In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.
Free speech gets shredded
Last Thursday Dr Anne Aly, the Member for Cowan, shared a video of herself shredding the Institute of Public Affairs’ submission…
Nationalism or neo-liberalism, just sell your case better
Surely you’ve all seen Tony Abbott’s punchy op-ed in The Australian, and the wee tiff it’s sparked within the Liberal government. In case not, here’s…
Privatise the ABC
The Middle-Class Rip Off is an episode of the great British satire Yes Minister, where Humphrey Appleby excoriates his minister Jim Hacker, for suggesting that…
A grey beard isn’t everything in politics
Change is the only constant. Ultimately, that is the only truth there is, and anything else you hear is more…
How industrial awards hit people with disability
Australia has historically had poor rates of labour force participation for people with a disability, ranking well into the bottom…
Time for the RSL to get off its knees
If ever there was an act of national moral cowardice it has been the RSL’s nil response to plans to…
Farewell to the man who brought The Spectator to Australia. Sorta…
The idiot children at the media company that bears his family name still haven’t got the story up online, but…
Parliamentary perks: entitlement versus inconvenience
They say that if you want friends in politics you should get a dog, but if pollies want to find…
What went wrong with The Economist?
I first encountered The Economist magazine as an undergraduate at the London School of Economics in the early 1960s. Richard Lipsey…
South Australia: political geography and globalisation
In 1996 I published Globalising Australian Capitalism. The book generally gave a favourable account of the then bipartisan policy response…
Sussan Ley: every cloud has a silver lining
Notwithstanding investigations under way into stood-aside Health minister Sussan Ley’s touching fondness for the Gold Coast, it now appears she…
Legal euthanasia for Victoria? Beware
Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury and Finance, Daniel Mulino, has hit back at suggestions that assisted suicide and euthanasia can…
Meryl darling, check your privilege
What is there to say about Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globes that hasn’t been said already? Probably nothing,…
What? The Age is still publishing?
Back from hols and what do I find? Much to my surprise, there’s still a print edition of The Age.…
The RSL must embrace change or die
Once Australia’s premier veterans’ advocacy organisation, the Returned and Services League is in rapid if not terminal decline. Its leadership…
The solution to the F-35 nightmare
We who have fought on the side of the angels in the global warming battle may soon have our rest.…
Serious-ley, Prime Minister?
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has blundered today by referring his embattled Health Minister Sussan Ley’s travel claims off to the…
Trump and Russia: too much too soon
Donald Trump wants closer and friendly ties with Russia and has long declared he will push for a realignment towards…
On sh-t art
We’re now well into the thirteenth hour, where basically all modern art is the epitome of what’s wrong with modern…
Big Brother is watching you (for training purposes)
As the dust settles after the momentous earthquakes of Trump and Brexit, one fact remains standing amongst the rubble: our…
Parliamentary travel for dummies
Much like 2016 to beloved celebrities, or quiet Friday night drinks to one’s brain cells, travel allowance can kill even…
Why we hate campaigning celebrities
Admit it. For just a fleeting moment you thought to yourself, ‘I hope Trump does go on a fascist rampage,…
Chrenkoff and the delcon ding-dong
One of my Facebook friends has re-published my piece on The Road to Ruin his wall, and boy, haven’t I…
The war on Christianity in the Arab world continues
As you celebrate with your loved ones the New Year, spare a thought for the Christians in the Middle East…
The Road to Ruin (traveled slowly)
At the beginning of last month, until I was rudely interrupted by a Jordanian hacker, I started writing thoughts on…