Politics
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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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CHRIS BONNOR. SMH Schools Summit flies many kites
If you want a headline or two, put on a big event. That has just worked for the SMH with its current Schools Summit. Continue reading »
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IAN DUNLOP. Emergency action on climate change is imperative
The first Australian National Climate Emergency Summit was in Melbourne Town Hall, 14-15 February 2020 – there will be many more. Continue reading »
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PAUL MALONE. Is the United States a democracy?
The disenfranchisement of much of the population, the unequal distribution of wealth and power and the muddled voting systems calls into question the US claim to be a democratic state. Continue reading »
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ALEX MITCHELL: How NSW is becoming a corporate autocracy
Since winning the State Election almost one year ago, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has remodelled herself as the “listening” premier who wants to “reconnect” her Coalition Government with voters. Is it working? Continue reading »
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KERRY BROWN and EMMA LUO. Degrees of espionage(Chatham House/The World today 13.2.2020)
Fears are rising in countries…that China is wielding undue influence through its supposed infiltration of universities and institutions and by its spying on companies and government. Continue reading »
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KEN HENRY. Tax reform in 2020.
Largely because of the budgetary impact of the global financial crisis, we missed the opportunity a decade ago to fix the Australian tax and transfer systems. Continue reading »
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CLIVE KESSLER. Indefinite Incarceration of Unrepentant Jihadis in Australia?
The sentences, some of them already further extended, of a number of militant Islamists convicted of terrorist conspiracy are about to expire. Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. The real ScoMo: A cross between Rasputin and Crocodile Dundee
Up until recently Morrison has managed one bit of very successful marketing – himself. But now the real ScoMo – the one seen in his career before politics – is becoming more apparent. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Sports rorts shows need for public sector re-think
The buck has to stop somewhere. Despite the prime minister’s best efforts when it comes to the so-called ‘sport rorts’ affair it’s unlikely to stop with a temporarily sacked minister. Continue reading »
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MAX HAYTON. New Zealand’s Government faces an uphill election battle.
A recent poll suggests that New Zealand’s Labour Party had insufficient support to form a government if an election had been held when the poll was taken. Continue reading »
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JOHN R. SABINE. A Separate Voice to Government: not the brightest of ideas
How many sound reasons does one need before concluding that something in indeed a bad idea? Perhaps even just nonsense. Continue reading »
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ROSS GITTINS. An economy for the common good.(SMH19.2.2020)
We have to make democracy work for the masses, not just the rich and powerful. Continue reading »
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DAMIEN CAVE. Fearing summer in Australia (NYT17.2.2020)
Climate change and fires force a nation to rethink the way it looks at life Continue reading »
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John Carlin. A Cold Civil War
There is a cold war going on in the world between those who believe that truth is important and those who don’t care if their leaders lie. Continue reading »
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Copyright Laws: Corporate Greed, Legal Farce
The operation of Copyright Laws amounts to a giant con, a legal farce and an opportunity for corporate greed. Continue reading »
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PAUL LARIS. SA’s Planning Code – Consistency, democracy, or centralised chaos?
The SA government’s attempts to streamline and centralise urban planning are shaping up as an electoral liability and may also fail to address the problems of urban infill development. Continue reading »
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EVA COX. Now markets have failed, let’s talk about social wellbeing(The Guardian 15.1.2020)
We need to address the distrust epidemic among voters and return to the reformist urge to offer a better vision splendid Continue reading »
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MUNGO MACCALLUM. Don’t rely on evidence in climate change.
The Coalition war is over climate change and whether the city-based moderates or the reactionary rural rump will prevail. Continue reading »
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WANNING SUN. Australia’s nation-building must start re-imagining Chinese-Australians as part of the ‘national self’, not the nation’s ‘internal Other
Australia is now home to more than 1.3 million citizens of Chinese heritage. They have been profoundly alienated. Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. Why not Huawei Jose?
Australia has, as usual, meekly followed suit to ban Huawei from a potential 5G network at the behest of the United States. Continue reading »
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MYRIAM ROBIN. The think tank behind Australia’s changing view of China.(AFR 15.2.20200
On Tuesday in the Australian Senate, Labor’s Kim Carr rose to his feet, thundering about “hawks intent on fighting a new cold war”. Continue reading »
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RICHARD BROINOWSKI. American delusions about the Philippines
When someone pointed out that President Duterte had just abrogated the bilateral Visiting Forces Agreement, Admiral Davidson conceded the point, but said it was up to ‘agile Australian diplomats’ among others to get it re-instated. Continue reading »
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GREG McCARTHY. Searching for a humane response to the coronavirus. (EAF16.2.2020)
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has served to magnify political, economic and cultural tensions within and between Australia and China. Continue reading »
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GEOFF MILLER; United States; Portraying the policy reality.
Recently the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command spoke in Sydney. He criticised China’s behaviour in very strong terms, but in talking about the United States’ role and attitudes he described a set of policies that no longer exist. Continue reading »
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Moral Disengagement, Honesty, Transparency, Accountability and the Sports Rort
Generally speaking, most people desire to behave ethically and within moral bounds. Continue reading »
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How the OTIS group did Albanese a favour
A group of disgruntled federal Labor politicians known as the OTIS group and dubbed by some the ‘outside the inner sanctum group’ has helped Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in a number of ways they probably didn’t intend. Continue reading »
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ROSEMARY O’GRADY. It bodes well for the ALP’s future
The successful outcome of Labor Leader Albanese’s nomination for office of a disaffected Queensland National was a deft move. Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 16 February 2020
Migration is the focus this week, particularly within country migration, with stories about human migrations in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South Asia and the USA, bird migrations in Australia and bee migrations in the USA. 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 »