In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied? Sack her
Twenty-six year-old Muslim youth advocate and ABC TV host Yassmin Abdel-Magied has landed herself in some seriously hot water after…
Malcolm Turnbull: governing for headlines and opinion polls
You would think that after imposing what they had promised not to impose, a new tax on superannuation, or the backpacker tax,…
Hijacking Anzac Day
Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the ANZAC Day dawn service at Martin place. As a first-generation immigrant, it…
Fighting McKenzie, the Anzac spirit and Australian values
Australia has produced some amazing war heroes but none so remarkable, or popular, as Fighting McKenzie from World War I.…
April 25: the stocktaking day for the national consciousness
Anzac Day is stocktaking day for the national consciousness. It’s a special day; a time for Australians not only to…
Marine Le Pen is no saviour
I used to be an avid fan of the TV-series House of Cards. Frank Underwood throwing Zoey Barnes under a…
Christianity, public life and the Thomas Moore option
I’ve always had a soft spot for Britain’s Liberal Democrats. Our tryst began in 2014, when ex-leader Nick Clegg sent…
Ecclesia and empire: a church historian and the Benedict Option
In last week’s Spectator, Orthodox writer and conservative polemicist Rod Dreher invoked Scottish philosopher Alisdair MacIntyre to call on Christians…
Energy policy: Green and red
Do you suffer from high power bills? Never fear, The Greens are here! Like knights in shining green armour they’re…
How China censors your movies
Remember the outrage late last year about Matt Damon playing the lead role in “The Great Wall”? The movie’s trailer…
What are Australian values anyway?
On everyone’s favourite Buzzfeed lite, News.com.au, Malcolm Farr has a go at the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for his stumbling…
What’s so bad about 457 visas?
Malcolm Turnbull claims the Government’s abolition of the 457 visa in favour of more stringent entry requirements for skilled migrants…
Shiny bums, quit yer whinging and on yer bikes!
Once upon a time a Poor Young Single Mother joined the Australian Public Service. She lived, with her child, in…
Democracy is not a la carte
In Australia, the new ACTU boss Sally McManus believes that unions can and should break any law they feel is…
Ba’athism or Islamism?
BOSTON, UNITED STATES — Thought experiment: what if NATO deposed Assad, installed a democracy in Syria… and the public voted…
The last time David Irving came to Oz…
For decades now a man called David Irving has been the subject of fierce contempt to honest scholars, decent citizens…
The Marine le Pen dilemma
French Presidential candidate Marine le Pen represents the counter force to the liberal republican tradition that has solidified in France…
Easter: the twisted tale that brings hope
A few years ago, a short-lived burst of hand-wringing (and not a little mirth) met the announcement that a survey…
North Shore, running sore
On the eve of the North Shore by-election Liberal Party candidate Felicity Wilson was confronted over a string of fibs…
Some things get censored at Sydney Uni…
In 1964, a small student protest movement gained traction across the United States and galvanised the entire nation. At the…
Criminals, Easter and good old Australian values
Believe it or not, Easter celebrates a man who died a criminal’s death and became the foundation for what are…
Sydney University trashes its brand – yet again
Meet Jay Tharappel, a tutor in human rights (!) at the Sydney University. Jay, as even a casual perusal of his…
Domestic violence: where are the realists?
Why are the majority of politicians accepting a spoonful of the gender-biased narrative in Australian parliament without questioning their medication?…
An empty chair, a missing Premier, a poignant metaphor
The British actress, comedian, broadcaster, Liz Carr, known internationally for her work opposing assisted suicide as a disability campaigner as…
Millennials, explained
Apparently, Churchill didn’t say “If you’re not a liberal when you’re 25, you have no heart and if you’re not…