Genocidal thoughts
It takes a certain type of courage for a writer to complete a book and then admit that he does…
In the big chair
Even those of us of a conservative bent hoped that the election of the Rudd government in 2007 would constitute…
Racy reading
In a field which is often characterised by polemics and hand-wringing, Noel Pearson has emerged as both a considered thinker…
Head Beaters
Ah, democracy. The informed will of the majority. If only the practice was as simple as the theory. When it…
Thought bubbles
It is not really a surprise that political parties produce a certain number of oddballs; the scary thing is that…
Muslim integration
Growing up is hard enough at any time; coping with additional cross-currents of race and religion is a whole new…
Unfair and unbalanced
The thesis of this book is that there is something wrong with politics in Australia. Bryant is right, but not…
Labor partisan’s economic tale
The old saw about economics being a dismal science turns out, on the evidence of this short but interesting piece…
Labor renewal?
Ben Chifley once spoke about a shining light on the hill. By the time that Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard…
Out of his depth
There are individuals who, when fate hands them the opportunity for greatness, have risen to the challenge. Rob Oakeshott was…
‘Qui, moi?’
In 2008, Bob Carr was on an ABC panel show, pontificating about the wisdom of decisions of the US Supreme…
Letting go
We are not, by our nature, a militaristic people, and it is significant that our most well-known military venture was…
A sober critic
Let’s get one thing straight: gullibility is not a virtue. This simple principle appears to be difficult to grasp for…
The new Garnaut Report
Yes, economics really is a dismal science, if this book is to be believed. Even when things are going right,…
Our colourful stories
That’s girt by sea, as in the national anthem. As a title, it fits the overall tone of the book,…
Mining magnate paradox
In many ways, Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest has become the likeable face of the Australian mining boom, a self-made billionaire without…
The world according to Bob
Apparently, Ellis believes that the year 2011 was as important as 1848. He never explains why, exactly. He seems to…
Sour mixture
This book purports to be the story of the 2013 election. It is not clear why it makes that claim,…
Born to rule
Depending on how you look at it, the Chinese Communist Party is either the last non-ridiculous bastion of Marxism, an…
In the bunker
The rusted-on supporters of the ALP must wonder how it came to this. Six years ago, the ALP was on…
Hunting for bogeymen
Here is how you make a conspiracy theory: take a couple of facts, stir in a few assumptions, then add…
