Little room to change tack on matters of national security

Barack Obama has been in the White House for almost a year.

Ethical encounters in a Manhattan lobby

THEATRE REVIEW: LOBBY HERO By Kenneth Lonnergan, Red Stitch Actors Theatre, until July 11. www.redstitch.net

Garrett's Green Talk On Economy Has Union And Business Lobby Seeing Red

FEDERAL Environment Minister Peter Garrett has been warned against presenting Australia's environment and economy as competing forces in the wake of a controversial speech in Melbourne at the weekend.

Dismay At Decision Not To Pursue Criminal Charges

SUFFERERS from asbestos diseases are "desperately disappointed" that no criminal charges will be laid over the James Hardie asbestos compensation scandal, their lobby group says.

Union In Move To Protect Nurses

THE NSW nursing union will lobby the Department of Health to protect nurses and midwives from being required to remove babies from their families on behalf of the Department of Community Services.

Environment Lobby Warms To Report

PROFESSOR Ross Garnaut's blueprint for Australia tackling climate change won support from the environmental lobby - but perhaps not as warm as might have been expected.

Unions Had Two Weeks To Lobby

? UNIONS had two weeks to lobby enough state MPs to cross the floor against power privatisation, Unions NSW organiser Peter McPherson said yesterday.

Gatto Calls Opes Men To Meeting

MELBOURNE'S underbelly surfaced in Singapore's five-star Shangri-La Hotel yesterday, with Mick Gatto and two associates holding court in the lobby as several local "friends" kept unwanted guests at bay.

Rivals Circle Josh Morris But Brother Will Stay Put

JOSH MORRIS could be playing his last season with his Dragons teammate and twin, Brett, as five clubs lobby for his signature.

Jittery Steelmakers Lobby Regulators To Oppose Rio Grab

STEELMAKERS fearing a global pricing stranglehold on iron ore are preparing to intensify their fight against BHP's proposed takeover of Rio Tinto.

Online Activists To Put Their Agenda To Mps

ONLINE activist group GetUp, widely regarded as having helped Labor win the federal election, will lobby every MP before Parliament resumes next month, in the hope of influencing the maiden speeches of new members.