墨爾本市區強暴殺人案

7天前在墨爾本市區，愛爾蘭裔29歲女子吉兒米格，在深夜步行回家路上，遭受強暴謀殺身亡。經過警方公開某服裝店裝設的監控系統照到的門口視頻，因此得到街坊大眾的協助，抓到嫌犯，從而找到吉兒的屍體。事件受到媒體、臉書、推特大眾廣大的關注。

臉書及推特的大眾意見可能干擾陪審的公正判斷，已經成為西方國家立法機關的憂慮。維多利亞州警方已經正式要求臉書撤除幾百個針對殺害吉兒米格兇手艾基里安的仇恨留言，因為這些留言將嚴重影響正式的陪審聽證。澳洲警備總司令肻雷對3AW電臺的採訪發言，因為臉書拒絕警方的要求，警方正在與立法機關研究因應的辦法。

上面的新聞後第二天，臉書上有44000個讚的仇恨言論，主張對兇手絞刑，及兇手的身份背景的留言已經下架了。

澳洲總理父親去世被澳洲名嘴作為話題

澳洲女總理朱莉亞吉拉德的父親去世。知名電臺主持人亞蘭瓊斯在節目中說，吉拉德的父親死於羞恥，因為朱莉亞吉拉德所說的政治謊言是父親的羞恥。

亞蘭瓊斯自稱是獨立的廣播名嘴，但是大家都知道反對黨主席跟瓊斯交往密切。輿論指責瓊斯，也指責反對黨主席湯尼艾爾伯茨。湯尼艾爾伯茨說，瓊斯的言論不當，但是他沒有打算支持制裁亞蘭瓊斯的建議。

亞蘭瓊斯已經公開道歉，但是大眾普遍不接受他的道歉是誠摯的。

經過幾天的風波，澳洲總理朱莉亞吉拉德一直沉默以對。昨天的新聞吉拉德第一次答復記者的詢問。吉拉德說，她瞭解有人想要知道她對亞蘭瓊斯言辭的看法，但是她不打算分享她自己的意見。

吉拉德說，她只想說，自從父親去世後，她與家人都很感激澳洲千萬人的慰問與關心。

備註：亞蘭瓊斯的言論不言可喻的受到廣大大眾的批評與不齒。我個人很欣賞澳洲女總理朱莉亞吉拉德處理個人侮辱的態度。

公民有沒有不投票的自由

Derryn Hinch 68歲，也是資深的媒體名嘴，經常製造新聞，自找麻煩。最近被自己收聽率第一的節目沒有預警的辭退，心裏不滿。

被辭退之前，他剛剛又經歷了一個訴訟。他因為沒有投票被罰款澳幣100元，拒絕罰款並且反過來告政府。最後敗訴，法官說，投票是每一個公民的責任與義務，不投票就罰款，跟是不是民主沒有直接關聯。

這是澳洲現任總理朱莉亞吉拉德學童時期的照片。

朱莉亞吉拉德今天公開她的學童時期照片追憶當年的學校生活，開啟六個星期的尋找澳洲最優秀教師的比賽。

Julia Gillard today used a schoolaged and pigtailed photo of herself to reminisce about her own school days, and launch a six-week competition to find the country's best teachers.

The winner will score a visit by the Prime Minister to speak at their current or old school.

Past and present pupils are asked to post a photo of themselves and a message or video on Ms Gillard's Facebook page telling of their favourite teachers of all time.

Already more than 100 people have gone online to share their stories, including one woman who said her old primary school teacher gave up her lunch hours to help teach her to walk again after she was in a terrible accident.

The Government hopes the social media campaign will start a national conversation about the inspiration role the best teachers can have, and their lasting legacies.

The competition comes amid Ms Gillard's "education crusade" in which she wants to improve teaching by only letting the brightest into teaching courses, and see Australian students among the world's top performers.

"We want Australian schools back in the top 5 schooling systems in the world by 2025 and we know that great teachers are the key to getting there," she said.

Under a $6.5 billion-a-year plan - the funding of which is still being debated with the states - Government money allocated to every school would increase.

Ms Gillard also wants only those with year 12 literacy and numeracy marks in the top 30 per cent of their grade to be allowed to study to become a teacher, and more training and support for teachers throughout their careers.