All Articles
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The future budget outlook
As the Treasury Secretary, Steven Kennedy, made clear last week the future Budget outlook is exceptionally difficult. He noted the “pressures to raise more revenue over time” and saw no scope to lower taxes in future. Continue reading »
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Sooner or later, the integrity commission will take out a Labor minister
One of the reasons why some of Labor’s old hands, particularly on the right, regard the prospect of integrity legislation with less than complete enthusiasm is that sooner or later – probably sooner than expected and maybe even before the next election – it will be the instrument of the downfall of a Labor minister. Continue reading »
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Amnesia over Ukraine
The West seems to have forgotten there are several precedents for a solution in Ukraine. Continue reading »
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Storms at the Summit of the Americas
June 7 was a bad day for Luis Almagro, secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS). During the ninth Summit of the Americas, a young man declared to him what he is: an assassin and puppet of the White House, instigator of the coup in Bolivia. He said that Almagro cannot come to give lessons on Continue reading »
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ROBIN CAVALIER: Age distinctions increasingly influencing political outcomes
Thanks to the Australian Electoral Commission’s age profile for each electorate it is possible to analyse how younger and older voters across the nation appear to have taken different paths. Continue reading »
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EU’s report on Hong Kong SAR a twisted narrative
Despite destructive chaos right in Europe’s own backyard, its politicians still find substantial time to lecture China on how its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should be run. Continue reading »
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The US / China blame-game
All wars are avoidable, not just the war in Ukraine, but a future war with China too. Most of Australia’s wars have been unnecessary, as historian Henry Reynolds has shown. A war with China would be both: avoidable and unnecessary. It would be more catastrophic for Australia than any we have fought. Continue reading »
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The immoral army
One of the regular refrains from the Israeli government is that they have “the most moral army” on Earth. Continue reading »
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The AUKUS minefield laid by the Coalition
The previous government’s legacies in defence policy to the incoming Labor government from the nine years they were in power reveal a profound disregard for probity and democratic politics. They are also riven with dishonesty, a manifesto detailing the surrender of national sovereignty, and ultimately a threat to Australia’s peace and security. Continue reading »
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Are Labor just coalition lite on climate?
Australian voters were ecstatic to be rid of the Coalition, but have we jumped out of the frying pan into the fire on climate? Continue reading »
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Quad Hypocrisy on the Law of the Sea
The Quad’s statements regarding upholding the “international order” are hugely hypocritical when it come to the Law of the Sea. Continue reading »
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It’s time to ditch the hierarchy of tertiary education
Education and training carry a heavy weight of expectation in policy development. They are cited as the pathway to prosperity and productivity, a key to innovation and to international competitiveness. Less and less often are they mentioned as the foundation for a healthy and harmonious citizenry. Continue reading »
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Being largely reactive, integrity commissions can’t prevent all corruption: new laws could help
A federal integrity commission alone can’t prevent, for example, the administrative sabotaging – or selective non-enforcement – of a protective Commonwealth law. Targeted prevention legislation is needed. Continue reading »
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Charalambous: Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is a fundamental barrier to peace
When it comes to the question of achieving peace in the Middle East, Labour is clear: in government, we would immediately recognise the state of Palestine. We want to see a two-state solution, with a sovereign and secure Palestine and Israel existing in peace alongside one another. But we must acknowledge how far away that Continue reading »
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American exceptionalism: Our gun culture at home and abroad
There is an insidious and unspoken connection between our gun culture at home and abroad. U.S. politicians and pundits believe that huge defence budgets provide international security for the United States, and many Americans believe that personal weapons provide safety at home. We don’t question the use of deadly weaponry in unnecessary wars overseas; Vietnam, Continue reading »
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Dogfight over the Paracels: Is this how to avoid a Third World War?
The dogfight may belong to the days of the Red Baron, but close aerial manoeuvres are still dangerous and can quickly escalate. Let us hope that is not going to happen between China and Australia. Continue reading »
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If I were the Minister for Immigration policy in the next parliament
Why do business lobby groups prefer governments recruit skilled migrants? Continue reading »
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Rural Policy is about to become much, much harder
As if crafting rural policy were not already difficult, the advent of Sky News Regional in 2021 is likely to render it much more difficult. Given its past performance, Sky News is likely to spread its commentators’ bigoted worldview to millions of Australians who don’t already suffer access to it; and via its website to Continue reading »
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Letter to new Health Minister Mark Butler
Congratulations on your impressive achievement. It is now time for policy implementation. I hope you have a huge agenda. Supporting Medicare is not enough. Our health needs have changed and we know much more about what is needed to meet those needs than we did when Medicare was introduced. We have to embrace the changes Continue reading »
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Fighting the first UK-Rwandan refugee flight
June 10 bore witness to a valiant effort on the part of refugee groups and a trade union to stop what promises to be the first journey of many as part of the UK-Rwanda plan. Their attempt to seek an injunction failed to convince the High Court. Next Tuesday, the first flight from the UK Continue reading »
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DAVEY HELLER – The Australian election: the working class moves leftward under conditions of crisis
The Federal election showed that despite appearances, including the anti-vax rallies and the best efforts of the press, the working class has shifted to the left rather than the right during the last two years of crisis. The election delivered a severe blow to the project of consolidating far right politics through electoral processes. The Continue reading »
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Is America’s ‘Strategic Ambiguity’ over Taiwan a thing of the past?
During President Biden’s recent visit to Tokyo for the Quad meeting, he said the US would intervene militarily in defence of Taiwan, if China were to attack it. Continue reading »
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The wisdom of youth in education
At a time when good news is hard to come by, to hear of the substantial increase in the numbers of young people choosing to study the humanities in New South Wales in defiance of the Morrison government’s “Job Ready Graduates” price changes, is cheering on several fronts. Continue reading »
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HUGH SMITH: Justice – the first casualty of peace?
A 21-year old Russian tank commander, Sergeant Vadim Shysimarin, has been tried and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Ukraine for the murder of a civilian. This is the first war crimes trial arising out of Russia’s ‘special military operation’ – a label which does not exempt any of the combatants from the law of Continue reading »
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If only…..Australia
It would be easy to develop a history of recent Australian history around the theme of if only. Continue reading »
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The Catholic Plenary Council: A suggested preamble
Convoking a Plenary Council as an instrument for Church renewal and reform in Australia has both advantages and disadvantages. Continue reading »
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Jimmy’s story
Looking back it is hard to believe, at 36, I could have been so naïve. Despite having lived overseas for nearly half my life and having travelled extensively through Europe and both North and South America, I was largely innocent of the dark side of human behaviour. It wasn’t until I returned to Australia and Continue reading »
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Why isn’t anyone talking about trust?
Why has there been no discussion of how levels of distrust influenced voters’ decisions in the recent election? There has been wide speculation on why there were such low levels of votes for the Coalition and, to a lesser degree, the ALP as first preferences. There’s also been lots of discussion about the successful rise Continue reading »
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Hannon: A Tribute to Father Eric Hodgens – friend, pastor, priest
In my distant memory, when in 1960, I was a grade 2 student at St James’s Primary School in Gardenvale, I have a vague recollection of a newly ordained priest coming to visit the school and talk to us. I also have a similar recollection from 1959, in Grade 2, when Michael Parer likewise had Continue reading »
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Early lessons from the 2022 election
The famous American writer, economist and political activist, John Kenneth Galbraith said in 1967:” This is a year when the people are right and the politicians are wrong”. Continue reading »
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