Politics
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Australia adrift and uneasy; time to set a new course. Part 1
A pall of unease hangs over Australia, yet it’s hardly acknowledged. The government’s failings and the implications of ill-judged policies preoccupy more insightful commentators. But it may be time to consider the ills of society as a whole. Continue reading »
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In 50 years, Australia has never bought the best submarine for its needs
As always, when it comes to submarines, the latest Australian deal has more to do with the Morrison government’s election strategy than national security. Continue reading »
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A fearful university in Adelaide abandons academic freedom in attempts to better understand China
It wasn’t foreign interference and influence legislation that got in the way of a recent university event, but the universities themselves, fearful of standing up for academic freedom. Continue reading »
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Sunday environmental round up.
The rate of global warming set to double as fossil fuel use falls. Australia’s climate negligence threatening security. Children born today will be exposed to more extreme weather events. Patchwork deforestation creates more forest edges. Continue reading »
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Between AUKUS and AUSMIN, Australia has crossed the rubicon
Through the combination of AUKUS and AUSMIN, Australia has locked in its strategic dependence on the US — probably irreversibly, or in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s words “forever”. Continue reading »
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Minister for Attack: Can anything stop Peter Dutton?
Defence Minister Peter Dutton is running a hard line towards China. But he’s not unstoppable. A federal election is coming up and the voters of Dickson could very well vote him out. Continue reading »
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Australia’s dismal trend in corruption levels
During the pandemic, leaders have urged people to make sacrifices for the common good. But if those pleas come from corrupt leaders, they are less effective. Unfortunately, over the last decade, Australia has worsening corruption. Continue reading »
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Australia must be more ambitious on climate, or the negative impacts will multiply
The challenge of decarbonising the economy is of equal magnitude to Australia’s submarine deal, and requires an equivalent bold response. Continue reading »
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Saturday’s good reading and listening for the weekend
This weekly post is a collection of links to recent articles, reports, podcasts, interviews, and notices of upcoming webinars, on political, economic and public policy issues, that may be of interest to Pearls and Irritations readers. Continue reading »
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The biggest issue for the 2022 federal election is the Uluru Statement from the Heart
There are many issues in contention between the major parties at the next federal election. The biggest question to be determined by that election is the nature of our response to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Continue reading »
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With a statesmanlike press club speech, is Turnbull on his way back into politics?
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s online National Press Club address was extraordinarily good and could yet have significant political consequences. Continue reading »
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Paul Keating: I am not a defeatist who would sell the country out to another power
The Coalition is not only turning over control of our defence forces to the US, but shopping our foreign policy too. Continue reading »
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The all-American coercive diplomacy: bullying by any other name
China is repeatedly accused of coercion. But China is a minor player in the coercion game. The US is the grand master. Continue reading »
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John Menadue: From deputy sheriff to the 51st state of the Union
Paul Keating put it succinctly yesterday in The Sydney Morning Herald that we are selling our country to another power. Or, as former ambassador John McCarthy put it, “we are moving from being a country with the self-respect of true independence”. Continue reading »
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AUKUS confirms Australia as a forever colony
Since World War II, almost all independent states in South-East Asia have been shaped by successful anti-colonialist movements. Australia stands alone in the region, marked by a dominant political culture fixated in a colonial mind-set. Continue reading »
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Rupert Murdoch’s snail-like journey on climate change
The situation is so bad that even Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp empire has read the commercial tea leaves on climate change and rolled over. Not surprisingly Scott Morrison now also shows signs of a belated change of heart. Continue reading »
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The democratic crisis: Whatever happened to courage, principle, commitment, accountability?
Australian democracy is under serious threat, and neither of the major parties have any vision beyond the next election. Only an active citizenry can prevent us sliding towards authoritarian or populist democracy. Continue reading »
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Kim Carr: We need answers on both subs deals
Now the government’s scrapped its $90 billion contract with France to build diesel submarines, many unanswered questions about the new deal to acquire uncosted nuclear boats appear connected to the murky politics of the old one. Continue reading »
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AUKUS and submarines: Just what are we doing?
There has been so much commentary on the new AUKUS arrangements, especially the cancellation of the long-running submarine contract with the French. It’s timely to strip back all the hype and examine more closely what it all means. Continue reading »
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The voices of independents being heard and aiming high
There is a strong feeling of change in many electorates around Australia. The “Voices Of” movement is gathering steam as more than 30 such groups are looking to field candidates at the next federal election. Continue reading »
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AUKUS: How to make friends and influence neighbours the Australian way
First, a couple of ministers pop in on their way elsewhere. They pronounce warm relationships. A swap of bromides, nice photos, some pressies of vaccines to save lives and military gear to end them. Then hey ho, it’s off to the big show. Continue reading »
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How the Doherty model has been politically weaponised.
Political agendas have become more important than health policy in our current response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading »
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Distracted by the submarine bauble, Labor and the media miss the point
Australia is about to become home to American bases, and potentially a nuclear target, and this seems to have escaped the attention of the Opposition and the media. Continue reading »
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Sunday environmental round up
The pressure rises before the Glasgow COP meeting. The end of coal may be on the distant horizon but 80 per cent of the world’s energy still comes from fossil fuels and corporate America is preparing to fight Biden’s climate action plans. Continue reading »
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The Clayton’s but secret Covid national plan
Those hoping for clarification on the national COVID-19 plan from last week’s national cabinet meeting will be disappointed. The main outcome from the meeting was a statement about the importance of its discussions and documents remaining “cabinet in confidence”. Continue reading »
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Saturday’s good reading and listening for the weekend
What people in other forums are saying about public policy Continue reading »
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With US democracy under threat from within, AUKUS puts Australia in danger
With the AUKUS treaty, Australia may have hitched its fate to a nation soon to be led by people who make Trump seem competent. Britain and Australia’s democracies are under threat; America’s future is in dire peril. Continue reading »
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Melbourne riots shake public trust in reliability of mainstream media
There is strong evidence that Melbourne’s four days of street riots by angry young men claiming to be construction workers were fomented by right-wing extremists who used social media to radicalise unemployed or locked-down young men. They look to have modelled themselves on Trump supporters storming the Capitol. Continue reading »
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Paul Keating: Morrison is making an enemy of China and Labor is helping him
The Liberals, having no faith in the capacity of Australians and all we have created here, could not resist falling back, yet again, to do the bidding of another great power, the United States of America. Continue reading »
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What does the ALP stand for?
Apart from Paul Keating and a few others I do not know what the Australian Labor Party (ALP) now stands for on key issues. Continue reading »
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