Writer
Noel Turnbull
Noel Turnbull has had a 50-year-plus career in public relations, politics, journalism and academia. He blogs at http://noelturnbull.com/blog/
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Saving Labor from a likely defeat
In an ideal world politics would focus on rational and intelligent debate between enlightened people — just like in Ancient Greece — without, of course, the exclusion of women and slaves. Albeit there are some serious doubts about the Liberal Party’s commitment to advancing women. Continue reading »
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Australian social cohesion under threat
The most comprehensive study of Australian social cohesion — The Scanlon Foundation Research Institute Social Cohesion Mapping 2024 Report — has highlighted strains in Australia society which are not yet dire, but are disturbing. Continue reading »
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If only… 22 reasons to regret Australia’s missed opportunities
Everyone has the odd “if only” thought from time to time. If only you had made a different career choice, if only you had not said the things you have said, or if only you had not done some of the things you have done. All those done and not done moments – those decisions Continue reading »
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When will the Trump Musk bromance end?
How long will Elon Musk last in the Trump orbit? Currently he seems to be ubiquitous but that presents a problem for Donald Trump and his massive ego. Continue reading »
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What the Australian War Memorial should be doing about children
Give me the child for the first seven years and I will give you the man was a Jesuit maxim attributed to Ignatius Loyola. It is probably apocryphal, but it is an approach many have taken over the years to implant ideas in young minds. Continue reading »
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Albo makes Dutton look electable
It is now abundantly clear that the Albanese Government is gutless. But what’s worse is that – as recent events demonstrate – it’s also politically incompetent. Continue reading »
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Australia at war – again, again and again
Every year or so Australia gets a bulky new book about an Australian war, military action, hero or some other military matter written by what is known as ‘storians. Continue reading »
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Tragedy followed by farce in Future Fund dispute
When Marx wrote “Hegel remarks somewhere that all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce” he might as well have been talking about the recent spat between former Treasurer Peter Costello and the Albanese Government Treasurer, Jim Chalmers. Continue reading »
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AWM one step forward one step back on Frontier Wars
The Australian War Memorial oscillates between seeming to be ready to admit that Australia’s Frontier Wars ought to be commemorated in the AWM and then leaping back in fright at the thought of backlash from the RSL and others. Continue reading »
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If you think the immediate future under Trump is horrific, just imagine the alternative
WTF just happened? is a question being asked around the world after the US Presidential election. Continue reading »
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What the insurance experts say about Queensland’s climate plans
The new Queensland Premier, David Crisafulli, has made some moderately progressive comments about climate and nuclear energy but they are, when considered in the context of the latest Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index, insignificant compared to the scale of the problems the State faces. Continue reading »
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Bezos sullies Washington Post’s history
Journalists around the world were once inspired by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to commit to significant investigative journalism. Continue reading »
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Could it happen here?
Inauguration Day for the new President in 2025 will mark the 90th anniversary of the publication of Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here. Continue reading »
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A life of achievement in politics
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there were purposeful, progressive and committed Labor Governments. Continue reading »
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Dependency or protectorate?
It is understandable that people around the world obsess about US elections given the cultural and political impact the country has on the rest of us. Continue reading »
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Guess what? Tony Abbott got it wrong
Guess what? Science demonstrates Abbott got it totally wrong on carbon tax Continue reading »
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Is a new American civil war possible? Probably not, but…
It is sometimes difficult to believe the US is not headed towards a new civil war Continue reading »
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Another dumbed down Australian promotion
Australia has come up with some absolute shockers when advertising agencies have been tasked with promoting the country around the world. Continue reading »
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Armed conflict and multimedia at the Australian War Memorial
There is no doubt that multimedia technology can tell stories dramatically. These stories particularly resonate with a generation raised on video games and social media, which are now an intrinsic part of their lives. Continue reading »
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What’s the point of the Albanese Government?
The Albanese government is arguably the most timid Labor Government in our history. Continue reading »
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Bad news for the media
The latest Reuters Institute and University of Oxford report on media in Australia and the world has been published – and it’s bad news for almost all the media – and to some extent the reading public. Continue reading »
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UK water industry still about investors and not consumers
One oft-proven way to make money is to pick up a few gems among a pile of discarded mining rubble. Continue reading »
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“The Sun has won”: exponentially growing solar destroys nuclear, fossil fuels on price
It’s not known if Peter Dutton reads The Economist but if he does, he must probably think from time to time that it is sometimes dangerously left wing. Continue reading »
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Meta and media minnows
It is hard to know whether the bleatings of the major media outlets about losing the Meta $70 million payments under the media bargaining code are pathetic or laughable. Indeed, perhaps both. Continue reading »
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How Dutton’s HALEU nuclear power could lead to nuclear weapons
If a future Prime Minister Dutton was able to get the fuel for a HALEU power station, would you be absolutely confident that he might not want to also dabble in some nuclear weapons procurement as well? Continue reading »
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Who prepared Dutton’s report on nuclear power?
The Canberra Press Gallery is not a homogenous group although its members do seem to suffer from a fair amount of groupthink; preference for gotchas and speculation about what might happen next in politics; and heavy dependence on leaks and drops for copy. Continue reading »
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“We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality…”
“Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.” Continue reading »
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Dutton’s nuclear dream
In the unlikely event that Peter Dutton could manage the succession of problems with nuclear power stations – persistent massive cost overruns; State legislation banning nuclear; and NIMBY backlashes – he would still have a big problem – lack of staff to run the plants. Continue reading »
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What’s wrong with the media?
If you are in Melbourne and travel though the CBD along Collins Street on the 109 tram you pass a nondescript building called Collins House. Continue reading »
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Banned books, manifestos and a better way of reading
At last weekend’s Victorian Writers Festival three authors – two of them also bookshop owners and one of them an author and enthusiastic supporter of bookshops – talked about books and the threat to reading. Continue reading »
