• ABC pic of Hobart protest against the Budget. The budget papers are being burnt. Story HERE
Marches bring traffic to a halt in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Hobart, Brisbane and Perth
Thousands of students took to the streets of Australia’s capital cities on Wednesday to protest against proposed cuts and changes to higher education by the federal government.
One man was arrested in Sydney after students staged an impromptu sit-in on a busy city street, while marches also brought traffic to a halt in Melbourne, Newcastle, Hobart, Brisbane and Perth.
Earlier, the prime minister, Tony Abbott, and the education minister, Christopher Pyne, cancelled a visit to Deakin university in Geelong because of protests planned by students.
It was initially reported that there were safety fears for the pair, but Abbott later told Fairfax radio he did not want to give the students the televised riot they wanted and the visit would use up valuable police resources.
In Sydney, an activist was arrested for picking up a flare.
The man, aged in his 20s, was forcefully bundled to the ground by police and put in handcuffs as thousands of protesters marched from inner-city Ultimo to the town hall.
The man picked up a lit orange flare off the ground and held it aloft before being swarmed by about six police officers, who pushed him against a wall and handcuffed him.
Hundreds of angry protesters surrounded the group and chanted “let him go, let him go” before mounted police moved in and dispersed the crowd.
The man was led away as protesters, mostly students from five different NSW universities, staged an impromptu sit-in at the junctions of George and Hay streets.
• Guardian: David Gonski breaks silence to attack Abbott government’s school funding plans
• Guardian: Liberal donor personally recomended Tony Abbott’s daughter for $60,000 scholarship
YOUTUBE • Best Budget ever … • Tony’s Favourite Fibs
• Isla MacGregor, NORMAC, in Comments: : The Grandmother who spoke with Tony Abbott yesterday on ABC Radio talkback raises some important questions about the attack on gender equality for especially poor and disadvantaged women as a result of the planned budget cuts announced by Joe Hockey. Tony Abbott needs to be asked if he accepts that for many poor and disadvantaged women that their only [i]choice[/i] to ensure they will be able to keep their head above water is by being paid to work in the sex industry by [b] advantaged men[/b].
EARLIER: • The nationwide rage against Abbott
• Larissa Waters: Greens call on PM to step down as Minister for Women
• Nick McKim: Abbott Visit Perfect Opportunity to Lobby for Gonski Cuts Rethink
• ABC: Abbott says job-seeker youth exodus from Tasmania not a concern … Tasmania’s youth unemployment rate is 17 per cent and there are concerns those people will need to leave the state to find work because of the changes. Mr Abbott says people have been moving for work for hundreds of years. “Well if people have to move for work, that’s not the worst outcome in the world,” he said. Premier Will Hodgman did not say if Mr Abbott’s comments concern him …
• New Matilda: Prime Minister Tony Abbott is tonight under fire over a $60,000 education scholarship awarded to his daughter Frances. Chris Graham and Max Chalmers reveal why. HERE Assurances by the Prime Minister that a $60,000 scholarship awarded to his daughter Frances on the basis of merit have been contradicted by testimony and documents obtained by New Matilda. And in breaking developments, the Australian Parliament’s Registrar of Members’ Interests has tonight also contradicted the Prime Minister over an explanation he provided earlier today about why he did not publicly disclose his daughter received the scholarship. In February of this year, Frances Abbott – the Prime Minister’s middle daughter – completed a three-year Bachelor of Design course at the Whitehouse Institute of Design.
