Greg Bailey

Greg Bailey is Adjunct Associate Professor of Linguistics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University.  His main field of interest is ancient India literature and history.

Greg's recent articles

Commercial lobbying - an abrogation of democracy?

Commercial lobbying - an abrogation of democracy?

Lobbying has been part of politics for the past two millennia, but in the past twenty years it has become an artform in persuasion and influence. At times it is scarcely possible to distinguish the elected representatives from unelected politicians. It seems now that a political career is not just election to a parliament, but involves three consecutive components: initial work as a ministerial staffer, election to a safe seat and retirement into work as a consultant or lobbyist.

On the tyranny of the short term

On the tyranny of the short term

What has become very apparent in public policy over the past twenty years is the extent to which the short-term is given precedence over the long-term. Both major political parties live to win the next election, and the mainstream media joins in rapturously because it treats politics as a binary competition that is most sensationally conceptualised in the short-term.

Fearmongering: the medias creation of fear in the general public

Fearmongering: the medias creation of fear in the general public

It has often been suggested that the LNP have always used an underlying fear and insecurity in the general public as a means of securing voting support on the basis that they offer better protection against external and internal threats. Typically, these threats are left vague, yet it is wholly evident that the main stream media is intent on ramping up China as an external threat and Middle East and youth crime gangs as an internal threat. Is Climate Change presented as a threat to our security? Rarely, and usually in an entirely non-systematic manner.

The degradation of the University

The degradation of the University

Like other large public and private sector organisations, universities have now been pervaded by the activities and influence of consultants. This represents a degradation of the social and educational role of the university as well as a determined shift towards the privatisation of knowledge.

The ALP Victorian state conference and AUKUS

The ALP Victorian state conference and AUKUS

An attempt by certain Labor affiliated left-wing unions to put a motion critical of AUKUS at the recent ALP Victorian State Conference was deferred by factional bosses even before it was put. That it was deferred tells us as much about the hierarchy ignoring the rank and file of the party as it does about the massive folly that is AUKUS.

"China threat" a distraction from climate change, economic inequity

"China threat" a distraction from climate change, economic inequity

Whilst much has been made of the extremely intemperate attempt by the Channel Nine newspapers to stir up fear against China, and their lauding of the AUKUS agreements and the massive amounts to be spent on nuclear submarines, little has been said about how this has been a distraction from fundamental issues the country is facing. Not the least of these is the refusal of the Labor government to implement policies that would take it away from the disastrous years of the coalition government.

Civilian casualties in Ukraine-5,000? In Yemen-380,000? But Western Media tells a different story!

Civilian casualties in Ukraine-5,000? In Yemen-380,000? But Western Media tells a different story!

Whilst resort to warfare must be strongly deprecated in virtually all circumstances, it is arguable that the media treatment of specific conflicts and the resulting casualtiesboth civilian and militarydiffers considerably from war to war and can easily break down into black and white categories, based on factors other than the war itself. The recourse to particular forms of categorisation tells us as much about the media itself as it does about the particular conflicts being reported upon.

What now for government in Australia?

What now for government in Australia?

Now that the ALP has formed a government, we should ask what it can practically do to restore governance in Australia and convince the Australia public of the massive task it, and the public confront, in the face of so many festering problems. This task will not be easy, but a comprehensive narrative will have to be developed and communicated, laying down unequivocally the nations problems and their solutions.

Election 2022: The journalists delight and the avoidance of policy

Election 2022: The journalists delight and the avoidance of policy

Now that the election has been called journalists-and not just those locked in the Canberra bubblewill be salivating with anticipation over what will happen over the next six weeks: all the gotcha moments, all the dirt, the denials, the photographic moments. Everything but the detailed policy statements.

United Australia Party is invoking freedom to win votes. So is the prime minister

United Australia Party is invoking freedom to win votes. So is the prime minister

'Freedom' has been a rallying point for those disaffected by Covid restrictions, and Clive Palmer's UAP is trying to capitalise on it.

Ziggy Switkowski: the corporatisation of Australian universities and Crown Casino

Ziggy Switkowski: the corporatisation of Australian universities and Crown Casino

After a stellar career at the pinnacle of several large corporate entities, Ziggy Switkowski seems to have fallen to Earth after resigning as chancellor of RMIT university.

The Covid pandemic as a force for change in Australian society and governance

The Covid pandemic as a force for change in Australian society and governance

The pandemic can teach us how to have a more economically and culturally equitable community.

Murdoch coverage of the pandemic - a dumping for Dan and a free ride for Gladys.

One of the advantages of COVID from a government and media perspective is that it has allowed other crucially important issues to be left aside or placed on the back bench until the pandemic is under control. As always a crises provide opportunities for ambitious politicians and their media supporters.

Scott Morrison as Governor-General

Prime Minister Scott Morrison tries to be everywhere and everything to all people, immersed in the minutiae of politics while trying to convey the impression that he stands above it. This offers a parallel with the Governor-General of Australia who must be seen to be apolitical and a symbol of both unity and stability. The present Governor-General seems to have withdrawn from the limelight, to be replaced by our marketing PM.

Prince Philip: royalty remains central to Australian identity

With the death of Prince Philip on Friday the reaction in Australia's media has been overwhelming. Stories about his humorous, and sometimes offensive, statements have been repeated ad nauseum and his service to the broader community in the Commonwealth lauded. This saturation coverage reinforces how powerful the image of the monarchy and a stable Britain is in the minds of the public and the mainstream media.

Tunnel vision: the medias love affair with Craig Kelly and conflict

The media's focus on divisive figures like Craig Kelly simply excuses the equally dangerous views of his less vocal, climate change denying colleagues. It is on these politicians that the media should focus.

2020 and beyond. Comeback, but to what?

Scott Morrisons government has been spruiking its life and economy saving program named Comeback on television and digital platforms. This means comeback from the unexpected changes imposed on individuals and the economy in 2020 by the COVID virus. But comeback to what?

COVID 19 and Victoria: responsibility in Australian politics - Part 2

The COVID epidemic has laid bare many of the stresses that have been building up in Australian society, polity and economy over the past four decades.

COVID 19 and the transformation of Victoria - Part 1

As Melbournians waited with bated and unbated breath for the announcement last Sunday about relief from the Stage Four lockdown, the pressure that has been increasing dramatically for the past month has eased. Will a new normal be reached?

Lobby Land. Influencers or influenced?

Who lobbies the lobbyists? Not the voting public, not the politicians who are part of the reception and creation of knowledge which is the raison dtre of lobbyists, consultants, public relations firms and government relations officers in the large corporations. Only a few journalists like Michael West, the Grattan Institute and journals like P & I.

The IPA, Tim Wilson, human rights and influence

That Tim Wilson used his Human Rights Commission email account for political purposes when he became the Human Rights Commissioner may seem trivial or utterly irrelevant as he calls it. Yet surely it risked compromising the independence of the Commission and represents a new form of politicization of the public service.

Australia and the USA as ambiguous mirror images (Part 2 of 2)

If Australian governments over the past three decades have been unrepentant in intensifying our alliance with the USA it is because many conceive us of having identical interests rather than just as having identical values? But does the identity of interests arise from a perception of identical values and historical development?

Australia and the USA as ambiguous mirror images (Part 1 of 2)

Australian governments still cling like a lichen to the USA in foreign policy, neoliberal values, a bi-polar view of the world (China vs. freedom) and so-call democratic values. But is Australia as close to the culture (s) of the USA as seems to be uncritically accepted and are these values really those which some believe unite us?

GREG BAILEY. COVID-19 and Tax Havens

Now that three governments in the EU have announced that during the COVID-19 crisis they will give no government funding to companies registered in tax havens, we wait to see if this prohibition is continued after the crisis is over. Will it be extended to countries beyond the EU, especially those in the Anglo-Celtic sphere?

GREG BAILEY. Covid-19 and personal liberty.

It has been many years since Australians experienced a crisis like the present one where all paradigms have been turned upside down. The social implications of the need for physical isolation are immense and the economic costs, both personal and national, are equally significant.

GREG BAILEY. Predictability, Society and the COVID 19 Virus

The economic stimulus must adopt a whole of society approach, focusing on those of lower income, of a kind that it has consistently refused to do. If it does this and, above all, can be seen to be doing it, then Australia may emerge out of this crisis as a better country than it was it went in.

GREG BAILEY. On Values, Australia Day and Community Resilience

The Age of 26/1/20 published on a single page, under the title Comment, lengthy statements by the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader, both accompanied by pictures that could be described as entirely neutral. Any illumination of either statement regarding what the future policies of either party might be was largely doomed to darkness, as motherhood statements and vagaries about resilience and Australian values were the order of the day.

GREG BAILEY. Climate Change Politics in Theory and Practice (3). The Liberal National Party

It is really the LNP government over the last six years that should have been making the run on climate change mitigation, but it has done nothing apart from giving handouts-Direct Actionto certain favoured recipients. Any efforts it might have made on climate change mitigation were completely derailed by Tony Abbott when he became prime minister and his extreme denialist attitude continues to the present day.

GREG BAILEY. Climate Change Politics in Theory and Practice (2). The ALP

Arguably the ALP since its election loss in 2013 has not been able to legislate for climate change mitigation though it was able to make some contribution when the National Energy Guarantee was proposed in 2017only to be defeated by the right of the LNP. However, It had played a significant role in its genesis, in part because it was a COAG development involving some state Labor energy ministers. When it was in office from 2007-2013 its efforts in developing a carbon tax gave us a taste of what might have been.

GREG BAILEY. Climate Change Politics in Theory and Practice (1).

Given the centrality of the problem of an emerging climate catastrophe in the consciousness of many Australians now, it is timely to canvas the progress of the two main parties in conceptualizing and dealing with climate change. Not just because of what they might or might not have done in the past, but because of what their activity or inactivity portends for the future.

GREG BAILEY. The New South Wales Fires, the National Party and Climate Change. PART 1

In responding on Monday to the severity of the NSW and QLD fires two senior NP politicians made statements attacking the Greens in a manner that was most intemperate and which has attracted almost universal criticism? But was their underlying motivation genuine concern for those affected by these predictable fires, or a desperate attempt to win back some of the electoral support slowly dripping away from them?

GREG BAILEY. The New South Wales Fires, the National Party and Climate Change. PART 2

The intemperate language used by McCormack and Joyce points to the Nationals own desperation about their constituency. Equally it has given an opportunity to the prime minister to appear statesman-like and the ALP to remain silent. Both illustrate how politicians regard the attention span of the electorate in regard to worsening environmental conditions.

GREG BAILEY. For A New Enlightenment

It has been pointed out numerous times that neoliberalism, the prevailing orthodoxy of governance, grew off the carcass of neo-classical economics. That this intellectual paradigm has failed is obvious to most people except for politicians in the Anglo-Saxon world and the EU. A new paradigm that brings together rigorous rationalistic thinking based on empirical evidence is needed to bring economic thinking back to where it should always be: in the service of the society/environment as a whole.

GREG BAILEY. Lobbyists, corruption and neoliberalism

The revelations surrounding the fast tracking of visas for Chinese high rollers coming to Crown Casino and betting gargantuan amounts of money have been extensively covered over the last week in the media. Corruption there certainly seems to be and not a little incipient anti-Chinese sentiment in sheeting this back mainly to wealthy Chinese gamblers.

Christopher Pyne: Consultancy as government

The sudden elevation of Christopher Pyne formerly Minister for Defence Industries to defence consultant with Ernst & Young may have taken some people by surprise. Surely, though, it was always on the cards, especially since he retired from parliament at a relatively young age of 51 and with a pre-election likelihood of not being returned as the member for Sturt. However, his appointment points directly to wider developments in the politico-economic culture of this and other countries.

GREG BAILEY. The Australian Electorate and the Sensible Centre.

Now that the grieving over the electoral loss of progressive political forces is beginning to be transformed into sustained soul searching about the characteristics of the Australian electorate and the tactic used by the ALP, it is time to ask whether the ALP could have won given the forces rallied against them. In truth the election was close, but the effect of unrealistic expectations has led to anguished questioning of whether a party with comprehensive progressive policies for an increasingly fractured future will ever be successful in Australia and whether the sensible centre is the only option.

GREG BAILEY. Problematic Trends Emerging from the 2019 Federal Election.

Irrespective of who finally wins Saturdays election-and it looks like the ultra-conservative forces, certain deeply disturbing observations can be made about the state of the Australian polity and the electorate. These evoke cultural and regional fissures long existing in Australia and an apparent shift away from any kind of critical thinking in making political and other judgements affecting the future of the country.

GREG BAILEY. Reflections on Five Years of Political Theatre and Nihilism (Part 2)

For the last three decades the Australian public has been told there will be massive changes which they will have to run with or just suck it up. Now, after five and a half years of floundering and negativism by the government, the people are waking up to what these changes have produced. Such changes have been substantially helped along by the governments promotion of the market as the arbiter of all things and all interrelations, changes exacerbated by the impact of digital technology and its individualising tendency. For its absence in attempting to properly guide these changes, this period...

GREG BAILEY. Reflections on Five Years of Political Theatre and Nihilism (Part 1)

Retrospective reflections are now beginning on what might be the heritage of the five and a half year long Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments. In advancing such reflections attention should not just be focussed on the political infighting within the government, and between it and the opposition. Consideration should also be given to what has occurred outside of, or in spite, of government in defining Australias governing culture and the cohesion of its society.

GREG BAILEY. An oldie at the climate march.

After travelling for an hour from outside of Melbourne, I reached the Treasury Gardens at about 12.05pm to concerted cheering from thousands of young voices. On the train teenage boys and girls from various local high schools in the northeast suburbs of Melbourne were working on signs they had made from pieces of cardboard, and discussing with each other what they should write. At least they were thinking more cogently about climate change and its causes than many of their elders ever have. All twenty-three students from my daughters year 10 class attended with their teachers blessing.

GREG BAILEY. The Coal Wars. Where next?

In writing on this subject I was initially going to focus on the manner in which a lobbying company funded by Glencore had undertaken a marketing campaign in support of coal and to plant doubts about the capacity of renewable energy to substitute for coal. If this might have represented the beginnings of a conflict between renewables and coal, it has now gone far beyond that, with a new war front opening up between the two wings of the coalition government.

GREG BAILEY. The Liberal National Party, the Baby-boomers and the quest for victory in the May Election.

If, as seems likely from the polls, the ALP wins the next federal election it will not be through the failure of the LNP to throw up a massive scare campaign. Conservative parties ranging from the medium to the far right adopt lowest common denominator strategies to foment an underlying sense of fear that seems constantly resident in so many voters. But now the generational change between the Baby Boomers and Generation X and Y is becoming more and more pronounced and creates problems for those conservative parties who seek to retain power through the retention of a fear based...

GREG BAILEY. State Labor Triumphs and Fear Campaigns Wilt

On Monday morning two days after the Victorian state election the ALP had 51 seats, the LNC 24, the Greens 1, other independents 1, with 11 still in doubt, but the outcome of which will not affect the Labor Partys massive majority. No doubt there will be considerable speculation as to the causes of this landslide. Even at this early stage we can ask whether it represents a general skepticism about the impression the Murdoch press has been trying to create about the lawless state of Victoria and the corruption of its Labor politicians.

GREG BAILEY. Is the instability in Australian politics reflected in the society and economy?

Australia has had six Prime Ministers since 2008, with the likelihood of a seventh in May 2019. Is this an index of instability in Australian politics and society, one perhaps marked also by the massive swing in last Saturdays Wentworth by-election? Is this instability a consequence of the emergence of a series of extremely ambitious, stubborn and vindictive individuals over the past decade, or is it something deeper which has penetrated the system and would continue even if such individuals were to be excluded or absent themselves from the political arena? Does it stand in contrast to the apparent stability...

GREG BAILEY. On Lobbyists And the System That Sustains Them.

Lobbyists are increasingly being recognized as a blight on the political landscape and as one of the negative forces in the progressive weakening of democratic processes in government. That they have come to form a distinct component in creating and distorting policy, indeed in creating politics almost as a privatized sphere is now become incontestable. But how does one change the system of governance back to one more firmly representing the electors?

GREG BAILEY. Whereto for the LNP and the ALP. Part 2.

What about the ALP which, despite its protestation about its commitment to social justice and the social wage, has also effected neoliberal outcomes over the past three decades? Just witness its recent support to Australia becoming a member of a revised TPPT. And it has done this even in the face of objection from parts of its left wing and the remnants of the union movement. Yet the union movement itself has been corporatized with a number of high profile ex union leaders having moved into the corporate sector.

GREG BAILEY. Whereto for the LNP and the ALP. Part 1.

Australian politics as judged by the antics of the two major parties over the past three weeks is almost a (hyper-) reality television show, replete with microscopic media coverage of the principal personalities involved. Building up for many years this has implications for the survival of these parties, but disappear they certainly will not. The task for long-term survival is certainly before the LNP, whereas for the ALP the prospects seem brighter.

GREG BAILEY. Who wins from Malcolm Turnbulls dismissal?

Who wins from last weeks disastrous week in politics and what can we expect it to give rise to if anything? Nothing occurs in a vacuum and now that the carnage has been temporarily suspended the commentariat is attempting to find continuities and discontinuities that might possess some explanatory value.

GREG BAILEY. The Australian Political Duopoly: are its days numbered?

Statistics of voting patterns over the past forty years have shown a consistent drift towards fringe and minor parties. Such a drift seems likely to continue whilst the duopoly of the LNP and the ALP continue to ignore the mainstream, both ideologically and as group worthy of receiving some intrinsic recognition.

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