ALL TERRORISTS NOW

Government tinkers with sedition law

Australian Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland has introduced a range of amendments to counter-terrorism laws, including one that renames the offence of sedition.

The changes also include giving police new powers to enter a place without a warrant if there is material that is a risk to public safety.

Mr McClelland says it is already an offence to urge force or violence against a group on the basis of race, religion, nationality or political opinion, if those actions would threaten national peace.

"The offence will also be expanded so that it applies to the urging of force or violence against an individual, not just a group," he said.

"It covers the urging of force or violence even where the use of the force or violence does not threaten the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth," he said. 

[Despite the new laws specifying that they no longer target threats to the Commonwealth, he said the changes help ensure the right balance in national security.]

MANY OBAMAS

Make up your mind... he can't be all four!

RUDD FACES

Pardon the 'red-faced' pun but this idea has merit

A local GP has left the Prime Minister a little red-faced by suggesting he take a leaf out of Cuba's book when formulating the Federal Government's public health overhaul.

Kevin Rudd visited Queanbeyan Hospital in New South Wales today to announce that the Government will spend an extra $632 million over the next 10 years to train a record number of doctors.

But the so-called picture opportunity didn't quite go to plan, with Dr Jeannie Ellis, the GP in charge of the hospital's emergency department, telling Mr Rudd to look to Cuba for a solution to Australia's ailing health system.

"Maybe Australia should take a leaf out of the Cuban healthcare system's book where they have something like $20,000 less per capita and they have exactly the same healthcare indicators as Australia," she said.

"I've lived in Cuba for a long time and I can tell you that they run a very, very good healthcare system and they get a lot of bang for their buck over there."