Writer
Margaret Reynolds
Margaret Reynolds is a former councillor and Federal Minister for Local Government. She chaired the Advisory Board of the Australian Centre of Excellence in Local Government at the University of Technology, Sydney 2008-2012.
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How many ABC journalists will report from COP27 in Egypt?
Many loyal ABC supporters were puzzled that our cash strapped public broadcaster could afford the cost of sending 27 staff to London to report on Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, but at least some of us hoped this may signal a fresh direction in overseas news reporting and analysis. Continue reading »
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Wanted: a role for MPs in waging war and seeking peace
There must be a number of current parliamentarians concerned about the direction of foreign and defence policy, but why are they so silent? Continue reading »
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Tasmanian state election result has important lessons for Labor and Liberal parties
The headlines and bland media commentary about the island states weekend election indicates that the Tasmania’s Liberal Government won a major vote of confidence for its policies. But they may end up with just a one seta majority. Continue reading »
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When will Australian political parties professionalise their preselection processes?
The shocking ongoing revelations about men behaving badly in the Australian Parliament has exposed a number of individuals for their misogyny and antiquated attitudes to women generally and their female colleagues in particular. They are discredited dinosaurs who do not belong in any modern workplace ,let alone in the national forum for charting best practice Continue reading »
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Hunger games: is it any wonder that most of the Independents and MPs from small parties are women?
The major parties are largely managed by men who manipulate the choice of candidates to favour men like themselves. I doubt there has been a woman working in Parliament who has not experienced sexual harassment at some time in her career. It is time men in leadership roles faced up to their individual responsibility to Continue reading »
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An open letter to the Prime Minister from ABC friends and supporters
Your recent statement “ There have been no cuts to the ABC “ sadly reminds us of Tony Abbott’s similar bold election promise in 2013, yet this was followed by major cutbacks in his first Budget as Prime Minister. Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. Australian Councils Need a Stimulus Too
Australian councils, as the front line in so many areas of public policy, need to be properly funded in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. Labor Review ignores Centralised Factional Control!
The ALP Reviewers certainly deserve recognition for facing some of the issues which led to its recent Federal election defeat. The Review Team has put on the record the factors contributing to misunderstanding and failure to capture the public imagination. Recommendations are a welcome start in charting new directions. However, the fundamental issue of factional Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. Queensland – A Special Place?
I lived in Queensland for three decades and represented the sunshine state as a Labor Senator for sixteen years. I spent much of my time trying to convince my parliamentary colleagues and the media that Queenslanders are very much like the rest of us. They too are concerned about job prospects for themselves and their Continue reading »
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SHARON PARKINSON, DEB BATTERHAM, MARGARET REYNOLDS. Homelessness soars in our biggest cities, driven by rising inequality since 2001 (The Conversation)
Homelessness has increased greatly in Australian capital cities since 2001. Almost two-thirds of people experiencing homelessness are in these cities, with much of the growth associated with severely crowded dwellings and rough sleeping. Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. Where do we go now?
It’s a sad day for Australian Politics when national reform is rejected and voter priority is reduced to individual benefit . But why should we be surprised ? Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. New opportunity for Code of Race Ethics supported by 54% of the Australian Parliament in 1998.
Senator Penny Wong considers today’s politicians have failed to isolate the extremism of One Nation as effectively as in the 1990s. Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. Ita, the new ABC Chair
It is interesting to ponder the thoughts of the Prime Minister before he decided to make a captain’s call by appointing Ita Buttrose as Chair of the ABC Board. In doing so he has confounded critics and perhaps even signalled some remorse for the Federal Government’s continuous assault on Australian public broadcasting. Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. I love the ABC and I Vote!!
Several public policy issues will be vigorously debated when Australians vote in this year’s Federal Election. But the one policy area where a vast majority of Australians can agree is that our national public broadcaster- the A B C- must be protected. More than 80 per cent of Australians trust the ABC above all other Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. ABC Friends calls for Australians to rally to defend the independence of our ABC
The firestorm that hit the ABC this week is an opportunity for Australians to demand that all political parties commit to absolute independent governance of the ABC. Continue reading »
