23 May 2014 - 12:18pm Uni students 'misguided' says Pyne Education Minister Christopher Pyne says university students are spreading a great deal of misinformation about the federal government's education reforms. University students are misguided about the federal government's education reforms, Education Minister Christopher Pyne says."University students will not be paying double the fees they are paying now," he told Fairfax Radio Network on Friday...

12:01 PM Battle over budget measures continues Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann have defended their budget amid continuing pressure from the opposition and community groups angry at planned budget cuts. "Australians know if we don't take strong, decisive action to fix the budget then the cost of the repair job in future will be far greater," Mr Hockey said. But the opposition has lashed out at the proposed budget measures, saying they will oppose measures such as the $7 GP fee. "They're completely out of touch and arrogant," opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen said of the federal government. The spposition has refused to say whether they will block the government's proposed deficit levy in the Senate. "We will be constructive as we can be, we won't be taking the wrecking approach," Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen told reporters in Brisbane.

12:00 PM SBS Battle over budget measures continues Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann have defended their budget amid continuing pressure from the opposition and community groups angry at planned budget cuts. "Australians know if we don't take strong, decisive action to fix the budget then the cost of repair job in future will be far greater," Mr Hockey said. But the opposition has lashed out at the proposed budget measures, saying they will oppose measures such as the $7 GP fee. "They're completely out of touch and arrogant," opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen said of the federal government. The spposition has refused to say whether they will block the government's proposed deficit levy in the Senate. "We will be constructive as we can be, we won't be taking the wrecking approach," Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen told reporters in Brisbane.

11:36 AM SBS GP fee a fair contribution: Minister Dutton Health Minister Peter Dutton has defended the federal government's plan to introduce a $7 Medicare co-payment. "We consider it is a fair contribution. It represents a balance between introducing a price signal and maintaining access for ppl who need care," he said in an address to the Australian Medical Association in Canberra.

9:01 AM SBS Commission of Audit chief lashes out at budget critics Tony Shepherd. (File: AAP) The head of the Abbott government's Commission of Audit, Tony Shepherd, has hit back at hostile community responses to the budget. THe Audit of Commission handed down a report earlier this month that informed the federal budget. Tony Shepherd says that criticism of the budget has been unjustified, adding that no single sector had yet accepted the need for everyone to sacrifice. "I think it's a sad reflection on the modern Australian attitude that they can't see that all areas have to make a contribution and they look at it as a narrow, sectional issue," he told Fairfax Media. "People will protect their sectional interest, that's understandable, but I wish people could also stand back, look at the overall picture of the Commonwealth budget and rather than say 'don't touch me', say 'what can be our contribution to a sustainable surplus'."

23 May 2014 - 8:43am Abbott defends daughter's scholarship A scholarship awarded to Frances Abbott was based on merit and academic potential, says her father Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has defended his daughter's scholarship from a design college chaired by a Liberal Party donor and friend.Frances Abbott's scholarship at the Whitehouse Institute of Design has not been declared on her father's pecuniary...