Writer
Jack Waterford
John Waterford AM, better known as Jack Waterford, is an Australian journalist and commentator.
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Why won’t Australia promote its own interests, not America’s
Dutton is not merely promoting his own personal interests here; he is trying to save a government, not least given Morrison’s ineptness with most of the planned campaign points. Continue reading »
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The Chinese dead cat in the ring
If I were a major superpower wondering which political party of an unfriendly country I would prefer won an election, I doubt that I would choose the one most likely to be friendly or nice. Continue reading »
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Albanese leaves supporters wondering: is there a line he won’t cross?
Labor played party games when it should have been making a clear stand against bigotry. Continue reading »
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Morrison left empty-handed by botched attempt to appease bigots
The Prime Minister’s abject defeat spotlighted the decline of his moral authority and standing in his party. Continue reading »
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Losing control: Morrison out on his own on campaign trail
Scott Morrison will be on another one-man campaign — none of his colleagues are much help and those who could be are focused on their own survival. Continue reading »
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PM bogged and vulnerable in the face of the enemy’s guns
Scott Morrison’s press club address did the opposite of what he intended, leaving open the question of whether he’s fit to lead Australia.. Continue reading »
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Out of touch, and out of time? Another 2019 looks impossible for Morrison
No matter how he has tried to escape responsibility, including blaming the states, the public has seen through his bluster. Continue reading »
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Turning away: will Australians render Grace Tame’s judgment on Morrison?
The Australian of the Year was immune to the Prime Minister’s blandishments. He may find the voters in a similar frame of mind. Continue reading »
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Slow and steady Albanese may not outdistance that wily hare Morrison
The public does not know Albanese well enough to have a ‘feel’ for him. That’s why his electoral shyness is a liability. This is the second of two articles. Continue reading »
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Is unsure, cautious Albanese wily enough to outwit Morrison?
Voters like the Labor leader, but there are no signs of a passionate embrace. This is the first of two articles. The second will appear tomorrow. Continue reading »
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A sense of mission required for the (eventual) post-Covid nation
We need a statesman to recognise the opportunity to renew health services after the disruptions of the pandemic. This is the second of two articles. Continue reading »
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Our post-pandemic healthcare system will need massive investment
Understaffed hospitals and care facilities, burgeoning surgery backlogs, insufficient medical graduates, rising mental health problems – the list of challenges ahead is formidable. Continue reading »
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Health officials’ timidity to politicians has hampered pandemic response
If Morrison has his way with impression management, the pandemic is now simply a problem for the states, with the Commonwealth scarcely having a role. Continue reading »
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Co-opted under Covid: health experts set up for blame they may deserve
As the pandemic enters its third year, politicians are demanding their advisers follow theories about the roles of government and the private sector. Continue reading »
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A continuing pandemic puts more than economic recovery at risk
One cannot pretend that Morrison has been unaware of both the health and political risks. His apparent policy paralysis therefore seems inexplicable. Continue reading »
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Slow learner: ill-advised Morrison set to repeat end-of-year pratfalls
The holidays should be a chance for some contemplation about the Prime Minister’s strategy and tactics, as well as about urgent tasks of government. Continue reading »
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Minister, it’s a minefield: is Dutton playing chicken in the Taiwan Strait?
Part 2: Perhaps Australia is acting to a script agreed in Washington — seeking to increase China’s uncertainty about how the US will respond. Continue reading »
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War without winners: Taiwan presents a trap for both China and US
China could contemplate seizing the island to demonstrate American decline. But world reaction to such a breach of the peace would likely be great. Continue reading »
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States can supplant outsource-happy Canberra as ideas engine room
There is a great opportunity for honest discussion of more efficient and effective divisions of power and responsibility, writes Jack Waterhouse. Continue reading »
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Perrottet prognosticates: imaginative premiers will revitalise federal system
The NSW premier is a fecund source of ideas about the future of the federation. And he believes the states should be at the forefront of reform. Continue reading »
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Morrison’s mistakes may be the making of a better system of governance
As the nation contemplates life beyond the Coalition, it becomes possible to imagine a retreat from over-powerful government, writes Jack Waterford. Continue reading »
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It’s time for Morrison to consider his legacy as electoral wilderness looms
The prime minister may not be able to save his electoral skin, but he can help the Coalition to become a competent opposition, writes Jack Waterford. Continue reading »
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For the prime minister, self-delusion now an ingrained tic
Scott Morrison isn’t the only chronic liar in politics. He might not even be the worst. But he’s doing further damage by refusing to admit any error. Continue reading »
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How Scott Morrison is trashing the Liberal brand
Scott Morrison’s personality and style has infected the whole government — the sclerosis and the lack of flexibility on general positions is now built-in. Continue reading »
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Steady on ranters, Victoria is not descending into totalitarianism
The ”crowd” has not spoken. Media interests, and the Coalition, have no sure instinct for what voters think about pandemic management. Continue reading »
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Derring-do Dan: Victoria’s decent ‘dictator’ should take back the initiative
The premier could turn the tables on critics by demanding explanations about the Morrison government’s favouring of NSW and other pandemic missteps. Continue reading »
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Labor must be more spirited for voters to know what it stands for
If a Labor campaign cannot cause any enthusiasm or aspects of a mass movement among younger voters, Labor is doomed to lose the next election. Continue reading »
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Labor could lose the election — and it just might deserve to
You might think Labor is poised to win the next election, but it’s doing everything it can to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Continue reading »
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Clown but not out: foreign policy failures won’t wing Morrison
Despite his French frolics and Glasgow flameout, this PM will rely on domestic optimism when he chases his second poll win. Continue reading »
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Move on, mate: Morrison’s performance demeaned us all
Our leader’s many flaws make even more urgent the need for an integrity watchdog, which would shoot down his blustering evasions. Continue reading »
