Writer
John Menadue
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
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Pearls and Irritations adds language translations to its string
We want to speak your language. Continue reading »
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The Queen complained that Gough Whitlam was rude to the lesser Royals
In 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica, aboard her yacht The Britannia, the Queen told me that ‘your Prime Minister had been ‘rude’ to my family.’ I was the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time. Continue reading »
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The demarcations and restrictive work force practices in our health ‘system’ are a public scandal
Our eighteenth century health workforce structure needs a root and branch overhaul. But governments are too frightened to tackle health providers like doctors and pharmacists. Blue collar workers however are easy prey. Continue reading »
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The Defence Strategic Review – We are becoming a proxy or is it a patsy for the US in a possible conflict with China
The Defence Strategic Review must warn Minister Marles about the dangerous path he is committing Australia to. We are becoming a spear carrier for the US. Continue reading »
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Prince Charles and John Kerr – the odd pair in PNG planning the dismissal of Gough Whitlam-A repost
In the heat of early spring 1975 in the New Guinea highlands, the Governor General, Sir John Kerr sidled up to Prince Charles and suggested a quiet chat. Their topic? The possible dismissal of the Prime Minister. Continue reading »
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The major parties refuse to tackle the lobbying scourge. Can the Teals and the Greens save the day?
The major obstacle to lobbying reform is that for members of parliament, their staff and senior officials, lobbying provides a very lucrative income when they leave parliament, the military or the public service. So they refuse to act on the lobbying scourge. Continue reading »
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In her ‘devotion to duty’ the Queen sacked an Australian PM described by Philip as a ‘socialist arsehole’
In the mammoth royal love in we are enduring, we are told about the Queen’s cordial relationship with numerous PMs. But not Gough Whitlam. That would upset our colonial mind set. We try and shut out the Queen’s implausible and misleading denial on the Whitlam sacking. (The following is a repost from 26 January 2021). Continue reading »
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Defence Strategic Review – Read all about it
According to the terms of reference Defence Security Review is now required to ensure that Defence has the right capabilities that are postured to meet the growing strategic challenges that Australia and its partner countries will face in the world in coming years. Continue reading »
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The Defence Strategic Review and the loss of our strategic autonomy to the US
Over the next two weeks we will be running a series of articles to focus on the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) which is headed by Sir Angus Houston and the Hon. Stephen Smith. In becoming a US proxy, even patsy, we are on a risky and dangerous path. Continue reading »
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The Greens are at it again
The Greens are threatening to block the referendum on the ‘Voice’ which promises to give effect to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Continue reading »
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News Corp – How a rogue organisation operates. A repost from 27 October 2017
What power always does is reveal. Continue reading »
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Gough, Rupert and the London job.
“The prime minister was spotted at the media empire’s Holt Street offices on Wednesday, when, we’re told, Albo, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong met News Corp cochairman Lachlan Murdoch and senior editors of the media empire’s Australian mastheads”.(SMH 26 August 2022) Continue reading »
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The truth about Gough Whitlam, Murdoch and China
With more than 90,000 views, this interview that Jordan from the Friendly Jordies conducted with John Menadue in 2020 was received with much praise from viewers. “This dude is like 70 and he gets the current landscape more than people half his age”, writes one, “This man is a primary source, if I ever have Continue reading »
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Northern Australia is becoming a US military colony
Julia Gillard delivered a gushing speech to the American Congress in March 2011. Then eight months later she agreed to US Marines in Darwin. Continue reading »
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Barilaro-State government overseas offices are waste of money
The States should stick to their knitting and stop deluding themselves about their overseas role. Continue reading »
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John Menadue: The Ukrainian / Zelensky propaganda war
Amnesty International has just released a report that drew attention to Ukrainian violations of International Law in its war with Russia. It quickly became a footnote in the propaganda war. Continue reading »
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Is the Liberal Party abandoning war talk on China?
Is Dutton also preparing to shift ground? Continue reading »
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How our White Man’s Media frames and conditions our thinking and actions
Most political colonies have come to an end. But a colonial mind set continues in the media. Continue reading »
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The US lectures us about a ‘rules based international order’ but ignores rules when it suits – think Diego Garcia
China is rightly criticised for building islands for military purposes in the South China Sea while ignoring an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) brought by the Philippines. But what of the huge US base in Diego Garcia? Continue reading »
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Our dangerous ally could drag us into war with China.
The most likely way we could get into a war with China is if we continue to act as a proxy or deputy sheriff for the US in the region. Nancy Pelosi is doing her best to provoke China. Continue reading »
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NATO has an overriding institutional commitment to its permanent existence, if not expansion
This is a comprehensive, sobering review by Jonathan Cook who concludes that Washington’s greatest fear is that, as its economic muscle atrophies, Europe’s vital trading links with China and Russia will see its economic interests – and eventually its ideological loyalties – shift eastwards, rather than stay firmly in the western camp. Continue reading »
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It’s time for a Human Rights Act for Australia. We have waited too long
Our record in protecting our human rights is being seriously eroded in many areas -the right to silence, the right to a fair trial, the presumption of innocence, freedom from cruel and inhuman treatment and freedom from arbitrary detention. Continue reading »
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The scourge of lobbyists and a role for the Greens and Teal. A revised post from Jan. 3 2022
Regulation of the way we manage lobbying in Australia is an even more important issue than a National Integrity Commission. The lobbying of governments around the world by the fossil fuel industry is a major reason for the Climate Emergency we now face.. Continue reading »
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A memory jogger that China and Australia once were allies. ( A slightly amended post update from September 7, 2014)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to draw Australia into his enmity towards China and he did so in the Australian parliament recently. Unfortunately Tony Abbott allowed himself and Australia to be drawn into Shinzo Abe’s agenda of hostility to China which is not in Australia’s interest. Continue reading »
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Will the Greens be smarter this time
The Greens will have more seats in both houses of Parliament. That is welcome. But in the past they have not used their power wisely. The perfect became the enemy of the good. Continue reading »
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Media Watch and the Election 2022
After what has been described as a turbulent campaign, often devoid of vision, ABC’s Media Watch dissected the coverage and behaviour, and whether it swayed the final result. Continue reading »
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How Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister could rewrite the script
Below is a repost of articles which we posted earlier on guidance for a new government on important policies. Continue reading »
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If I were the Minister for Health
I would progressively wind back and eliminate the $14b pa taxpayer subsidy for Private Health Insurance and use that very large sum to fund the inclusion of dental care within Medicare and increase the funding to the states for expanded specialist services in outpatient clinics at public hospitals. Continue reading »
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The Murdoch media has gone rogue again in the 2022 election (Updated repost from 27 Oct, 2017)
Denis Muller puts it this way in The Conversation Continue reading »
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The repeated lie that Morrison stopped the boats. An updated repost from March 11, 2021
Our corporate media will not acknowledge that Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison did not stop the boats. Despite clear evidence, the Canberra Press Gallery fell for the spin. With a tame media and cooperation by the military, the big lie was repeated time and time again and became accepted as fact. This was all before Donald Trump Continue reading »
