November 21, 2008

Centenary of the Fisher Government—PM’s speech

To mark the centenary of Andrew Fisher’s first Labor government, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave a speech at Old Parliament House on 13 November, 2008 highlighting Fisher’s achievements as a nation builder. Andrew Fisher (1862-1928) became the 5th prime minister of Australia on 13 November 1908 when the Liberal Protectionist government headed by Alfred Deakin collapsed due to loss of parliamentary Labor support. Fisher was the first head of a majority Australian government and one who did much to strengthen a young nation’s security, economy and social foundations.

Fisher’s first period as prime minister ended when the new…

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November 10, 2008

South East Wing Refurbishment: Public Comment period

Update: The Minister for the Environment approved the referral in December 2008 and work on the refurbishment is now underway. Old Parliament House sought comment on the Referral for the proposed South-East (House of Representatives) Wing Refurbishment for the purpose of accommodating the Australian Prime Ministers Centre.

The proposed refurbishment has been determined a ‘controlled action’ under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) on the basis that the action is likely to have significant impact on the following matters protected by the EPBC Act:

National Heritage places (section 15B and…

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