All Articles
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KIERAN NOONAN. Respecting Sacred Spaces
Can you imagine the uproar if, with the convenient burning of the roof of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, the French Minister for Transport approved a plan to build a freeway through the Cathedral? Through the main transept to be precise. Four lanes, dual carriageway. ‘We suppose it will be a bit of Continue reading »
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MICHAEL McKINLEY. Australia’s AUSMIN invitations: clean the driveway, wash the dishes. Again
In the course of the current AUSMIN talks Australia has once again been invited, by the United States, to assume a role for which it is well, indeed over-qualified for – namely to provide janitorial services in the aftermath of a series of strategic debacles by the US itself. Serial prodigality and recklessness are to Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. It’s not only the Russians
As well as having to keep an eye out for Russian electoral interference we now need to watch out for the fake news promulgated by knights of the realm – and the employee whistle blowers who provide the evidence of what their knightly employers, such as Sir Lynton Crosby and his company CTF Partners, do. Continue reading »
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DENNIS ARGALL. The Pompeo view
US Secretary of State Pompeo said a couple of things in Sydney recently that were wrong in fact. He articulated an absurd philosophy about foreign investment, unaware that he’d just accused China of thinking something similar. His utterances of high-minded principles in the Australia-US relationship and US strategic policy mask very dark realities. Continue reading »
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GREG BAILEY. Lobbyists, corruption and neoliberalism
The revelations surrounding the fast tracking of visas for Chinese high rollers coming to Crown Casino and betting gargantuan amounts of money have been extensively covered over the last week in the media. Corruption there certainly seems to be and not a little incipient anti-Chinese sentiment in sheeting this back mainly to wealthy Chinese gamblers. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Alliance Management- Morrison’s First Challenge : Iran
The past week of the Australian-US Ministerial Consultations (Ausmin) talks has presented the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and his inexperienced ministerial team with the first serious test of how to manage the US alliance relationship. Despite the very difficult contemporary problem of coping with the most dysfunctional US administration in recent history we should not Continue reading »
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CONNY LENNEBERG. Youth Foyer model, an education first approach to tackling homelessness
The challenge that youth homelessness represents to our community is not intractable. In Victoria, we are seeing positive outcomes – and bipartisan support – for a new solution in the Education First Youth Foyer model developed by the Brotherhood of St Laurence in partnership with Launch Housing. Not only are these foyers helping young people Continue reading »
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JOCELYN CHEY. One Two,Buckle my Seatbelt; Hong Kong’s Special Status
The world has changed hugely since 1984. China of course has grown richer and more powerful. Since Xi Jinping was made Party and state leader in 2013 it has changed in more sinister ways. He has increased central control and waged a campaign to suppress dissent. Hong Kong’s special status under “One Country Two Systems” Continue reading »
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DAVID ISAACS HOW TO RESPOND TO ANTI-VAXXERS
At the dinner table it is not uncommon to find that someone you know and like is vehemently opposed to routine childhood immunisation. Having worked in this area all my career as a paediatric infectious disease specialist and been a member of every Government immunisation advisory committee for the last 25 years, I have struggled Continue reading »
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TONY SMITH. Here come the boats – and the boots.
When the Australian Government allowed the USA to establish a permanent military base in the Darwin area, it began a process likely to result in expansion. Regardless of how local ‘Hawks’ might try to depict the latest plans for ‘investment’ the announcement shows how little they care for Australian autonomy, and indeed, border security. Continue reading »
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IAN DUNLOP, DAVID SPRATT. Australia’s climate stance is inflicting criminal damage on humanity (The Guardian)
The government opts for conflict rather than change, while suppressing details on the implications of its climate inaction Continue reading »
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HOWARD FRENCH. US at war with itself over China (World Politics Review, 31 July 2019)
America’s foreign policy establishment is at war with itself over the shape of the country’s approach toward a steadily rising China. For now, it is only an epistolary war. But as the debate deepens, its outcome will go far toward deciding how the United States responds to its most serious global rival for economic and Continue reading »
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ANDREW PESCE. Patient Gap payments and Out of Pocket Costs. What needs to be done? Part 2
The first of this two article series quantified and explained out of pocket (OOP) cost in the Australian Health system. Some areas of OOP costs are acceptable and there is no need to intervene. OOP costs for non PBS pharmaceuticals, for example, largely reflect discretionary spending on products with little proven impact on health outcomes. Continue reading »
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The Ultimate Gouge: why Australia, the world’s #1 exporter, now imports gas (Michael West)
What an outrage it is that the Northern Territory doesn’t lift its grape production, instead of importing wine from South Australia! And what about those lazy Tasmanians; rather than growing their own mangoes and pineapples they import them from Queensland! Michael West reports on the bizarre claims of the gas lobby. Continue reading »
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ALLAN PATIENCE: What are Australia’s values?
There has been talk of late about Australia’s values which are said to parallel the values of related countries, especially America and Britain. Implied in this talk is a view that these values characterise civilised – even superior – nations, in contrast to certain countries in our region, especially China. However, precisely what constitutes Australia’s Continue reading »
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MARK BUCKLEY. Buyer Beware – Politicians
When you buy a television you have an expectation that the thing will work, and that it will fulfil the purpose for which you bought it. In Australia we have a robust Consumer Law, which is quite exemplary, and quite differently from many of our human rights practices, actually elicits praise internationally. There is one Continue reading »
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ERIC HODGENS. Catholic Culture Wars and the Pell legacy
A clash of cultures was graphically dramatized in 1968 when Paul VI published Humanae Vitae. It was a major moment in a tumultuous year. Europe was split over the Vietnam War. Student riots paralysed Paris and alarmed a young theology professor in Tubingen, Joseph Ratzinger, into retreat to a fearful conservatism.The baby boomer generation was Continue reading »
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MUNGO MACCALLUM. Hollow man starts his honeymoon.
Newspoll has emerged from its grotto and ScoMo’s troops are cheering. The honeymoon has kicked in, and how. Their messiah has given them a convincing cushion, one that should maintain them in comfort for many months, if not years. Forget those constant predictions of doom and gloom that their bible warned of in the past Continue reading »
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ANDREW PESCE. Explaining Gap Fees and their impact. What you knew and what you may not know Part 1.
There has been recent public and media focus on out of pocket (OOP) costs for Australians receiving health care, usually referred to as Gap fees. Minister Hunt recently announced his intention to establish a Website to publish doctors’ fees. This reflects and maintains the public focus on gap fees charged by doctors. This is indeed Continue reading »
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MAX COSTELLO. It was the best of days; it was the worst of days
July 30, 2019 was the best of days for Australia’s immigration detention centre detainees because, at last, a mainstream media outlet revealed that their cruel maltreatment involved apparent criminal offences under Australian law. It was the worst of days, because it revealed that the law’s regulator had not charged Home Affairs over an emblematic asylum Continue reading »
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JACK WATERFORD. Half-hearted inquiries into casino crime
Where were the former politicians and apparatchiks who became Packer lobbyists when the spotlight focused on Crown? Continue reading »
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CONCERNED CATHOLICS CANBERRA GOULBURN. ‘Break open the word’ on Plenary Council, bishops urged
The credibility and success of the most important event in the Australian Catholic Church in many decades, the 2020 Plenary Council, depends on an open and frank airing of the grave issues crippling the Church. Concerned Catholics of Canberra Goulburn calls on Australia’s bishops to publish all of the 17,457 submissions made from around Australia Continue reading »
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MICHAEL HIRSH. Boris and Donald’s Wrecking Ball (Foreign Policy)
It will be a new sort of “special relationship” as the men who lead the U.S. and the U.K. work to undo what their predecessors built after World War II. Continue reading »
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RICHARD TANTER. An Australian pathway through Pine Gap to the nuclear ban treaty
The Pine Gap Relay Ground Station could be closed, with appropriate notice of intent, without genuine disadvantage to US national security. This would provide a technically and strategically feasible pathway past the most important obstacle posed by Pine Gap to Australia becoming compliant with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons(TPNW). Continue reading »
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MICHAEL WEST. Big Four audit firm bust-up (Michael West, 18 May 2018)
“Is it possible to amend the rules to stop giving (government) work to tax haven connections?” MP Julian Hill posing a question to public service chiefs at a parliamentary hearing into the cost of government. This post by Michael West over twelve months ago is still very relevant.(John Menadue) Continue reading »
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MUNGO MACCALLUM. Gambling stench hits nostrils.
Shock, horror – there is a suspicion that Australia’s biggest and most profitable casinos may not be squeaky clean. And by the way, there have been reports that the pope is a catholic and that two plus two makes four. Continue reading »
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EDWARD WONG. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Israel and Iran and The Rapture. (NYT 30.3.2019)
Yesterday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had dinner with Scott Morrison. They both believe in The Rapture when Christ will return to Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. Importantly at the moment we are being urged to join forces to counter the alleged Iranian ‘menace’ to Israel. See below an article from Edward Wong Continue reading »
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PETER JOHNSTONE. Archbishop rejects top woman theologian – business as usual.
Peter Comensoli, still only 12 months into his new job as Archbishop of Melbourne, seems to have adopted the old ways of Catholic episcopal autocracy. He has unilaterally determined that an internationally acclaimed Catholic theologian, Sister Joan Chittister, be removed from the list of speakers at a conference of Australian educators in September 2020. It Continue reading »
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RACE MATHEWS. Graham Freudenberg.
When I heard the news of Graham Freudenberg’s death last week I wept. Not just for the passing of this generous, passionate, erudite and supremely eloquent man, but for the dreams and hopes that were shared by those of us who worked for Gough Whitlam as Leader of the Opposition from 1967 to 1972. Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 4 August 2019
With apologies for the anthropomorphism, Sydney’s newly-hatched Sea-Eagles would like this week’s round up as it focuses on their future habitats: land and marine environments (with good news about soil carbon and regenerative farming and not good news about deforestation and seabed mining). And for once, an example of Australia leading the way on climate Continue reading »