Private health insurance premiums rise ABC Online GREG HOY, REPORTER: The Australian Health Insurance Association says there are now 11.4 million Australians with private health insurance, ...

The Australian Electoral Officer (State Manager) for Victoria, Mrs Jenni McMullan, today reminded all interested individuals and organisations that written suggestions about the Victorian federal redistribution must be lodged with the Redistribution Committee for Victoriaby 6.00pm next Friday 9 April 2010. This information is available at www.aec.gov.au or from the Redistribution Secretariat on 03 9285 7177. Written suggestions and comments must be submitted to the Redistribution Committee for Victoria by 6.00pm Friday 9 April 2010, in one of the following ways:.

The Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP. The Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP, today launched Tourism Australia's There's Nothing Like Australia global marketing campaign. Minister Ferguson said: The performance of the Australian Government and Tourism Australia's marketing activity speaks for itself.

Stimulus plan delivers jobs and affordable homes for seniors in Gosnells. Ms Plibersek said the Rudd Government's investment in social housing is building and repairing homes and creating jobs around Australia. Member for Hasluck Sharryn Jackson said that new affordable homes for seniors were greatly needed in Gosnells.

Senator Barnaby Joyce has plumbed new depths in his latest outburst, insulting the Productivity Commission and its important contribution to economic reform and discussion in Australia, the Assistant Treasurer said today. The new Opposition Spokesperson for Regional Development, Infrastructure and Water, has said he uses Productivity Commission reports when he runs out of toilet paper. 'The Productivity Commission was set up in its current form by former Treasurer Peter Costello so I can only wonder what he would make of this latest outburst from Senator Joyce.'.

National Rental Affordability Scheme delivers homes for families in Pinjarra. The homes are among 35 four-bedroom houses to be constructed by property investment company Questus Funds Management in Pinjarra as part of the National Rental Affordability Scheme. Questus Funds Management is delivering a further 25 three-bedroom National Rental Affordability Scheme homes in the region, of which six have been completed.

Stimulus plan delivers jobs and 56 new affordable homes in Kelmscott. This development in Kelmscott demonstrates just how important the Rudd Government's Stimulus Plan has been for jobs in the local community. As well as creating 56 new affordable homes that are close to transport, shops and services, all tradespeople, sub-contractors and suppliers are locally based, Ms Plibersek said.

As part of delivering a National Health and Hospitals Network, the Rudd Government will invest $436 million to transform the way Australians with long term illness are treated. This means a single practice will be responsible for ensuring that voluntarily enrolled patients are able to access services from a wide range of health professionals. Providing patients with complex conditions with the option of enrolling with a single primary care service was recommended by both the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission and the draft National Primary Care Strategy.

Today marks another important milestone in Australia's economic recovery with the closure of the Guarantee of Large Deposits and Wholesale Funding (Guarantee). Critically, our highly-regarded financial regulators have explicitly advised that removing the Guarantee will not materially affect banking sector funding costs. At a time of massive turmoil in global financial markets, the Guarantee has helped ensure Australia's financial stability and the continued flow of credit through our economy.

Treasurer Wayne Swan and Innovation Minister Kim Carr today released a second exposure draft of the legislation for the new R&D tax incentive. The second exposure draft also takes a new approach to software R&D. Legislation for the new scheme will be introduced in the next sittings of Parliament.