Stephen Spartacus

Budget 2021: the dregs of the Labor party

10 May 2021 4:00 am

At the start of the seventies, Kim Beazley Senior told an ALP conference “When I joined the Labor Party, it…

The Morrison Government: we must spend money in order to save it

22 April 2021 6:03 pm

On Tuesday I wrote here, I wrote about the values vacuity of Prime Minister Morrison and his Government.  Then, yesterday,…

It’s about time Scott Morrison stood for more than just not being Labor

20 April 2021 12:56 pm

There are some who get it and there are many who don’t.  Sadly, our elected class are significantly over-represented by…

China is focused on import quotas, Australia is focused on gender quotas.

15 April 2021 3:52 pm

Hubris. A noun meaning overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. From the Ancient Greek describing a personality quality of extreme or…

Where is Tim Flannery now?

20 March 2021 12:20 pm

I live in Sydney. My house flooded last week in the heavy rains. We’ll see what happens today. Where is Tim…

About the OECD, Mathias…

14 March 2021 5:32 pm

As an Australian citizen, I would like to wish Mathias Cormann all the best at the OECD. I can only…

Sydney University chooses to chase cash, not quality

13 March 2021 1:32 pm

There is an old and proven saying: Personnel is Policy. You hire the person best suited to implement your strategies…

The tourism cash splash: message to ScoMo’s spine – where the bloody hell are you?

11 March 2021 7:35 pm

For those of you who have woken to the news this morning that the Commonwealth Government has announced a special tourism…

The Reserve Bank has failed us

11 March 2021 4:00 am

Earlier this month, former Treasurer Peter Costello stated the bleeding obvious when he warned “ultra-low interest rates risk creating the…

Sorry Christian, but it’s time to take one for the team

4 March 2021 4:00 am

His name is now officially out. The Christian Porter allegation is, like other recent tales from Canberra, a very sad…

Politicians, advice – and advisors

2 March 2021 4:04 pm

Given the content of this and prior pieces, it is fair to assume that I am a largish consumer of…

Why governments secretly love our crazy house and assets boom

1 March 2021 6:08 pm

There’s no inflation.  The experts tell us so.  The Clerics of Martin Place, our highly paid monetary gurus at the Reserve Bank, have declared that…

#ScottyFromMarketing – and Ant from Ant’s Used Cars?

25 February 2021 2:30 pm

For what ever reason, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been colloquially named “Scotty from Marketing”. No doubt it is a…

Redefining the ABC

24 February 2021 6:40 pm

Question: What do you call a discussion between people who have no idea what they are talking about but are…

Is this the real cultural problem in politics?

23 February 2021 6:37 pm

The Brittany Higgins matter keeps moving on. The allegations are very disturbing. But there seems a more fundamental question not being…

Student debt, the left’s next big campaign

16 February 2021 6:58 pm

There is barely anything original in Australian universities.  And by original, I don’t mean research, but rather how the university…

Viral racism

15 February 2021 3:34 pm

These are apparently the new naming rules: Spanish Flu — ok UK Variant — ok South African Variant — ok…

The economy is stuffed full of stimulants – and so are too many business commentators

12 February 2021 4:00 am

It is results season in Australian capital markets, This is the time of year listed companies delivery their half or…

Albo almost gets it right while Bowen blows hard

10 February 2021 1:08 pm

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese has told The Australian: A government I lead will always respect the central importance of successful…

If business is paying back JobKeeper windfalls, what about the bureaucrats and their bonuses?

9 February 2021 1:04 pm

JobKeeper. JobSeeker. Job destroyer. Well, the mob has spoken.  Those businesses who legally and correctly accessed the Job keeper scheme,…

The Greenhouse Effect vs. The Ultimo Effect

2 February 2021 12:00 pm

One of the most intelligent and insightful humans to have ever walked the face of the earth is American economist…

Insiders is insiders. How can they speak for ordinary Australia?

31 January 2021 3:40 pm

This morning I watched Insiders; the first episode of the year. In the first 15 minutes, the three guests —…

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s covid chutzpah

28 January 2021 12:15 pm

Chutzpah. A mellifluous sounding word that is difficult to translate, but kinda sorta means: Utter nerve; effrontery. A better way to…

Barnaby, it’s time to leave the island

27 January 2021 11:31 am

It has long been evident to many that Barnaby Joyce’s time at the political trough has passed. In many respects,…

An honour with a great big crown on top for Malcolm

26 January 2021 3:35 pm

Lord Malcolm of Point Piper has finally received an official honour, the Companion in the Order of Australia, the AC.…