Thinking of Moving to Australia

[Montalban]

In Australia do the states have the ability to be stricter about laws than the Federal system since certain liberties are implied? Without any kind of retribution or legal action?

No. The link I sent you showed that the ultimate arbiter - the High Court ruled that they are implied. The High Court's rulings are binding on the whole nation.

We've got an odd named court system in that the "Supreme Court" is not supreme, because the High Court is the highest.

The Supreme Court is the supreme court in a state - it is a state's court. The High Court is federal and is thus binding on the whole nation

 

[TheDag]

We have government regulation. We have divided responsibility over this. Our constitution, in force in 1901 they didn't have television.

The 'press' was therefore under each state's laws. However the constitution gave control to the federal government to 'telegraphic, and like services'.

When radio came in it was ruled that this was a 'like service' and by extension, when television came in, it too was deemed a 'like service' and thus both these forms are controlled by the national government.

Very early on the federal government operated its own media – with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) (now called the Australian Broadcasting Corporation). The ABC is akin to Britain's BBC, in that it is 'independent' even though government owned. It runs radio, tv and now podcasting and other services.

However we have commercial entertainment; the Channel 10, Channel 7, and Channel 9 networks are all 'free-to-air'. There's also cable networks Foxtel (a partnership between Telecom and FOX), Optus and Galaxy.

There's also the strange SBS network which is "hybrid funded". SBS plays a lot of foreign language tv shows, news, films etc. And do multi-language radio programs.

The press is as 'free' as it can be insofar as there's very few owners. Rupert Murdoch, the Australian-born American owner of FOX has a large tabloid newspaper chain that is rabidly pro-conservative

Fairfax Newspapers own the 'quality' (broadsheet) papers such as the Melbourne Age, and the Sydney Morning Herald.

I take it you use the word quality very loosely here!

 

[TheDag]

Can the government restrict what stories can be told in main stream media? Or is anything pretty much fair game for the news industry.

In the US most of our news is sensationalized atrocities that seem to be unchecked unless a company, person, or any organization experiences some of kind of physical/economic/vandalism and sues the company that publicized the story. I am curious if down there the government keeps a tight reign on what can be said via the media.

It more tends to be the media dictate policy to the government. There have been certain things that the government made illegal here with the exception of the systems owned by certain media owners. I won't go into details on what as that could be considered cause for legal action therefore against forum rules.

Even though I have quoted Montalban below it is actually a response to you.

In Australia a lot of our rights and laws are implied, or in effect through convention.

Indeed freedom of speech in Australia came about through a high court decision not a act (law) of parliament. Many thought that the high court overstepped its authority in doing so. It is actually an interesting story. The chief justice of the high court at the time was very much influenced by an incident when he was a practising lawyer. Two of his clients, Mr Raymond Fitzpatrick (owner of the Bankstown Observer newspaper and journalist Mr Frank Browne were jailed by federal parliament over a story published by the paper. I was shocked to find out that parliament can actually put people in jail and they still can! However I this is the only time I am aware of this power being used. This happened in 1955. In 1999 it was determined that evidence be released to the National Archives.

 

[Montalban]

I take it you use the word quality very loosely here!

Lucky for Media Watch

 

[Montalban]

Indeed freedom of speech in Australia came about through a high court decision not a act (law) of parliament. Many thought that the high court overstepped its authority in doing so. It is actually an interesting story. The chief justice of the high court at the time was very much influenced by an incident when he was a practising lawyer. Two of his clients, Mr Raymond Fitzpatrick (owner of the Bankstown Observer newspaper and journalist Mr Frank Browne were jailed by federal parliament over a story published by the paper. I was shocked to find out that parliament can actually put people in jail and they still can! However I this is the only time I am aware of this power being used. This happened in 1955. In 1999 it was determined that evidence be released to the National Archives.

Even though my state's government is consistently terrible by way of performance as a government, they passed the Government Information (Public Access) Act last year - which came into effect on 1 July of this year.

With it it is pretty much up to Government agencies to be proactive in releasing information to the public. Previously under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation government agencies were 'reactive'. That is, they waited till you applied for access. Now they lean towards releasing just about everything to the public - accessible on various web-sites... with a "Presumption in favour of disclosure of government information"
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION (PUBLIC ACCESS) ACT 2009

 

[luchsgud]

Hey, I've lived in Aus a long time now. Did you move already?

I'm a migrant from Zimbabwe. Aus is a great place. Love the people and enjoy the lifestyle [though its probably not typically Aus].

I'm in country New South Wales and lovin it.

Be careful. Poiticians are the wildest animals around here [besides migrants of course].

Don't miss a great country.

 

[Tahoenite]

Thankyou,

Right now we are waiting on the schools for an invitation for my wife to become a student. Hoping to hear back from them in a month or so.

 

[Mishclark]

Hey, I've lived in Aus a long time now. Did you move already?

I'm a migrant from Zimbabwe. Aus is a great place. Love the people and enjoy the lifestyle [though its probably not typically Aus].

I'm in country New South Wales and lovin it.

Be careful. Poiticians are the wildest animals around here [besides migrants of course].

Don't miss a great country.

Glad you love Australia! Never been to Parkes, but I think you hit the nail on the head, the most dangerous wild animals are Politicians!

Tahoenite, good luck for your wife, hope she hears soon!

 

[Montalban]

I've never been to Parkes either. Seen it in the film "The Dish" and that's about it.

(hated that film)

 

[TheDag]

I've never been to Parkes either. Seen it in the film "The Dish" and that's about it.

(hated that film)

next you'll say you didn't like "The Castle" either!!!

 

[Mishclark]

Oh I loved the Castle!! Any movies like that made me incredibly homesick when I was living in NZ!

I haven't been many places regional, although my parents live in Lithgow and i have been to Bathurst with mum..

 

[Tahoenite]

Glad you love Australia! Never been to Parkes, but I think you hit the nail on the head, the most dangerous wild animals are Politicians!

Tahoenite, good luck for your wife, hope she hears soon!

Thank you...me too! She is getting anxious.

 

[Montalban]

Thank you...me too! She is getting anxious.

Do you know about drop bears?

 

[Tahoenite]

Do you know about drop bears?

No?

 

[Montalban]

No?

Wiki spoils things by telling you about them!

 

[Tahoenite]

Wiki spoils things by telling you about them!

I figure that will be part of our initiation if we get over there.

/gets an umbrella

 

[Montalban]

I figure that will be part of our initiation if we get over there.

/gets an umbrella

I like seeing newbies walking around with vegemite smeared behind their ears

 

[vscola]

Hello again

I just wanted to share some news ... I am sorry to let you know that you will be invaded sometime before August by four future (hopefully) Australians.

I was accepted to study Pharmacy at the University of Caberra. We are hoping to relocate before July, finish the Masters program and then apply for citizenship.

Your comments and advice have been wonderful, but I fear now that my husband knows we ARE going, they will get worse!

Thank you for putting up with us

 

[Montalban]

Hello again

I just wanted to share some news ... I am sorry to let you know that you will be invaded sometime before August by four future (hopefully) Australians.

I was accepted to study Pharmacy at the University of Caberra. We are hoping to relocate before July, finish the Masters program and then apply for citizenship.

Your comments and advice have been wonderful, but I fear now that my husband knows we ARE going, they will get worse!

Thank you for putting up with us

I lived in Caberra for a year when I was failing a BA at Australian National University (ANU) (I later got my BA from USyd). As well, I had cousins living there and I visited them every year, so I know Canberra pretty well.

Everyone from outside it complains about how it's set out, lots of great circular roads that you can drive around and end up where you started.

Canberra has a fairly good bus system. It was designed for the automobile (no trains except the one station linking it with Sydney).

Canberra has very good schools - so your kids will do well by it

It gets cold (by Australian standards) in winter, and has hot in summer

 

[TheDag]

Hello again

I just wanted to share some news ... I am sorry to let you know that you will be invaded sometime before August by four future (hopefully) Australians.

I was accepted to study Pharmacy at the University of Caberra. We are hoping to relocate before July, finish the Masters program and then apply for citizenship.

Your comments and advice have been wonderful, but I fear now that my husband knows we ARE going, they will get worse!

Thank you for putting up with us

great just what we need more loud mouth americans!!! just kidding!

thanks for keeping us updated and I pray all goes smoothly for you. If there are any more questions I'm sure we will do our best to help. I haven't been to canberra in over 10 years so my knowledge on it is not much but general questions I will help when I can.