Politics
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Reform of the waterfront, with its dogs and security guards, was minor compared to what’s needed for health sector
Medicare funds the established system of health care delivery, a system that has not seen major changes since Medicare was established 56 years ago. It needs serious reform and particularly in the way the health workforce is structured. The pandemic has revealed serious weaknesses. Continue reading »
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Necessary but insufficient: Anti-corruption commissions won’t stop corruption
Unfortunately, it’s patently obvious that we need anti-corruption commissions to expose corruption in Australian politics. But history shows such commissions to be necessary to expose corruption but insufficient to prevent it. Continue reading »
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A once in a century opportunity missed- A Liveable Income Guarantee
Ignoring for now the failure to promise an increase in Newstart, the general chorus emanating from commentators on the budget has been critical of the omission of serious money for social housing, for an increased childcare subsidy, and for increased rental assistance – all of which would have provided instant and widespread stimulatory bang for Continue reading »
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Gladys’ arrogance paves the way for Federal ICAC
The most remarkable thing about the revelation of Gladys Berejiklian’s love life was that it was remarkable at all. Continue reading »
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The ACT Election – a loss for Liberals but not really a win for Labor
The ACT election on Saturday was the 15th consecutive Australian election in which the Liberal Party has lost ground. Why has it swung so far to the right, away from its own principles? Continue reading »
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Part 1: From CES to Job Network
The best way to assess Australia’s controversial system of contracted employment services is to track where it came from, how it affected services, and how and why successive governments have adjusted it. For, despite a widely expressed view that the policy was a complete failure it has endured for 23 years. Continue reading »
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Trump pressures South Korea over China
When most around the world had battened down the hatches for a rough ride through the last days of the US Presidential election campaign, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has become seriously preoccupied again with the Trump administration. Continue reading »
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The wool trade: hostage to intransigence
Animal welfare groups object to the wool industry because of the process of mulesing, a treatment used to protect sheep from fly strike. They argue that mulesing is cruel and invasive regardless of whether painkillers are used. There is, however, an alternative to mulesing that is painless, bloodless and no less protective. Continue reading »
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The Gladys and Daryl Show. Having to squirm in open hearings acts as a disincentive to venality
If Gladys Berejiklian, and her ludicrous consort, have to take one for the team, let it not be for tiny misdemeanours but for being parties to a corrupted mindset of the spoils of public office. Continue reading »
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Why values matter in a crisis
A crisis is a test of leadership. A test of systems. And a test of relationships. But it is also a test of values. Continue reading »
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‘Loose talk’ by MPs worsens China tensions: China is not an enemy: Houston ( AFR Oct 16, 2020)
Former Defence Force chief Angus Houston says ‘‘loose talk’’ by MPs has made tensions with China worse than necessary and has called for an urgent reset in the relationship between Canberra and Beijing. China is our partner. China is not an enemy. Let’s get that straight. Continue reading »
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In for a penny, in for a pound: $90 billion for an obsolete submarine fleet
So much for Australian sovereignty. We are locked out of repairing key US components of our subs’ computer systems, and the Coalition has committed our submarine fleet to the extraordinarily dangerous role of helping the US conduct surveillance in the South China Sea. Continue reading »
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Jacinda Arden wins in an unprecedented landslide
It is sometimes said that New Zealand is a young country that boxes above its weight. The same might be said for its Prime Minister Jacinda Arden. In the triennial election bout she defeated the woman who seems pleased to be nicknamed “Crusher” Collins (because as a minister she ordered hoons’ cars to be crushed). Continue reading »
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The altar boys at The Australian
The usually reliable NewsPoll last week delivered a bombshell as unexpected as it was unwelcome to its Murdochratic media proprietors Continue reading »
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Queensland votes Part 1: Marching to the beat of a different drum
Queensland elections are always different from other states in that regional issues often take pride of place, and personalities often seem more important than policy differences between the parties. Continue reading »
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Megaphone Madness: how reckless media impeded Victoria’s Covid-19 recovery
The media we consume influences our compliance with Covid-19 recommendations. Poor media coverage in Victoria is impeding the state’s recovery. Continue reading »
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Sunday environmental round up, 18 October 2020
Plastics: littering the ocean floor, not being recycled, not easily replaced, may or may not provide oil and gas producers with a prosperous future. Populations of vertebrates have declined by 68% in 50 years. Continue reading »
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There is only one solution to the Amy Coney Barrett debacle. Democrats must expand the courts (Nation Oct 13, 2020)
The benefits of court expansion are so manifest that I’d be willing, as a Democrat, to put additional Republican nominees on the court, too. Continue reading »
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James Murdoch, Rebellious Scion (NYTimes Oct 10, 2020)
Increasingly uncomfortable with News Corp’s politics and profit motives, Rupert’s younger son chose chickens and sheep over Fox, and insists he doesn’t watch ‘Succession.’ Continue reading »
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Get Well, Mr. President?
There are many who were being a touch hypocritical when they sent get well messages to Donald Trump. Like St. Augustine, who prayed “Oh Lord, make me chaste, but not yet,” they would prefer that he recovered but only after losing the election. Continue reading »
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Why the resistance to a national anti-corruption commission?
Scott Morrison and Christian Porter are insisting that a new federal integrity body could not look at old corruption. What is that about? Is it because there are skeletons in too many people’s closet? Is it the extent to which Alexander Downer and other senior officials benefitted financially from their activities during the Australian Government’s Continue reading »
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Misinformation about Covid-19. Don’t listen to Donald Trump or Alan Jones.
Here is the big so important question. As we prepare to ease some restrictions, will we, in contradistinction to many communities in other countries, embrace the long-term behaviours that must be normalised to allow us to live as safely and productively as is possible in a Covid-infected world? We need to look closely at the Continue reading »
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Morrison Government is running scared of a federal integrity body
This week’s trials of Gladys Berejiklian only confirm the Morrison Government’s largely unspoken fears that a federal ICAC would do the government a lot more harm than good. Continue reading »
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Why are the loyalties of Chinese- Australians questioned constantly in the public arena?
In my opening statement to the Senate Committee, I talked about the toxic environment for Chinese-Australians who engage in public policy debates right now. In particular, I mentioned that one of the reasons Chinese-Australians are choosing to remain silent is because they don’t want their loyalties to be questioned constantly in the public arena. Continue reading »
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Lobby Land. The power of the health lobby. Health ministers may be in office but they are not in power
The major barrier to health reform is the power of providers- the health lobby. A succession of Australian health ministers Liberal and Labor for three decades have failed in any serious health reform. Any Minister, Liberal or Labor who wants to reform health must be prepared to take on the providers and their lobbyists.They are Continue reading »
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Michael Pascoe: Forget the ‘Daz and Glad Show’, this is the real political scandal (The New Daily Oct 15, 2020)
It’s the secret sexual relationship that sells the ‘Daz and Glad Show’ and elevates it from being merely yet another corrupt NSW politician before the ICAC, but it also distracts punters from the much bigger scandal. Continue reading »
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Turkey’s Erdoğan is upsetting CIA’s plans in the Middle East
Turkey has been ‘belligerent’ with its destabilising influence in Central Asia and the Mediterranean. Since Erdoğan’s rise and consolidation of executive powers, he has been unashamedly outspoken about his desire to bring the Sunnis and Shiite together in a neo-Ottoman Empire or Caliphate. Continue reading »
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Gillard’s discrimination against people with a disability aged over 65 must be put right – Part 1
It is a truth universally acknowledged – our aged care system is in a tragic mess. It has become a badly regulated, provider-centric system focused more on limiting Commonwealth budget exposure than supporting the dignity and independence of older Australians. Continue reading »
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The aged care Royal Commission’s Covid-19 report is superficial, misleading and unhelpful
The report by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety on the impact of Covid-19 is superficial and adds little to what is already being done to prevent and manage Covid in aged care. The Commission’s conclusion regarding Australia’s performance on COVID-19 in residential aged care is misleading and obscures the truth. Continue reading »
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Australian Values for new citizens
Last month the acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge announced that from November, there will be an updated Australian Citizenship Test which for the first time will include a section on Australian values. Continue reading »