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.

John's recent articles

MARILYN LAKE. ANZAC from a Turkish point of view.

As Anzac Day comes round once more so we must prepare for the accompanying bombardment of nationalist myth-making. Our sense of national consciousness, so the story goes, was born on 25 April 1915. A nation was born on that day of death. The Anzacs fought for freedom and democracy. They died so that we might live. Mythologies serve to comfort and console. They smooth contradictions and reduce historical complexity. They make meaning of events that might otherwise be senseless or unbearable.

JOHN MENADUE. The facts dont show that Liberals are better economic managers.

Malcolm Turnbull has made it clear that his mantra of Jobs-and-Growth will be at the forefront of his campaign in the next election. This week he will be talking about the growth of a million jobs in 5 years, but there is nothing really remarkable in that on average over the last 15 years about 200,000 new jobs have been created each year. Further, it is less impressive because our population is growing by about two million every five years.

DAVID BLOWERS. Australias slow march towards a National Energy Guarantee is gatheringpace.

The finer policy details of the of the proposed National Energy Guarantee (NEG) have begun to leak onto newspaper front pages and websites, ahead of Fridays crucial meeting of federal and state energy ministers. The good news is that the leaked information suggests solid progress has been made over the past couple of months on both the emissions and reliability components of the policy.

SCOTT BURCHILL. What The West Really Thinks About Chemical Weapons Attacks.

How genuine is the West's concern about the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria last week? Did they constitute a line in the sand, a crime so egregious that military strikes by Washington, London and Paris were necessary and morally justified? The historical record would suggest exactly the opposite.

ROBERT FISK. The search for truth in the rubble of Douma and one doctors doubts over the chemical attack

This is the story of a town called Douma, a ravaged, stinking place of smashed apartment blocks and of an underground clinic whose images of suffering allowed three of the Western worlds most powerful nations to bomb Syria last week. Theres even a friendly doctor in a green coat who, when I track him down in the very same clinic, cheerfully tells me that the gas videotape which horrified the world despite all the doubters is perfectly genuine.

SAMUEL LIEVEN. Why Syria's patriarchs back Assad

Three patriarchs two of them Orthodox and the other Catholic have co-signed a statement strongly condemning the Western air strikes against Syrian government positions while reasserting their support for the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian allies.

MICHAEL LAMBERT. We know about the Grants Commission but what is this thing called HFE?

You may have noticed recent press reports of some angry Premiers or Treasurers bemoaning the loss of revenue in the triannual carve up of the GST pie among the States and Territories while the winners kept their pleasure to themselves. Welcome to the wonderful world of HFE, horizontal fiscal equalisation as practised in Australia.

JAMES FERNYHOUGH. Cheap mortgages for everyone! Greens call for Peoples Bank unpicked

The Greens have unveiled a radical plan to give Australians access to much cheaperhome loans than are currently on offer, in an unabashed attack on the big four banks stranglehold on the mortgage market.

ROSS BURNS. In Syria, the fog of war

Chemical weapons have been a feature of the Syrian conflict since 2011. Are we any closer to a strategy to deal with their use and with the forces fuelling the wider conflict?

JOHN MENADUE. The Coalition and media myth about stopping the boats.

With the appointment of Angus Campbell as the new Chief of the General Staff we have witnessed again the repetition of the nonsense that the Coalition and Operation Sovereign Borders stopped the boats. As if the media farce over a Chinese military base in Vanuatu was not enough the media has climbed aboard again to continue the myth about the stopping of the boats. Perhaps being careless in the first place the media finds it embarrassing to admit error.

MORTON HALPERIN, PETER HAYES, LEON SIGAL. Options for denuclearising the Korean peninsular

A critically important part of assembling the Korean peninsula-wide denuclearization jigsaw puzzle is the institutional and legal form of North Korean commitments on the one hand, and the nuclear negative security assurances by the NPT-Nuclear Weapons States (NWSs), especially the United States, on the other. In Nautilus Institute there is a special report 'A Korean nuclear weapons-free zone treaty and nuclear extended deterrence: options for denuclearising the Korean Peninsula'. (Nautilus Institute Report). A summary of this special report follows.

DAN MCGARRY. Want to lead in the Pacific? Try listening first

The average Australians conception of Pacific island nations is so limited it makes some of us wonder if they even want to understand. Our voicesand our realityhave been pointedly and repeatedly ignored in the media, and in the corridors of power.

PETER MARTIN. It's time for sweetest tax of them all.

Never before has a tax been such an instant success. I am talking about what happened in Britain last Friday. Thats when new so-called sugar tax sprung into life, with much of its work already done. The whole idea was to cut the consumption of sugar, something we have just as much need to do here, given that our rates of obesity are on a par with those in Britain - an outrage that will prevent many of us living long lives.

SCOTT BURCHILL. The attack on Syria

There are seven points to consider after the US, UK and French attacks on Syria last week.

PETER RODGERS. Israel and Gaza: another bout of what?

Given Gazas appalling living conditions, the outburst of violence on the Israeli-Gaza border should come as no surprise. The question is whether its signals a shift in Palestinian tactics, aimed at using Israels disproportionate violence to revive jaded regional and international interest in the Palestinian cause.

VIC ROWLANDS. Reclaiming democracy

Democracy across the world is under siege and facing its biggest challenge. Despite different interpretations of democracy in terms of process, - voting age, optional or compulsory, the new world is creating fundamental strains which threaten at least its current status, if not viability.

Pope Francis admits mistakes in Chile

Pope Francis has apologized for underestimating the seriousness of the sexual abuse crisis in Chile, acknowledging that he has made serious mistakes in handling the issue.

GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND ...

Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull would like us to believe that if only recalcitrant states could sign on to the Commonwealths National Energy Guarantee, energy policy will be set on a stable path. A more realistic view is provided by the World Economic Forum, which, in ashort and hard-hitting while paper, warns that tsunamic forces could swiftly upend businesses and also profoundly alter the outlook for how energy systems affect emissions and sustainable development in all countries. Never let good policy or consistency get in the way of a donors dollar or some leadership undermining writesCrispin Hullon the misnamed Monash...

MICHAEL O'KEEFE. Response to rumours of a Chinese military base in Vanuatu speak volumes about Australian foreign policy

Rumour has it that Vanuatu has agreed to a Chinese request to establish a military base. The substance of this rumour is highly speculative at the least and disingenuous at most. Regardless of the truth, the fact that it raises alarm about the threat of Chinese military expansionism speaks volumes about Australian foreign policy, particularly toward the Pacific.It looks like another beat up in the anti China phobia

JOHN MENADUE. Media catch-up on Newcastle Port.

Drawing on a report from Deloitte yesterday, Matt Wade in several Fairfax newspapers breathlessly told us that restrictions on privatised ports was adding to Sydney's gridlock. He added that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is now investigating the secret restrictions on Newcastle Port which were introduced when Port Botany and the port of Newcastle were being privatised. ( This old news was at least not as bad as the media beat up on Vanuatu!) John Austen, in P & I, on 5 September 2016, broke all the details about this port restriction and how port privatisation will...

TIM SOUTPHOMMASANE. Australian business and other organisations persistently fall short on cultural diversity.

Australia is widely celebrated as a multicultural triumph, but any such success remains incomplete. There remains significant under-representation of cultural diversity in the senior leadership of Australian organisations. Our society does not yet appear to be making the most of its diverse talents.

LEANNE WELLS. Private health care in Australia: health policys wicked problem.

The anguish expressed by many of the 1,200 respondents to the Consumers Health Forums Out of Pocket Pain survey highlights the widening gulf between the cost of modern medical care and the struggle of many Australians to pay for that care.

ANDREW HAMILTON. Clerical culture produces poor fruit.

In a recent 'Eureka Street' article, I remarked that in the Catholic Church clericalism is a pejorative term. I tried also to identify some of the attitudes and behaviour associated with people regarded as clericalist. The article sparked a lively conversation.

SOPHIE VORRATH. Why Turnbull will never back renewables.

A federal government led by Malcolm Turnbull will never back policies that accelerate the shift to renewables, effectively tackle climate change, or help to phase out coal plants.

PETER DAY. Tweet others as you would like to be tweeted, Mr Folau.

It is problematic when someone is described as a devout Christian because the term implies a persons bona fides; it implies that a person is a true follower of Christ and the Bible. Think Wallaby fullback, Israel Folau, who has attracted notoriety thanks to this recent twitter exchange with one of his followers: What was Gods plan for gay people? tweeted Mike Sephton. HELL unless they repent of their sins and turn to God, responded the devout Christian.

JOHN MENADUE. Reforming the governance of Cricket Australia.

Yesterday, I wrote about giving Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft a second chance. The focus has rightly been on them, but deliberately hidden from sight until forced out into the open has been Cricket Australia and its Board .

NICOLE GURRAN and CATHERINE GILBERT. England expects 40% of new housing developments will be affordable, why cant Australia?

Australia has record levels of supply of new properties but despite various government interventions, housing still remains unaffordable for many.

MEDIA ALERT: APPEAL LODGED AGAINST FEDERAL COURT DECISION IN PALACE LETTERS CASE

Professor Jenny Hocking has lodged an appeal against the decision of the Federal Court last month in Jennifer Hocking v. Director-General, National Archives of Australia. The Court ruled that the Palace letters, between the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, and the Queen relating to Kerrs dismissal of the Whitlam government, are personal not Commonwealth records, continuing the Queens embargo of them.

GIOVANNI DI LIETO. Move over Canada and EU, Australia is best placed to benefit in the US-China trade tug-of-war

Australian firms are in a sweet spot between the bickering United States and China, where they can sell more and buy more cheaply because of weaker competition in both markets. Essentially, the mutual tariffs are a double blessing for Australia.

JOHN MENADUE. Are we still the land of the second chance?

This is a slightly amended repost from Australia Day this year which I recalled when thinking about the cheating of Australian cricketers. We all make mistakes. We all need a chance to put things right and happily Smith ,Warner and Bancroft have decided to cop their suspensions. The Macquarie legacy is still with us. It underpins our best instincts togive all residents in this country, whether Australian born, migrants or refugees, an equal opportunity in life, a second chance. That ethos of redemption is a core part of our history.

CAROLYN PETTIGREW. Tourism and NSW National Parks - looking to the future. Part 2 of 2

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is facing a future crisis that perhaps is not fully recognised by supporters of nature conservation. Visitation is skyrocketing http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research/NSWparkspopularity.htm which on the face of it is wonderful. More and more people are beginning, potentially at least, to value our national parks and enjoy the experience of visiting them. On the other hand, successive governments have cut funding to NPWS. Staff numbers and financial resources have dwindled relative to the areas to be managed. The solution on both sides of government seems to be to increase tourism opportunities with the help of...

MIKE WALLER. The real problem with our banks- its leverage, stupid

When you combine ignorance and leverage, you get some pretty interesting results. Warren Buffett There is no evidence that the growth in the scale and complexity of the financial system in the rich developed world over the last twenty to thirty years has driven increased growth or stability, and it is possible for financial activity to extract rents from the real economy rather than to deliver economic value. We need to challenge radically some of the assumptions of the last thirty years and we need to be willing to consider radical policy responses. (Adair Turner, UK Financial Services Authority...

RUTH ARMSTRONG*. Pathways to justice pass through health: six ways the health sector can help reduce the harms of over-incarceration.

A recent post at Croakey highlighted the major findings of the Australian Law Reform Commission s Pathways to Justice report on the over-incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The report was tabled in parliament last week and is awaiting a detailed response from government.

FRANK JOTZO. Chinas emissions trading takes steps towards big ambitions.

Chinas new emissions trading scheme will start small, but comes with big potential, Frank Jotzo writes. China recently announced that it will begin to introduce a national emissions trading scheme for carbon dioxide this year. The promise for more market-oriented climate policy in the worlds largest greenhouse gas emitting country is enormous. But it will be a gradual start and many big obstacles need to be overcome for the scheme to become an effective part of Chinas climate policy portfolio.

CAROLYN PETTIGREW. What has gone wrong with the management of NSW National Parks? Part 1 of 2

In 2014 the NSW government hosted the IUCN World Parks Congress. The government touted securing the conference as a victory for their major events calendar. The key outcome of the congress was the Promise of Sydney the Vision was excellent. The commitments, however, from the NSW Government were almost laughable, given the importance of the Congress on the world stage. http://www.worldparkscongress.org/about/promise_of_sydney_commitments.html The shallowness of the commitments said a lot about what had become of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) which, through the 1990s, had been described by the IUCN as one of the five best conservation agencies...

EDMUND CAMPION. On Cardinal Gilroy At The Sydney Institute.

A few days ago, I told a friend that Gerard Henderson had just asked me to speak here tonight, to give, what he called, a personal reflection on Cardinal Gilroy. You should say, said my friend, that you once wrote a book, A Place in the City, the first sentence of which is, It wasnt much fun living in the same house as Cardinal Gilroy. True. But I wasnt there for fun. I was there, half a century ago, to be a curate in the cathedral parish.

GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND ...

The federal Coalition has many ideological cleavages. The division between liberals and conservatives has been most prominently on display in the same-sex marriage issue, and is again on display in arguments about intervening in the energy market to privilege the coal industry. In an article in The Atlantic The passing of the libertarian movement Kevin Williamson describes similar tensions in Americas Republican Party. In case youre thinking of putting in a bid to buy the Liddell power station from AGL, The Australia Institute has a report on the stations generation costs and reliability. A used Leyland P76 may be...

ANDREW BLAKERS, MATTHEW STOCKS. Solar PV and wind are on track to replace all coal, oil and gas within two decades.

Solar photovoltaic and wind power are rapidly getting cheaper and more abundant so much so that they are on track to entirely supplant fossil fuels worldwide within two decades, with the time frame depending mostly on politics. The protestation from some politicians that we need to build new coal stations sounds rather quaint. The reality is that the rising tide of solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy offers our only realistic chance of avoiding dangerous climate change.

LYNDSAY CONNORS. Where did the money come from for the recent Robocalling in Batman?

In the recent Batman by-election, the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) headed by Executive Director, Stephen Elder, contacted voters directly through so-called Robocalling to urge them to vote Labor. Since then, I have been asking myself two questions. Why should the Catholic Education authority do this at all and, second, where did the funds come fromparents, taxpayers or the Churchs own coffers?

JIM COOMBS: The moral crisis in Cricket is a beat up with media frenzy making a mountain out of a molehill.

One would have to assume that all these outraged commentators have never played cricket with anything more substantial than a used tennis ball. For those of us who have played the game with any interest in the techniques and science of the game (alas, I am one such eccentric) know the true facts. The ball used in the big boys game has a leather exterior, and, in the course of play, that exterior, which has two sides, with a seam around the ball where the two sides meet, being leather, is affected by the course of play: being hit by...

JIM COOMBS: Lets have some real banking competition.

The banks still havent got it. They charge $6 a month for doing nothing, theft or fraud, both crimes. But government and their appointed (neoliberal economics graduates) regulators, do nothing about it. Make the Reserve Bank of Australia the Peoples Bank...again.

IAN CHUBB. Longing For Leadership -Part 2 of 2

Australia today faces multiple challenges. They include the fact that we are unlike any other continent with species and ecosystems that are found nowhere else. If we dont look after ourselves, who will? There is global warming and climate change, and its impact on so much that we take for granted; an economy heavily reliant on what we dig up and sell, in a world less eager to buy. There is the spread of artificial intelligence and automation, and the impact on work and people; there is the increasing requirement to understand ever more sophisticated data, and its wise use;...

NICHOLAS GRUEN. Some real banking competition - central banking for all.

As the great economic journalist Martin Wolf puts it, theres a giant hole at the centre of modern economies. Although the money in our economy is a classic public good, like the air we breathe or the radio spectrum over which we communicate, almost all of it is privately created by commercial banks like NAB and Westpac when they advance loans. (The physical money in our wallets represents a tad over 3 percent of the money supply.)

IAN CHUBB. Longing For Leadership Part 1 of 2

Australia today faces multiple challenges. They include the fact that we are unlike any other continent with species and ecosystems that are found nowhere else. If we dont look after ourselves, who will? There is global warming and climate change, and its impact on so much that we take for granted; an economy heavily reliant on what we dig up and sell, in a world less eager to buy. There is the spread of artificial intelligence and automation, and the impact on work and people; there is the increasing requirement to understand ever more sophisticated data, and its wise use;...

JOHN MENADUE. The Quad and the Japanese Prime Minister

To contain China, Japan has been keen, along with Australia and the US, to develop the Quad, a defence relationship or alliance with India. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has a particular reason to include India. It would burnish his ultra-nationalist credentials and win support for his anti-Chinese posturing.

PURNENDRA JAIN AND TAKESHI KOBAYASHI, LDP MEMBER. Political dynasties dominate Japan's democracy

Hereditary political succession is not limited to monarchical and autocratic systems of government. Politicians from families that have previously occupied high office take top positions in many democratic countries. In Japan, hereditary politics show little sign of abating.

Mapping the division of Malaysia.

Nation's parliament set to ratify new boundaries to boost the government's electoral prospects.

EAST ASIA FORUM. Moritomo scandal miseries

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has led a rollercoaster, but often charmed, political life. After being forced to resign prematurely during his first stint as prime minister in September 2007 due to a stinging July 2007 upper house election defeat and a bowel illness, Abe managed a rare political comeback. In December 2012 he led his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to victory and back to government.

Good reading and listening for the weekend ...

April 4 will mark 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King. In the ABCs Religion and Ethics Report, Andrew West interviews Jonathan Rieder and Anthea Butler, two authors who have written about Kings life, ideas and legacy. West reminds us that King had a very tough message about the poverty and violence that propped up racism, and that made the powerful very uncomfortable. Its time to finally eradicate all sales incentives for bank staff to push loans on to customers writes Jessica Irvine reporting from the banking inquiry. Warning her story in The Age contains harrowing...

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