18:10:00 25/08/2010
The three independents who hold the balance of power have written to the Prime Minister and Opposition leader with a list of seven demands. Among them access to the heads of Treasury and Finance, with a proper economic assessment of both major parties' election promises. More
18:14:00 25/08/2010
The Prime Minister indicated she will have no problem conceding the demands of the independents. She also vowed that a Labor government would be stable and effective. More
18:18:00 25/08/2010
One of the new MP's likely to decide who gets the keys to the lodge is independent Andrew Wilkie who looks certain to win the formerly safe Labor seat of Denison in Tasmania. Andrew Wilkie has had a far more varied career than most MP's - as well as previously being a member of the Liberal Party and the Greens, he's been hailed as a hero and denigrated as a villain for revealing intelligence about the Iraq war. More
18:22:00 25/08/2010
One of the independents whose ideas may be considered the most controversial is the north Queenslander, Bob Katter.
Experts argue his ideas on rivers and tarriffs would cause more harm than good, but on secession, he's won sympathy from at least one economist. More
18:26:00 25/08/2010
Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have continued the bipartisan support of Australia's commitment to Afghanistan saying they think progress is being made there despite the death of another Australian soldier. More
- Mark Colvin
- Extra Audio View
18:30:00 25/08/2010
Just who is in charge of getting American troops out of Afghanistan? The President has said the 100,000 American troops will begin withdrawing in July next year. But General David Petraeus, said this week that US troops would not rush to pull out then. The American writer Peter Beinart sees that as close to an act of insubordination and a sign of weakness for the President. More
18:34:00 25/08/2010
An assignment set down for year 10s at a West Australian high school has sparked an angry debate. The project asked students to plan a terrorist attack to inflict the maximum casualties on an Australian community. The teachers union and the education department have condemned the exercise. But others say the assignment raises important questions about modern conflicts and students should be encouraged to explore the topic. More
18:38:00 25/08/2010
Shoppers are expected to pay more for eggs until after Christmas with an undersupply of six million eggs in the shops each week. Farmers say the shortage is due to increased consumer demand and forecasts of an oversupply mean they're now scrambling to keep up. More
18:50:00 25/08/2010
Business and finance on today's markets. More
