This week, the Australian Government signed onto the US-backed Global Nuclear Energy Partnership or GNEP in Vienna. The organization has raised some eyebrows because it largely sidesteps the current UN-backed regime for monitoring the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the world – the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT. While Australia was amongst 16 signatory countries present, its unclear at this stage what impact this will have the country’s engagement in the nuclear industry as the Australian Government has to date remained silent on this issue. Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s head of campaigns, Steve Campbell remains critical of the move.

Today’s National ‘Close the Gap’ Day is part of a long term campaign calling for federal state and territory governments to commit to closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The 17 year gap in Life expectancy is the largest in the world and health profesionals and social advocates a like are hoping the sustained public campaign will help breach the divide. The Wire attended the Close the Gap Day in Sydney’s Belmore Park and spoke to Sandra Bailey CEO of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Centre.

Three threatened species have been found in areas of public redgum forests along the NSW-Victorian border – in areas where logging operations had been given the go ahead. The Land and Environment Court ordered Forests NSW to allow the experts from the National Parks Association of NSW into the redgum forests, which lie along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers. Andrew Cox is the Executive Officer of the National Parks Association, and he fears that Forests NSW failed to adequately assess the impact of logging on the area. He spoke with The Wire earlier today.

Former Victoria Deputy Police Commissioner Noel Newnham has this week, renewed his call for further investigation into corruption within the Victorian police force. Himself a veteren of police inquiries, he was involved in the famous Fitzgerald inquiry into police corruption in the sunshine state. This time its hitting closer to home with Newnham now alleging his son Steven Newnham, a former police technology expert was framed by corrupt officers in Victoria. All charges were dismissed aginst his son in 1998, but Newnham argues, that despite evidence against the officers no investigation into their conduct has been launched. The Wire looks at the integrity of the thin blue line.

The fate of a young Chinese New Zealander, left at a Melbourne train station has focused the country’s attention on the contribution made to child welfare by foster parents. This week in New South Wales this contribution is being celebrated with Foster Care week. As ever the sector continues to struggle with a lack of both government resources and available parents willing to step up and look after children who can’t live at home with their parents. According to the CEO of the Association of Children’s Welfare Services, Andrew MacCallum, one of the main problems faced by the sector is being able to find enough long-term placements for foster children, so they can avoid the destructive cycle of moving from home to home.