In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.
Policy consistency: The Conversation last year, the ABC today?
Last year the government withdrew its funding from the pseudo-academic website The Conversation, saying its aggressive expansion appeared to indicate it…
Death and taxes (and even more taxes)
Australia’s state and federal death taxes (aka estate duties or inheritance taxes) were consigned to the graveyard of abolished taxes…
$38,000 cash for each lucky voter plus a chance to shame the Nats
Resurrected Western Australian Nationals leader Brendon Grylls is standing firm. Deluded, but standing firm. He’s demanding that a future government…
Lord Zimmers and the High Tories*
‘Even if we allowed you to vote − which is never going to happen − you serfs would only be…
How the left created Donald Trump
Regardless of who wins the American presidential election, the most interesting and constructive question surrounding this grim circus can already…
Electoral fraud: why no action?
When Donald Trump says the election is rigged he is probably referring to two issues. The first is that the…
The two true deplorables
We live in an age where everyone is told: follow your dreams. Let your passion guide you. But, most of…
Is Islam compatible with Australian values?
As regular as clockwork, a new week brings a new poll showing Australians are questioning whether Islam is compatible with liberal…
Want to be leader? Who cares?
On a fantastic episode of South Park Eric Cartman was kidnapped by a deranged serial killer, tied to a chair…
SJW Morrison just walks past the guys
General Douglas MacArthur once opined “old soldiers never die, they just fade away.” One general who has not heeded this…
Forget the fringe, it’s time for Disraeli down under
Politics as of late has created a phenomenon of extremism. In Australia, we’ve seen the rise of One Nation; America,…
Hanson, harangues and our sophisticated race debate
In 1996 when Pauline Hanson called for ATSIC to be abolished and all Australians to be treated equally, she was…
Sydney University’s female trouble
It’s perhaps the single greatest prank in the history of University of Sydney student politics. The Sydney Morning Herald reports:…
Climate change? The future lies in innovation, not the same-old, same-old
The industrial burning of fossil fuels has released CO2 that is purported to be responsible for .7 degrees of planetary…
The ACT votes for spin
Apparently, Canberrans have decisively voted for a light rail. At least this is how various commentators have interpreted last weekend’s ACT election result. But…
Reconciliation: let’s focus on the achievable referendum
Readers of Flat White will have noted John Stone’s preview of a forum held at Parliament House on Wednesday. The purpose of the event was to…
Time to Ged real about the CFMEU
On Monday’s Q&A, ACTU leader Ged Kearney claimed that the Government’s proposed reinstatement of the ABCC was about ‘union breaking’…
Murdoch and Assange: The Donald’s two unlikely Aussie helpers
Like a lot of Australians I’ve been captivated over the last few months by the prospect of a Trump victory. …
At least Abbott stands for something
If Malcolm Turnbull eventually loses his leadership for a second time, his pathetic arse-over-tit performance on gun control this week…
Oh to be Mia
I’ve always looked at people like Mia Freedman and been intrigued by the level of self-importance it must take to…
Constitutional recognition? Tell ’em they’re dreamin’
In Canberra today the Constitutional Education Foundation of Australia will hold a Forum on the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal Australians…
Aren’t you glad you’ve got quality media like the ABC?
ABC boss Michelle Guthrie is in Canberra for Senate estimates today, no doubt being subjected to indignities by hard-right culture…
Bambi’s budget bottom line still dogged by worries
The Baird government recently announced a $4.7 billion budget surplus for 2015-16, more than a billion dollars above the estimate…
Cory Bernardi and the deplorables
Cory Bernardi has endorsed Donald Trump… kind of. Writing on Facebook, Bernardi said: For millions of Americans worried about what…
Bob Day goes – and will the left’s Diverse-O-Meter explode?
Bob Day this morning placed his companies into liquidation and resigned from the Senate. Family First will now chose a…
Editor’s picks
Magazine
Net zero bandwagon’s wheels are wobbling
As Bowen heads off to another pointless Cop gabfest
Trigger warning: common sense outbreak at UN!
United Nations calls out trans threat to women’s sports
