ABC, SBS review

he Federal Government has announced it will conduct an inquiry into the efficiency of the operations of the ABC and SBS.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced today that his department would complete the study with the help of Seven West Media's former chief financial officer, Peter Lewis.

The study will examine the costs of day-to-day operations and propose options to increase efficiency and reduce expense.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-30/efficiency-study/5228690

Abbott blasts national broadcaster: ABC takes 'everyone's side but Australia's'

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has berated ABC News, arguing that it is taking ''everyone's side but Australia's'' and that journalists should give the navy the ''benefit of the doubt'' when it comes to claims of wrongdoing.

''You would like the national broadcaster to have a rigorous commitment to truth and at least some basic affection for the home team,'' he told Macquarie Radio on Wednesday.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-blasts-national-broadcaster-abc-takes-everyones-side-but-australias-20140129-31lt8.html#ixzz2rn7mNzee

Claims Australia is 'reachable' by Indonesia's air force

Indonesian military officials have today told the Jakarta Post its Navy warships, including frigates, fast torpedo craft and corvettes as well as maritime patrol aircraft, have been deployed to waters off its southern border.

Four Air Force defence radars have also been programmed to closely monitor the area.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/claims-australia-is-reachable-by-indonesias-air-force-as-border-stoush-hits-new-lows/story-fni0cx12-1226808807812

PM prods Indonesia over boat turnbacks

The Prime Minister said Australia was entitled to protect its borders and would continue to do so, irrespective of Indonesian concerns over territorial incursions.

But the statement provoked Djoko Suyanto, the Indonesian security affairs minister, to hit back with a text message to Fairfax Media. Australia ''must understand the meaning of the sovereignty of the republic of Indonesia, which the Australian navy breached in the way it did," Air Marshal Djoko said.

 http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/pm-prods-indonesia-over-boat-turnbacks-20140122-31972.html#ixzz2r7dinmCa

Inquiry into customs and navy breach of Indonesian waters

An urgent inquiry into how Australian navy and customs vessels came to stray into Indonesian waters has been asked to report by February 10 but it is not yet clear whether the resulting report will be released.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Immigration minister Scott Morrison in Sydney today, the chief executive of the Customs and Border Protection Service, Mike Pezzullo, said the inquiry would report to himself and the Chief of the Defence Force, and through them to the relevant ministers.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/two-reviewers-to-lead-inquiry-into-customs-and-navy-breach-of-indonesian-waters-20140122-318pn.html

Australian Navy accused of beating and burning asylum seekers

ABC News has obtained video footage of asylum seekers receiving medical assessments of burns that Indonesian police say were inflicted by the Australian Navy.

The Federal Government denies the claims, but Indonesian police say they had to get treatment for 10 asylum seekers, seven of whom had severe burns on their hands after they were picked up in Indonesian waters on January 6.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-22/australian-navy-accused-of-beating-burning-asylum-seekers/5211996

Disabled and dole recipients on hit list

Age pensioners are safe, but those on disability support and unemployment benefits could be on a hit list as the federal government reviews the welfare payment system.

Former Mission Australia boss Patrick McClure, who conducted a welfare review for the Howard government in 2000, will head the new inquiry.
http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=943775&vId=4311446&cId=Top%20Stories

$100m cut to foreign aid budget, focus on recipients in Asia-Pacific region

The Federal Government has announced it will cut the foreign aid budget by more than $100 million this financial year and redirect funds to fighting poverty in the Asia-Pacific region

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-18/federal-government-announces-details-of-foreign-aid-cuts/5206594

Operation Sovereign Blunders

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison says the government has apologised to Indonesia after Australian authorities "inadvertently'' breached Indonesian territorial waters while conducting border protection operations.

http://www.news.com.au/national/australia-apologises-to-indonesia-over-territorial-breach-by-navy/story-fncynjr2-1226803890311

A thing Malcolm Turnbull said

Scott Morrison says he will stop holding weekly asylum seeker briefings

The Government has not held a briefing on Operation Sovereign Borders since December 20, after previously holding them on a weekly basis.

Mr Morrison, who will hold a briefing tomorrow morning, has told the ABC's 7.30 program that the briefings will now be held on an "as-needs basis" ABC