Politics
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OSCAR ROMERO. Advent readings from a modern martyr.
This is what advent is. Continue reading »
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MARK BUCKLEY. Three Amigos
It is like the band getting back together again, when all the large white men with blonde-ish hair all came to power, sort of in the same time frame, voted for by actual people, and now all claiming a MANDATE. They all speak a form of English, although it is understood that the meanings that Continue reading »
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BRUCE THOM. The whereabouts of climate change adaptation
Since the late 1980s climate change adaptation has received limited consideration by the Australian Government. Mitigation continues to dominate the national discourse. Continue reading »
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GEORGE MONBIOT. Resist and Rebuild (Guardian Newspaper, 13 December 2019)
Yes, it’s dark. Darker, arguably, than at any point since the Second World War. We have a government not of conservatives, but of the radical right, who will now seek to smash the remaining restraints on capital and those who accumulate it. They will take their sledgehammers to our public services and our public protections. Continue reading »
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OSCAR ROMERO. Advent Readings from a Modern Martyr
The whole person must be saved: body and soul, individual and society. Continue reading »
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MUNGO MACCALLUM.- Delivering on threadbare policies.
And so ScoMo’s annus miraculous staggers to an end, with the promise that the next one will be the year of delivery, the one that produces the outcomes which will make all the dithering, procrastination and avoidance of issues all worthwhile. Continue reading »
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ANDREW GLIKSON. A climate of betrayal
“During times of universal deceit telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” (George Orwell) Continue reading »
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OSCAR ROMERO. Advent Readings from a Modern Martyr
In celebrating Christmas, many Christians do exactly the opposite of what the earliest Christians did. By celebrating Christmas, they succeeded in bringing Christ into the pagan feast of the sun. Today’s Christians’ neopaganism is managing to paganize Christmas. Continue reading »
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Sunday environmental round-up, 15 December 2019
Strong evidence that every day’s delay in reducing greenhouse gas emissions makes the ultimate task more difficult (and less achievable; exploding the myth that natural gas is a safe, low emissions transition fuel to a carbon free world; hoped-for outcomes from the current COP meeting in Madrid; some Christmas suggestions; and a visual tribute to Continue reading »
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SATURDAY’s GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND
A regular collection of links to writings and broadcasts in other media Continue reading »
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ANDREW PODGER.- Grattan Ducks its own Push for a Sensible Discussion of Private Health Insurance.
In their first ‘Saving Private Insurance’ report in August, Stephen Duckett and Kristina Nemet from the Grattan Institute presented a most helpful framework for assessing the future role of private health insurance in Australia in the context of our universal public insurance scheme, Medicare. Continue reading »
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Morrison is perfecting the seal on his own personal Canberra bubble. (SMH 11.12.2019)
If you think Scott Morrison’s been busy doing not very much since the election in May, you are much mistaken. In truth he’s been very busy doing stuff of not much interest to you. But sometimes it pays to take an interest in things that don’t seem of interest. Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. Innovation and inequality – not as simple as the tech titans make out
If you were told that an Australian politician had published a new book, backed by a solid evidence base, with a highly original take on a major problem the normal response would be to wonder if Barry Jones had a new book out. Continue reading »
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JAMES CURRAN Our China panic is stepping into the world of paranoia (AFR 10.12.2019)
The China debate is close to losing all sense of rationality and proportion. Where’s the confidence in our institutions? Continue reading »
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Morrison’s Public Service “reforms” do us no favours
The mergers of Australian Public Service Departments announced by Scott Morrison on 5 December will do nothing to advance the cause of good government. The claims of efficiency gains that invariably accompany such announcements always turn out to be illusory, and, far more importantly, result in matters that ought to be debated out in full Continue reading »
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MAURICIO GARCÍA VILLEGAS. Levelling the Playing Field
The millions of people protesting in different Latin American countries have a variety of complaints. A main one in Chile and Colombia, is the lack of equality of opportunity which is normally provided by good public education. In those countries, the rich are educated in well-resourced private schools while the poor are sent to second Continue reading »
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Julian Assange, A Court of Star Chamber, Cruelty Beyond Belief
In the 15th century, King Henry VII of England established a Court of Star Chamber. Operated by Privy Counsellors and judges, it developed a reputation for arbitrary power leading to cruel and unusual punishments. There was no due process and no rights of appeal for the accused. Continue reading »
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DUNCAN GRAHAM . Can young voices get into elders’ ears?
Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s Cabinet selection has been met with widespread dismay by liberal progressives. There have been some weird choices noted here https://johnmenadue.com/duncan-graham-dont-cry-for-me-indonesia/ The most disturbing was making Widodo’s bitter and brutal rival Prabowo Subianto, 68, Defence Minister, even though the former general with a suspect human rights record had been decisively rejected by Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Unintended consequences: How NSW planning laws have stolen democracy from ratepayers
One of the fundamental principles of the democratic system enjoyed in Australia for more than 200 years is the right to make representations to your local MP, or in the case of local government to your elected councillors. Regrettably, changes made last year to NSW planning laws have denied ratepayers this ability and effectively handed Continue reading »
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DAVID SHEARMAN. I have a Dream; Resurrection of Westpac as a Sustainability Bank
I have a dream that the outrageous performance of Westpac could lead to fundamental reform and the genetic engineering of one of the identical quads, the BIG4 banks which do not fulfil community needs or financial stability. Continue reading »
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GEORGE BROWNING. Morrison Government you are a disgrace
NSW is alight, and it is still not the right time to talk about Climate Change!!!!! What message of commitment did we have to give the world community in Madrid? – nothing. You said Australia is reducing its emission year on year. Your own department’s graphics shows this to be untrue. Asserting untruth does not Continue reading »
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JOHN DWYER. What a mess! Insurance for health care, both public and private, is increasingly dysfunctional with sensible and equitable solutions held hostage by “vested interests”. PART ONE
We Australians have for decades now made it clear that we want a health care system that delivers quality care in a timely manner with availability based on need not personal financial wellbeing. Increasingly it is obvious to all that the system should better fund programs to prevent illness not just treat it.These are the Continue reading »
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Israel’s Aussie Mensch
The Zionist Federation of Australia bestowed in November its 2019 Jerusalem Prize for “exceptional in strengthening Australia-Israel relations” or as Prof. Stuart Rees puts it, ‘for sucking up to Israelis,’ on an exemplary recipient, the prime minister of Australia, Scott Morrison. Continue reading »
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ABUL RIZVI. Highlights of 2018-19 Migration Program Outcome
Minister Coleman has at last allowed the 2018-19 Migration Program report to be published in early December. These are usually finalised each July. Two highlights: (1) the Partner visa application pipeline has reached almost 90,000 and is certain to grow much further in 2019-20; and (2) the backlog of employer sponsored visa applications is falling Continue reading »
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JOHN TAN. Rights v. Rights: Whose rights shall prevail?
Human rights are usually associated with those in the Universal Declaration, like free speech and freedom of assembly, but there are actually two opposing narratives of human rights, both having their origins at about the same time just after WWII. The second narrative, seemingly very powerful, is a right to be as wealthy as possible Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 8 December 2019
With this year’s climate change Conference of the Parties (COP) getting underway this week in Madrid, the articles this week focus on climate change: the future of coal and renewables in China, problems with projects funded by rich nations in developing countries, climate tipping points, responses to climate deniers’ arguments, and counting and reducing emissions Continue reading »
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SATURDAY’s GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND
A regular collection of links to writings and broadcasts in other media Continue reading »
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DAVID SOLOMON. Taylor’s numbers crunched.
When should a minister ‘stand aside’ (that is, be stood aside); when should a minister resign (be sacked)? Prime Minister Morrison has provided his answer in the case of Angus Taylor, his Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. Not now. But not ever? – we will see. Continue reading »
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BRIAN TOOHEY. Reports of China spies and takeover plots are fanciful (SMH 5.12.2019)
Wildly exaggerated intelligence warnings about communist influence are not new in Australia. A US naval intelligence officer who was posted as an attache to the American embassy in the late 1940s, Stephen Jurika, reported back to Washington that communism was “rife in the highest governing circles” in Australia. Continue reading »
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JOCELYN PIXLEY. What is new about Westpac’s robber barons after Hayne’s Royal Commission?
Was it surprising to hear AUSTRAC’s allegations that Westpac breached money-laundering laws 23 million times? When the LNP won government in May 2019, bankers cheered reinstalled Ministers, delighted that the Royal Commission’s February recommendations were unlikely to be fully implemented. Conditions were in place, then, with the unfolding script already tattered. Less discussed was the Continue reading »