Henrietta Cook The long-running dispute between teachers and the state government is a step closer to resolution.

Conroy push for gambling harm plan

Richard Willingham Opening up the Australian online gambling market to more legal betting avenues will not occur until Australia has uniform harm minimisation and consumer protection guidelines, the federal government...

Napthine takes the reins after Baillieu's leadership crumbles

Josh Gordon, Richard Willingham, Henrietta Cook Ted Baillieu has resigned as the Victorian premier and been replaced by former Liberal leader Denis Napthine, after the surprise resignation of Frankston MP Geoff Shaw from the Liberal party...

Fat cattle the beef for export trade

Richard Willingham For most cattle producers the prospect of cattle gaining a kilogram a day is a dream, but in the Top End it is proving to be headache for some farmers.

'Loveable larrikin' firefighter given a fond farewell

Richard Willingham Hundreds of mourners gathered in Traralgon to remember Peter 'Crackers' Cramer.

Fear that gaming apps will groom young gamblers

Richard Willingham A virtual poker-machine game that children and teenagers can easily access was the highest-grossing phone and tablet app in Australia, prompting outrage from gambling critics and the established...

Old campaigners lead the charge for GetUp!

Richard Willingham Nearly four in 10 members of political activist group GetUp! are older than 56 and less than 7 per cent are younger than 25, debunking the myth it is a youth group.

Calls for a national fire front

Richard Willingham The firefighters' union and the Greens are concerned about Australia's readiness to deal with the increasing threat of extreme bushfires caused by climate change and are calling for a more national...

Tiger's penis, bottled shark among bio-security curiosities

Richard Willingham A tiger's penis, a bear's gall bladder, cheese-flavoured bugs and smoked bacon in chocolate were among the strangest and wackiest items travellers tried to bring into Australia in 2012.

Fast rail may give $48b of benefits

Richard Willingham An east coast high-speed railway linking Australia's major cities would deliver more than $48 billion worth of benefits in its first 30 years, including boosting health and social services in...

Regional high-speed rail forecast as $48b winner

Richard Willingham AN east-coast high-speed railway linking major cities would deliver $48b worth of benefits.

Pokies bill draws final crossbench challenge

Richard Willingham The government's long-awaited poker machines reforms are facing a last-minute challenge from the crossbench, with a push to give pokies venues longer to comply with new rules.

ATM limit for punters a 'safety risk'

Richard Willingham Non bank-aligned automatic teller machine companies have warned that punters' security will be put at risk if a $250 daily limit is applied to all ATMs in gambling venues, as proposed by the federal...

MPs push for animal welfare

Richard Willingham Regional Affairs Correspondent THE Egyptian government has sought to reassure Australian authorities that cattle in Egypt will only have their ears removed after they have been slaughtered.

New tax for pokie pre-commitment plan

Richard Willingham All poker machine venues in Australia, regardless of size, will pay a new government tax to help fund national pokies reforms, although the price is yet to be set.

Exported cattle face ear mutilation

Richard Willingham Australian cattle exported to Egypt could have their ears chopped off before slaughter as part of the country's crackdown on hormone injections in animals, enraging animal activists.

Pokie venues tax will pay for reforms

Richard Willingham POKER machine venues, regardless of size, will all pay a new government tax to help fund national reforms, although the price is yet to be set.

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New cruelty uproar

Richard Willingham The National Farmers' Federation says its members are upset by video showing cruelty to Australian sheep slaughtered in Pakistan.