Governments

• 連邦控訴裁判所は、Trump 政権に対し複数の地方自治体への Federal Grants の再開を命じていた下級裁判所の差し止め命令を破棄し、保留されていた数十億ドルの資金供給を再開させた。 • この決定は、政権による Federal Grants の付帯条件の解釈を巡る紛争を受けたものであり、各自治体は資金の保留が政治的報復にあたると主張している。 • この判決は、将来の政権が政策遵守を援助の条件とするかどうかに影響を及ぼす可能性があり、Federalism と地方自治にとって重要な意味を持つ。

NSW and Queensland governments ‘severely underdelivered’ on promised infrastructure to improve water flows, independent review findsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo state governments have drastically underdelivered more than $160m in infrastructure measures to improve river health in the northern Murray-Darling basin eight years since they were promised, a major independent review has found.This includes failure by the New South Wales government to secure any of the private land access needed to improve water flows over floodplains in the state’s Gwydir region where scientists had to scramble to rescue turtles in dried up wetlands last week. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia actively pursue regressive policies, watchdog findsGovernments in five EU member states are “consistently and intentionally” eroding the rule of law, Europe’s leading civil liberties group has warned, while democratic standards are deteriorating in six more, including historically strong democracies.Drawing on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as “dismantlers” that were actively weakening the rule of law. Continue reading...

Rationing is not under consideration yet as hundreds of retailers report being without one or more types of fuelGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPetrol stations are reporting a surge in demand of up to 25% in the last fortnight alone on top of already major spikes earlier in the Iran war as Anthony Albanese comes under pressure to devise a national plan to cushion Australia against the “biggest energy crisis in history”.The Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association has revealed the scale of the demand on retailers, which has left hundreds of stations across the country without one or more types of fuel. Continue reading...