Two years ago Queensland public sector nurses and midwives won a pay rise of $30 a week – the equivalent of a 3 percent annual wage rise. More than 2,000 nurses and midwives working at Brisbane’s Mater Health Service’s public hospitals are yet to see a cent of it.
The same-sex marriage campaign has been exceptional in recent Australian politics, giving rise to sustained mobilisations involving tens of thousands of people in spirited protest. It has repeatedly forced the question of LGBTI equality into the public spotlight, despite the wishes of the political establishment. Marriage equality is now an issue with tremendous public support.
A new study has found that students are more indebted, impoverished and financially stressed than ever before. Universities Australia’s University student finances report notes that between 2006 and 2012, the average real debt for an undergraduate student rose by $9,000 to $38,000.