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OPINION PIECE - FRANCHISE SYSTEMS ARE EQUAL ENTREPRENEURS BUT UNEQUAL PARTNERS Franchising has a unique and wonderful character. It is a hybrid of the master-servant relationship, the employee - employer contract and the entrepreneurial business developer.   .................MORE LOCAL FIRST HOME OWNERS BOOSTED First home buyers in the Western Corridor will be eligible for a First Home Owners Boost of up to $21,000.   Under the Economic Security Strategy, the FHOB will entitle first home buyers purchasing a newly constructed home to a grant of $21,000.................MORE DELIVERING FOR SENIORS IN THE WESTERN CORRIDOR   The Rudd Government's down payment to Australia's aged and disability support pensioners, carers, seniors and veterans will directly benefit 12,000 seniors and pensioners in the Western Corridor.   The payment will provide them with immediate financial help..............MORE LOCAL FAMILIES SET TO BENEFIT FROM ESS 13,627 local families will benefit from the immediate financial support delivered in the Rudd Government's Economic Security Strategy.   Families will receive a one-off payment of $1,000 for each eligible child in their care to be paid from 8 December. ............MORE

RUDD ANNOUNCES $10.4 BILLION ECONOMIC SECURITY STRATEGY   The Rudd Government today announced a $10.4 billion Economic Security Strategy to strengthen the Australian economy in the face of the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression.   Thi s$10.4 billion strategy will strengthen the national economy and support Australian households, given the risk of a deep and prolonged global economic slowdown...........MORE   BREAKING NEWS | FAST-TRACKING THE NATION BUILDING AGENDA PARTNERSHIP TO TACKLE QLD SKILLS SHORTAGE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO MAINTAIN THE STRANGTH OF THE OZ FINANCIAL SYSTEM ALMOST 100 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY FUND   SURVEY SHOWS CONTINUED LISTENER ENTHUSIASM FOR COMMUNITY RADIO

FUEL WATCH   FuelWatch is a comprehensive fuel monitoring and reporting service.    Under FuelWatch, petrol stations will be required to notify the ACCC about their next day’s fuel prices by around 2 pm each day.    The ACCC will make these prices for the following day available publicly on its website, via email or SMS.  Petrol stations will then be required to make a commitment not to change their price for a fixed 24 hour period........>>>>

TRAINING IN SCHOOLS If our goal is to have the best trained and best qualified workforce in the world, then clearly we must do more in the skills and training area.   The challenge therefore is two-fold: Australia needs to lift the number of students who complete senior secondary school, and to increase the number of people with vocational and skilled trade qualifications.   We need to make vocational qualifications more attractive to all Australians, beginning with young people in schools. ........>>>>

PREVENTATIVE HEALTH A Rudd Labor Government will equip our health system to deal with the challenges of the future by ending the blame game and re-invigorate the role of the primary care system - the front line of the health system which provides health care to local communities.   Labor will treat preventative health care as a first order economic challenge, because failure to do so results in a long-term negative impact in workforce participation, productivity growth and the impact on the overall health budget. .....>>>>

BROADBAND Australia’s small businesses are battling against competitors in countries where superfast broadband is cheap, reliable and widespread.   Australia’s future productivity, competitiveness and wealth creation relies on world class infrastructure.   Labor will invest up to $4.7 billion to establish the National Broadband Network in partnership with the private sector to boost productivity growth and build long-term economic prosperity once the mining boom is over. ......>>>>