2ser's Razors Edge

Australian’s love a swim at the beach and the lifeguards in Sydney are considered among the best in the world. In fact many of us would be hesitant to go swimming at the beach and would have serious second thoughts about letting our children swim if there wasn't any lifeguards on-hand to protect us. But what many of you might not know is that some of Sydney’s most popular beaches, Bronte and Tamarama are not patrolled over the Winter months from the beginning of June until mid-September. During this time, many rescues go on by local surfers, or off-duty lifeguards. Many of these locals feel it will take a catastrophe before lifeguards are employed full-time at these beaches. Matt Hogan has the story.

The New South Wales/A.C.T. Alcohol Policy Alliance have released a report which claims that based on patterns from previous years, there will be around 300 deaths and 12 000 hospitalisations from heavy drinking this Summer. One of the recommendations of the report is that Sydney venues follow the model employed in Newcastle that was set-up to counter the violence there and has been moderately successful. The Newcastle model includes measures like earlier closing times, a 1am lock-out and no shots or strong drinks after 10pm. 2ser’s Matt Hogan spoke to Michael Thorn, the Chief Executive from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.

The Peace and Conflict Studies Centre at Sydney University has vowed to continue its support for the international boycott of the Israeli government, despite more than a week of negative coverage in the Murdoch press. The Australian newspaper has run ten straight days of critical coverage of the centre and its Director, Associate Professor JAKE LYNCH. Lynch declined to assist an Israeli academic with an education exchange application, saying he supports the international BDS movement, which stands for boycotts, sanctions and divestment. Despite immense pressure Lynch says he won’t back down to bullying and is sticking with the campaign. He told 2SER’s Mark Robinson that international opinion is turning against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land.

The Randwick City Council has announced a campaign to stop back-packers setting up in popular beach-side car-parks this Summer. The campaign focuses on dawn patrols by Police to enforce the no-camping policy in areas such as the Clovely beach car-park and at Coogee. Randwick Mayor, Tony Bowen, said that back-packers were disturbing the areas with excessive littering, loud noise and even leaving toilet waste near where they stay. Mayor Bowen says this is unacceptable and that rate payers should not have to pick up the cleaning bill. However, moving back-packers out of one area might just be creating a problem for another area. 2ser’s Matt Hogan spoke to Bondi resident, Prue Clarke about the issue

As the Doha round of negotiations on Climate Change continue, the CIA have released a report on the likely impacts a warming climate will have on the world. The report, based on a variety of sources including the most comprehensive study of ice core samples ever conducted, found that during the last century the planet heated up faster than at any other time in the earth’s history and that trend is set to continue. The report states that international governments are ill-prepared to deal with the catastrophic weather patterns and as such Climate Change is set to become one of the leading threats to national security and world peace in the 21st century. 2ser’s Rory O’Gorman spoke to the author of the CIA report John D Stienbrenner director of the centre for international security studies at the University of Maryland.

The internet has become as much a part of our daily lives as driving and eating. But who actually controls the internet? The International Telecommunications Union or the ITU is the United Nations agency responsible for information and communication technologies. Recently the ITU hosted the World Conference on International Communication where 178 countries met to update a treaty on internet security originally signed in 1988. However, many people have voiced their concern that this conference was just an opportunity for powerful nations and multi-national corporations to seize control of the internet. 2SER’s Joel Moss spoke to Associate Law Professor, Melissa de Zwart, from the University of Adelaide, about the World Conference and the fight for internet control.

Relations between Australia and Israel remain tense after the Foreign Minister Bob Carr called in Israel’s ambassador on Tuesday, to convey strong concern over plans to expand settlements on Palestinian land. Carr told the ambassador that building new settlements threatens the viability of a two-state solution. Israel announced the plan just a day after the historic vote to give Palestinians observer status at the UN. In that vote, Australia abstained, which was viewed as a shift away from always supporting Israel on the international stage. So why is the Gillard government taking a different approach to Israel and will it have any lasting impact? 2SER’s Mark Robinson spoke with journalist and author Antony Loewenstein.

Washington has become the first US state to legalise the recreational use of Marijuana. Those over the age of 21 are now able to possess and use up to 28 grams of the drug in private areas. Although some US states do allow cannabis use for medicinal purposes, Washington is the first to legalise it for entertainment. 2SER’s Sam Buckingham-Jones spoke with Professor Alison Ritter, Director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

A Senate inquiry into the adequacy of unemployment benefits has decided not to recommend an increase, despite general agreement that the payment is too low to live on. At just $245 a week the Newstart allowance is well below the official poverty line and has been criticised by unions, charities and leading business groups. The two Labor MP’s on the committee did push for a rise, as did the Greens, but they were out voted by Coalition members. The Saint Vincent De Paul Society has bitterly attacked the outcome saying it humiliates the unemployed. Chief Executive Dr John Falzon spoke with 2ser’s Mark Robinson.

This week the federal government lifted its ban on the pesticide Diuron after the federal pesticides authority cleared it for use at what they called reduced levels. However conservationists say the decision by Australia's chemical regulator to allow the continued use of the toxic weed killer could kill the Great Barrier Reef. Diuron is classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a likely carcinogen and research has linked it to coral bleaching and the death of seagrass on the Great Barrier Reef. Nick Heath from the World Wildlife Fund spoke with 2ser’s Rory O’Gorman.

The Federal Government finally passed poker machine reforms through the Lower House after two years of political debate and public campaigning. Pubs and clubs will need voluntary pre-commitment technology on their machines, though the first venues will not switch it on until 2018. Clubs Australia and the Australian Hotels Association have welcomed the reforms but some say they haven’t gone far enough and won’t stop problem gamblers from losing their money. Matt Hogan spoke to Federal Independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenephon.

The state government this week announced changes to BAIL LAWS, in an effort to reduce the large numbers of people who are refused bail, while waiting for a trial. More than a quarter of adult prisoners in NSW have not been convicted. The Attorney General Greg Smith has put forward a new “case by case” system, designed to ease the burden on prisons and give those charged a fairer deal. But he declined to follow the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission which suggested a general presumption in favour of bail. Legal observers say it’s a step in the right direction but may not be enough. MAX TAYLOR is a retired magistrate and the convenor of the Bail Reform Alliance – and he spoke with 2SER’s Mark Robinson.

Since being elected into office in 2011, Premier Barry O’Farrell has made many changes to environment laws resulting in the reduction of wildlife protections. Many environment groups and politicians have raised concerns over the approval of amatuer hunting in national parks, and a rally was held on Wednesday to tell Barry O’Farrell that they’re not happy. Katie Hale reports.

The Leveson inquiry has recommended that an independent self-regulatory body and governed by an independent board be created to keep the powerful British press in check. Lord Justice Brian Leveson’s 2,000 page report was handed down yesterday morning following a 17-month investigation into breaches of press culture and ethics, including the phone hacking scandal and allegations of corruption. 2SER’s Sam Buckingham-Jones spoke with Andrea Carson, Journalist and PhD Researcher at the University of Melbourne, about reactions to the Report.

In August this year NASA’s $2.5 billion dollar Curiosity rover landed inside Mars' huge Gale Crater where its mission is to determine if Mars has ever been capable of supporting microbial life. This week NASA announced that Curiosity had discovered something in one of its soil samples however the space agency would need to double check its data before making an official announcement. Since the initial announcement was made earlier this week people have been speculating on what NASA might have found and whether they will announce the discovery of alien life on mars. 2ser’s Rory O’Gorman spoke with Kerry Dougherty curator of space research at the powerhouse museum in Sydney for her thoughts on what NASA may be set to announce.

Having access to comprehensive public education is something most people take for granted. However, concern is growing in the community about the lack of public secondary school options within the NSW seat of Sydney. Susan Cheong spoke to Skye Molyneux, a Redfern resident and a mother of two.

The Australian Rugby League Commission has accepted a recommendation to outlaw the shoulder-charge from all competitions from 2013. The report stated that the increased size of athletes was creating a situation where the shoulder-charge could lead to an unacceptable injury risk. The response from most of the players and coaches was one of dismay and most have been very vocal in opposing the ban. So is banning the shoulder charge, taking away a key ingredient of the game or a necessary step to protect players in a “tough guy sport” from their own fearlessness? 2SER's Matt Hogan spoke to Nathan McGuirk, General Manager of Operations for the NRL.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire this week. As part of the deal brokered by Egypt Israel has agreed to end all military operations in the Gaza strip area while Hamas will stop its rocket attacks against Israel. But Pro Palestinian groups aren’t satisfied and feel the agreement is a temporary solution to Israeli aggression. Political analyst and human rights advocate, Samah Sabawi, spoke at a Melbourne protest rally last night in support of the Palestinian cause. 2ser’s Joel Moss spoke to Sabawi about the ceasefire and the need for a certain level of compromise from both sides in order to stop the violence between Israel and Palestine.

The Federal Government has come under fire for its policy of processing asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island. The Refugee Action Coalition has denounced what it calls a “pointless” and “short-sighted” practice. In a protest outside Health Minister Tanya Plibersek’s Sydney office yesterday, demonstrators called on the government to change its approach. They say re-opening the two offshore processing centres is not a humane solution to people smuggling. 2SER’s Sam Buckingham-Jones filed this report.

Last month Julia Gillard made waves globally with her highly emotional speech against misogyny in Canberra. The Australian population responded favourably to the Prime Minister’s comments, but would her stand against misogyny have fared as well in other countries, such as Britain? A recent article in The Guardian has argued that Australian culture is much more mature when it comes to accepting an equal standing between men and women. But is this really the case? 2SER’s Oliver Crossan reports.