Politics
-
Playing to the local gallery on crimes in Afghanistan
It’s hard to escape the feeling that most of the heat and light generated by Scott Morrison’s fury at a cartoon by a middle-level Chinese tiger cub was designed for Australian, rather than Chinese, consumption. Regardless, it could be a dangerous strategy. Continue reading »
-
ASPI resorts to bullying to deter strategic debate on China
Peter Jennings, Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), has launched an ad hominem attack belittling those who take a contrary approach to Australia-China relations rather than advocating for war preparations. But it is his poor grasp of his subject matter that is most disappointing. Continue reading »
-
How to rate key players in Team Australia?
2020 has been a tough year. Let us take a look at the list, where they are at, what they have produced in 2020, and what we can expect in season 2021. Continue reading »
-
Sunday environmental round up, 6 December 2020
There’s a new kid on the block: nature-based solutions. Child prodigy or juvenile delinquent? Fossil fuel producing nations need to show more application. AIHW examines the health effects of last summer’s bushfires and the NSW electricity plan graduates with a distinction. China could try harder to protect wild animals. Continue reading »
-
How Australia sabotaged its own interests in relations with China.
The destruction over the past five years of Australia’s mutually beneficial diplomatic and trade relationship with China was probably a successful ’Five Eyes’ information warfare operation, facilitated by the Australian political class’s own foolish arrogance and ignorance towards China. Australia is now back in the laager, an American strategic satellite and odd man out in Continue reading »
-
How gambling authorities missed Crown’s criminal ties
It was the kind of news that should have spelt big trouble for James Packer’s Crown casino empire. Continue reading »
-
Joe Biden Has Problems. The World Has Solutions.
From the founding fathers to Silicon Valley, the U.S. has a long tradition of borrowing the best ideas from around the globe. Continue reading »
-
Political polarisation and public policy
Pragmatism should be the dogma, not capitalism or socialism. Continue reading »
-
Mission Sustainable Development (Project Syndicate Dec 1, 2020)
Nearly 60 years ago, President John F. Kennedy put the United States on a mission to the future by proclaiming that it would land a man on the moon within a decade. Our generation’s moonshot mission is sustainable development on Earth. Continue reading »
-
Saturday’s good reading and listening for the weekend
What people in other forums are saying about public policy Continue reading »
-
Hook, line and sinker: China threw the cast and Scott Morrison fell for it
As someone who has been associated with the Sydney Morning Herald for more than 50 years as a cadet, reporter, correspondent, leader writer, foreign editor and still occasional contributor, I can’t think of a lower level of commentary ever run in the newspaper. Continue reading »
-
Bad relations with China are not in Australia’s interests
Our leaders tell us continually that they will stand up to China on behalf of Australia’s interests. But I cannot see how the deteriorating relations with what is still our largest trading partner serves Australia’s interests in any way. Moreover, Australians should understand that what looks like standing up to China to us often looks Continue reading »
-
Australia’s Defence Policy Explained (Utopia)
So, under this scenario we’re spending close to $30 billion a year to protect our trade with China… from China? Continue reading »
-
Why Australia is on its own in its trade conflict with China (Australia-China Relations Institute Dec 2, 2020)
As China piles on the trade pressure, the reality of Australia’s economic place in the world has been laid bare: it is on its own. Continue reading »
-
“Mind-boggling” waste revealed in the record rise in weapons spending (MWM Nov 30, 2020)
Australian governments and their defence leaders, with help from lobbyists, choose immensely complex, overpriced and overmanned weaponry. Wasteful spending has to end, writes Brian Toohey. Continue reading »
-
Where are the true, small-l liberal conservatives?
Australian conservatives seem to have lost some of their traditional commitment to institutions and the liberalism they protect. Continue reading »
-
Queensland’s tightrope – keeping regions happy in face of pressure to cut emissions
Queensland’s export income, mining royalties and the massive dividends from its state-owned energy enterprises have previously ensured that the State could service a heavy debt load and improve its social service provision without having to sell the bulk of its income-generating public enterprises. Continue reading »
-
Between the Lines on China: Geoff Raby
Transcript of Geoff Raby’s appearance on Tom Switzer’s Between the Lines on ABC. Continue reading »
-
Ending permanent war, ending hatred of China
The rage of a prime minister against a modest ranking cartoonist in a foreign government is foolish for a number of reasons. Continue reading »
-
Corporate power in Australia
Companies can secure so much economic power they can translate it into the political power, which they use to get laws that further advance their economic power. Continue reading »
-
Governing Queensland – Political and Economic Challenges for the new Labor government: Part 1 The Political Challenges
The new Labor government in Queensland faces many challenges as it attempts to revive an economy hard hit by the Covid shutdowns, in particular developing strategies to limit the effects of likely changes in the demand for goods and services that has been the mainstay of the State’s economy. Continue reading »
-
A blueprint for action on integrity
Since the Liberal-National Part Government came to power Australia’s ranking in Transparency International’s (TI) global corruption surveys has fallen. Continue reading »
-
Framing the Palace Letters by our National Archives
It doesn’t need a conspiratorial mind frame to explain the Murdoch media, Morrison Government and National Archives synchronous framing of the Palace Letters – just a realisation that such strategies are now so institutionalised that overt co-ordination is unnecessary. Continue reading »
-
Australia no longer an apostle, or exemplar, of good government
The OECD is also an academy and apostle of good government and good public administration. Clean public administration, open and accountable and subject to checks and balances, including integrity commissions. These are all things that the Morrison government, with the particular support of the hard-right Western Australian faction that Mathias Cormann has led, is opposed Continue reading »
-
Lobby Land -Dan Conifer. Queensland integrity watchdog backs review of lobbying laws.(ABC 7.30,28 Nov. 2020)
The ABC’s 7.30 program this week highlighted the regular, high-level access Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Government has given to a select group of lobbyists. The politically connected lobbying firms represent multi-million and multi-billion dollar companies hoping to influence government decisions. Continue reading »
-
Morrison’s selective attitude to human rights
Article 1 of the UN Charter declares objectives to promote and encourage respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. But the Morrison government ignores the abuses of its friends, does not care about the ‘without distinction’ principle, and thereby undermines claims to champion Continue reading »
-
A bridge too far for Cormann?
For the OECD, improved world health is as important an outcome as an improved world economy. Managing that, or contributing to that debate, is not, as with climate change action, Cormann’s long suit. Continue reading »
-
Natasha Kassam and the AFR have it wrong on China-Australia tensions
Australia is fast becoming a sad joke, an object lesson in how not to behave towards China. If we are becoming an example, it is an example of what to avoid. Continue reading »
-
Reflections on the economic record of the Trump Administration
It no doubt came as a shock to many (non-American) observers of the recent US election that almost 74 million Americans (more than 47% of those who voted) would have preferred Donald Trump to remain in the White House for another four years. Like many among America’s academic, media, and corporate elites, outside observers have Continue reading »
-
“The most lamentable engineering disaster in Australia”…?
Echoes of one of the great public policy failures of this nation are starting to grow louder. Continue reading »