Writer
Jerry Roberts
Jerry Roberts, born and raised in Mid-West USA, trained as a newspaper reporter in Perth and has covered politics, manufacturing, and Aboriginal Affairs. He has spent the second half of his life in outback Australia.
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“The great gates of Kiev”: A Cold War story
Europeans endured two world wars in the 20th Century. Surely they have no wish to begin the 21st Century with a third. Continue reading »
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The class of 1942: The brilliance behind the Pastoral Strike
The three great figures in 20th Century Australian public life all met their appointments with destiny in 1942 – Australia’s darkest hour. John Curtin was in Canberra. Weary Dunlop was in Singapore’s Changi Prison. Don McLeod was in Australia’s north-west, recruited to rescue what he called, with his wicked sense of humour, the black sheep Continue reading »
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Children’s Hospital tragedy casts a shadow over Perth
The death of a seven-year-old girl in the emergency department of Perth Children’s Hospital hangs like a cloud over the city and is bringing forth an outpouring both of grief and of questions about Western Australia’s health services. Continue reading »
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Western Australia, the One Party State
Western Australia’s tourism slogan was once The Wildflower State. Then it became The State of Excitement – to the amusement of Victorians. Now WA is the One Party State. After Saturday’s election there is a government in the West without an opposition. Continue reading »
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‘Courageous move, Minister’: WA Liberal leader’s honesty a smart political move
A weakened, wounded bleeding WA Liberal Party is asking voters on Saturday to remember a first principle of democracy – a government needs an opposition. Policy is irrelevant. The only issue is whether a dominant Labor government is going to wipe out what is left of the conservatives in West Perth’s Parliament House. Continue reading »
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Drama in Perth as Election 21 nears
West Australians on the afternoon of Sunday 31 January were preparing for Monday’s start of the school year when Premier Mark McGowan called an emergency media conference to announce the toughest lock-down rules the state has known. Continue reading »
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West Australian Liberals gamble on youth
Like a football club hoping to climb up from the bottom of the ladder, the West Australian Liberals have gone for youth in their latest leadership selection. Continue reading »
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Senate committee extends deadline on banking inquiry
‘Parliament should endorse the Banking Amendment (Deposits) Bill 2020 to explicitly rule out the possibility of bail-in where authorities would allow banks to convert your deposits to shares in a banking crisis — should be a no-brainer for any government.”(John Hewson) Continue reading »
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It is high noon in the wild West for Clive Palmer
Extraordinary legislation rushed through State Parliament this week to protect Western Australia against an estimated $30 billion damages claim marks a dramatic escalation of the Government’s battle with Clive Palmer. Continue reading »
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Clive Palmer complicates life for WA Labor
The legal and political manoeuvres of Clive Palmer are complications for Western Australia’s Labor Government in the final months of its first term in office. Continue reading »
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Save Australia’s Dairy Industry
When John Dahlsen tells us we need to pay more for milk and our dairy industry needs urgent government intervention we should sit up and pay attention. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Alan Jones charges into the cash fight
The Senate Economics Legislation Committee Report on the Government’s cash-ban bill is a dismal whitewash of our banking cartel that betrays the fine work performed during the inquiry by Senators Alex Gallacher and Rex Patrick. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Labor’s deadline is near. Do we have an Opposition?
The Senate Economics Legislation Committee is due to submit its report on the Currency (Restrictions on the Use of Cash) Bill 2019 on Friday 28 February. Labor Senators on the committee have led critical scrutiny of the proposed legislation. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Dangerous banking and religious legislation should be discarded.
Doctors are obliged to warn patients about the risks of surgery before wheeling them into the operating theatre. When the surgery is cosmetic and unnecessary the risks should be weighed even more carefully. Politicians should exercise similar caution with unnecessary, high-risk legislation. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Church and State again
Having withdrawn its religious discrimination legislation, the Government has acted with the speed of an Olympic athlete to bring it back to the public. Perhaps the Prime Minister and Attorney are inspired by the sporting heroes who have stirred up this spurious debate. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. A matter of behaviour.The CFMMEU and the Banks.
The wheels are falling off the Government as Parliament winds down for Christmas. Both Coalition Government and Labor Opposition should consider a comment made by Pauline Hanson, who has asserted her authority with a sorely needed dose of common sense. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. The Labor Party, religion, sex and that sort of thing
The second greatest disaster for Labor following the May election loss is the daily earbashing from mainstream media dishing out gratuitous advice to the Party on how to change policies and win the next election. Absolutely the greatest disaster is the possibility that people within the Party will listen to this stream of right-wing drivel. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Thinking about economics
Whether anybody — anybody at all — understands the workings of the world economy, or even the national economy, is a moot point but there are lots of interesting theories. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS Income management by the Cashless Welfare Card
The Cashless Debit Card when seen in the context of drug testing at Centrelink, tax cuts for the comfortable, religious protection laws. the Witness K trial and open slather for financiers adds to the impression that our country now resembles more closely Margaret Atwood’s Gilead than Ben Chifley’s Australia. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS Income management by the Cashless Debit Card
The Cashless Debit Card when seen in the context of robots and drug testing at Centrelink, tax cuts for the comfortable, religious protection laws, the Witness K trial and open slather for financiers adds to the impression that our country now resembles more closely Margaret Atwood’s Gilead than Ben Chifley’s Australia. Continue reading »
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State and federal issues upset WA Labor State Conference
A long-running dispute within the West Australian Labor Party about the future of Fremantle Harbour was the issue behind the rocky start to Labor’s State Conference but the fight between Anthony Albanese and union leader John Setka added spice to the political weekend in Perth. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS -Religious Discrimination
The Attorney General and Prime Minister are working on religious discrimination legislation that is unnecessary and dangerous. The Attorney is being lobbied by religious extremists who will never be satisfied. This is a classic “race to the bottom” of a type all too familiar in contemporary politics. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS The Religious Right is wrong and dangerous
Israel Folau is arguing that he is entitled to act in an offensive manner because he adheres to a set of childish superstitions about heaven and hell that most of us grow out of when we work out the Tooth Fairy and begin to have doubts about Father Christmas. Continue reading »
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Liberal leadership change in WA shows conservative confidence
Liza Harvey’s unopposed ascension to leadership of the West Australian parliamentary Liberal Party points to growing confidence among conservatives in the West but Mike Nahan deserves high praise for holding the fort after the Liberals’ 2017 rout. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS Mining, taxation and Australia
Turning points in political history are few and far between. Election 2019 was not one of them but the failure to instal the mining tax in 2010 was just such a pivotal moment. One of the consequences of that failure was Labor’s fiddly set of tax polices rejected by voters on Saturday 18 May. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. The dumbing-down of politics, religion and trade unions
Getup! is campaigning in Western Australia against Attorney General Christian Porter. In the parochial West, as in Peter Dutton’s Queensland seat, this foreign presence may favour the incumbents. By the same token the trade union campaign to change the rules by changing the government could help the Coalition. The present government is not responsible for Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Labor’s targets in Western Australia.
Even without the extra hour’s time difference from daylight saving, West Australians often know the result of federal elections before they vote on Saturday evening. This will most likely be the case again in May, despite Scott Morrison’s dramatic journey to Christmas Island. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. The banking culture in context.
Our banks are urged to change their culture and the federal government proposes a Commission to fight corruption but such measures scratch the surface. Our problems are not hidden behind closed doors. They are in plain sight. They are in full public view. Our society worships false gods. Old Testament scholars advise us that such Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Sir Joh and The Donald
Queensland’s longest-serving Premier, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, cultivated the public image of a country bumpkin. A book about his career was called The Hillbilly Dictator. Donald Trump has taken a similar act to the international stage. Has the world ever seen such a performance? No Hollywood star goes close to The Donald. The President of the Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Australian banks and the global financial system.
As we consider trivial matters such as which political party will form the government of Oz can we find time to look at the serious side of life? What is important? Banking and the world financial system for starters. Continue reading »
