Writer
Noel Turnbull
Noel Turnbull has had a 40-year-plus career in public relations, politics, journalism and academia. He blogs at http://noelturnbull.com/blog/
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Dutton’s new form of climate denial
When Twiggy Forrest, Private Eye, The Financial Times and Bloomberg all describe why nuclear power is not the answer you have to wonder why Peter Dutton can’t hear the message. Continue reading »
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Weathering the storm: support for multiculturalism resists politicians’ frenzied divisiveness
Reading the latest Scanlon Foundation social cohesion report makes you aware that there are two quite distinct images of Australia. One – totally dark and doom laden – is depicted in the mass and social media and the other – clear-eyed about both serious problems and opportunities – is depicted in the 2023 Scanlon Foundation Continue reading »
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Genocidal wars dominate US history
US politicians and others are always boasting about the US being the greatest in just about any category you can think of – from the record for eating hot dogs in a given time to their so-called democracy. Continue reading »
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Spruiking armaments manufacturers at Last Post ceremony: beyond the pale
If anyone ever imagined that commemoration of our war dead was not an opportunity to make political points look no further than the Daily Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial at the recent opening of Federal Parliament. Continue reading »
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Three Nos at the Memorial make no sense at all
Divisions on the Australian War Memorial Council and political pressure are putting Memorial staff in a difficult position over the depiction of Frontier Wars. This has become clearer as time passes and more evidence becomes available. Continue reading »
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Who leaked sensitive legal material to a Murdoch columnist?
In the 20th century a series of UK investigations, including the Leveson Inquiry, demonstrated that Murdoch newspapers had engaged in phone hacking, police bribery and resort to dodgy private investigators. Continue reading »
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Can Dutton wage culture wars and chew gum at the same time?
As Australia Day looms it’s not surprising that Peter Dutton has yet again found another culture war to prosecute – this time against Woolworths’ decision not to stock Australia Day themed goods. Continue reading »
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Jacinta Nampijinpa Price among most trusted politicians
The latest Roy Morgan Most Trusted & Distrusted Leaders research has bad news for Anthony Albanese but worse news for Peter Dutton. Continue reading »
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What does climate denialist Abbott think of the monarchy now?
Now what on earth will those staunch monarchists and climate denialists – John Howard and Tony Abbott – say about their new king, Charles III, and his very strongly held environmental views? Continue reading »
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What was Parliament doing as the earth boiled?
On the day on which the Earth recorded a global average surface temperature of more than 2 degrees centigrade for the first time since records began what was the Australian Parliament and media doing? Continue reading »
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A satisfying cricket win – and not just for sporting reasons
For a former cricketer (one time Port Melbourne Cricket Club thirds all-rounder) and keen participant in politics it was immensely satisfying to see Australia winning the ICC World Cup while the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was there in the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad to witness it. Continue reading »
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Defending Country campaign exposes the truth about Australia’s longest war
For decades the Australian War Memorial Council denied the need for the full recognition of Australia’s first and longest wars – the Frontier Wars – despite the overwhelming evidence of actions which today would be regarded not only as crimes but also in many cases war crimes. Continue reading »
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Dutton’s Pyrrhic victory
Certainly, Dutton has demonstrated that disinformation, division and some outright lies can confuse and motivate large sections of the community. Continue reading »
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On equality, business needs to get its own house in order
Business is always telling governments, and the rest of us, that Australia would perform much better if we and our rulers took their advice. Continue reading »
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The RSL – from a power lobby to poker machine empire
The RSL was once one of the most influential lobby groups in Australia. Today it is better known for the number of poker machines it operates. Continue reading »
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Want to solve Australia’s housing crisis? Look to Vienna
What do you think of when you think of Vienna? Probably not a model for affordable housing in Australia. Continue reading »
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The Great Australian Silence
Voice proponents flood the streets of major cities as Australian media battles its ‘cult of forgetfulness.’ Continue reading »
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Where are the better angels of our soul?
The Age/SMH Resolve Strategic poll on the Voice referendum was a dramatic reminder that progressives should always be ready for a profound kick in the guts. Continue reading »
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Could Trump be banned from the Presidency?
Could Donald Trump be banned from standing as President? Even in the world of Trumpist paranoid delusions and social media posts it seems improbable. Continue reading »
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What do we want? War! When do we want it? Continually!
Post 9/11 the US embarked on a series of wars to ‘make the world safe’ and more importantly settle old and new scores. Continue reading »
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Parliament of Hills: What a parliament full of Julian Hills could achieve…
It is probably the kiss of political death to promote and celebrate the work of a Labor Government backbencher. After all promotion in the party might be partly due to competence but factional allegiance is more significant. Having too high a profile is probably not an advantage either. But nevertheless… Continue reading »
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What do climate denialists say when the facts change?
John Maynard Keynes is widely believed to have said: Well, when the facts change I change my mind. What do you do? It was probably actually Paul Samuelson although Keynes did say something vaguely similar. Continue reading »
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Will the media miss another massive grassroots campaign?
A great illustration of how much of the media totally overlooks the huge grassroots campaign for Yes is the fact that the Jewish community’s far-reaching campaign has been unsighted in mainstream media coverage of the referendum. Continue reading »
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New research on when AMOC may go amok
There has been much research and speculation about whether the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC, or more popularly the Gulf Stream) may collapse and what the consequences might be. Now there is new 2023 research which firms up predictions as to when it might happen. The bad news – it might be earlier than previously Continue reading »
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400 years and counting: Your social status is determined by class
Due to the entrenched English class system, research has shown that the strong familial persistence of social status across generations has not changed in the UK across 400 years of accumulated data. With growing inequality and the emergence of ultra-wealthy and privileged classes in Australia – are we following the same path? Continue reading »
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What gets some whitefellas angry and anxious
There is nothing that agitates some whitefellas more than an intelligent, articulate and charismatic blackfella. Continue reading »
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Very modern Major General
The Australian War Memorial Council believes it’s a strength that Council members can campaign against Council decisions – a far sighted and enlightened view in many ways but also one that could allow a minority to undermine the AWM’s mission. Continue reading »
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Another great example of English hypocrisy
Why oh why is anyone surprised by English reaction to the Bairstow stumping? Continue reading »
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Ostensibly Voice campaigns are binary – support for yes or no
But underneath the overall campaign are a multitude of subsets of campaign groups and tactics. Continue reading »
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Propaganda works: But Australians still do not want war
The latest Lowy Institute Poll reflects a range of complicated and confusing Australian reactions to our place in the world; the threats we face; and what we think we should do about them. Continue reading »