In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.
Religious freedom is not absolute – and neither are LGBTI rights
Last week in Australia the recommendations of the Ruddock Review into Religious Freedom were leaked, leading to media frenzy that…
Satan: an apology
We’ve been asked to pull a post out of respect for the privacy of “a non-theistic Satanist that participates in…
What’s wrong with “It’s ok to be white”?
Pauline Hanson has once again caused remarkable controversy by saying something entirely unremarkable. “It’s okay to be white.” Apparently, this…
Injun Liz Warren and echoes of Bolt
If you’ve been following American politics in the last few days you’ll have read about Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren’s confrontation…
The other right: what’s wrong with the Political Compass
There’s something wrong with the Political Compass. I was trying, earlier this year, to write an article about the fundamental…
The mental gymnastics of Queensland’s abortion bill
EXCLUSIVE The High Court has just finished hearing argument in two cases challenging Tasmanian and Victorian laws which prohibit protesting…
The right to bear kangaroos
A friend and a reader from the United States, Chuck, has sent me this informative chart and asked about the…
Our broken federation and its broken GST
The reignited debate about the distribution of GST revenue this month highlights some of the worst aspects of Australia’s damaged…
Could the Katter crew organise horizontal refreshment in a brothel?
Back in 1996, recently retired Ipswich city councillor Paul Tully outed his then fellow councillor Pauline Hanson as a racist…
I’m a person, not a person of color
White women have had their heads on a dartboard since Donald Trump won the election in 2016. We’ve been accused…
Tasmania invades!
For decades they were the butt of jokes and derisory remarks for being the worst State in Australia in having…
Triggering Jeff Sparrow
Like his hero Leon Trotsky during the Russian revolution, contemporary Marxist ideologue Jeff Sparrow has got the irrits with the…
Hillary hits new heights of hypocrisy
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Hillary Clinton was swift to come to her husband’s defence. She said that…
Democrats damned by the Curse of Tay-Tay
Last week, country-turned-pop diva Taylor Swift finally broke her famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) silence on all things…
Marriage à-la-mode
You have had plenty of time to think about it. Tell me, madam, why did you get married? You don’t…
Sydney, you can take your Opera House and…
As a member of a rather sizeable group of Australians who don’t live in Sydney and are not precious and…
Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation is a win for women
Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court is a win for women. It is a win for the rule of…
The week in the world of misandry
A quick peek at what’s going on the flip side of feminism – where it’s all about women. A Queensland…
Is a red wave coming in?
Is it too soon to say that in November, the Democrats will be lucky to see a blue ripple? For…
Restoring the roots
Witnessing the metamorphosis of his own party in the early 1970s, Kim Beazley Senior famously quipped: “When I joined the…
Can you be a feminist and still fuck men?
Unfortunately, the headline to this article isn’t clickbait — it’s something far worse. Can you be a feminist and still…
Deeply, profoundly superficial
Well, it’s going to be an irritating few months before the next NSW election. We had hints of it with…
Regulators, the royal commission and crony capitalism
The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation, and Finances Services Industry has uncovered some inexcusable behaviour. Charging client’s…
Banksy, Michael Spence and the shredding of 3000 years
“It appears we just got Banksy-ed.” So said Alex Branczik, the head of contemporary European art at the auction house…
Fire up your writing engine – and win five grand
Due to popular demand, the deadline has been extended to 5 January 2019