Politics
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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 »
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NOEL TURNBULL. Australian right wing religious fury over The Economist
The Australian right wing seem to be embarking on another cultural crusade – this time against what is probably the best weekly news magazine (which the editors insist on calling a newspaper) in the world, The Economist. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL MULLINS. Leaving Google
Last month an Amnesty International report took Google and Facebook to task for their ‘surveillance-based business model’ that is ‘predicated on human rights abuse’. Back in 2006, I recall a colleague telling me about Google’s ‘do no evil’ manifesto. I wanted to believe it and used many of its free and paid services. Until last Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. A matter of behaviour.The CFMMEU and the Banks.
The wheels are falling off the Government as Parliament winds down for Christmas. Both Coalition Government and Labor Opposition should consider a comment made by Pauline Hanson, who has asserted her authority with a sorely needed dose of common sense. Continue reading »
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DAILAN PUGH. A Fiery Future
Hundreds of ancient Brush Box and other rainforest trees, many over a thousand years old, have been felled in the head of Terania Creek, their bases eaten out by fire. While the community stepped up to stop the loggers 40 years ago, this time nothing could stop the assault initiated by human-induced climate change. Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Health professionals stepping up to support action on climate change
Climate change is already causing injuries, illness and premature death. This is only going to get worse. Health professionals, individually and collectively, are taking action to highlight the health problems, including being arrested for blocking development of the Adani mine. Continue reading »
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WILLIAM BRIGGS Lessons in how to hate China
In an often-confused world, some things have a ring of certainty. The steady rise in anti-Chinese rhetoric is an example. It is disturbing, and largely baseless, but is becoming one of life’s truisms. This is not to suggest that China is beyond criticism or that its internal politics are in any way defensible. A country Continue reading »
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ALLAN PATIENCE. The shonk from the shire.
Maybe Australians took to Scott Morrison during the election campaign for two main reasons: (1) He was not Bill Shorten; (2) He cunningly presented himself as an authentic bloke, a “daggy dad”, Mr Mainstream. There were no airs and graces. He was happy to be photographed goofily playing amateur soccer or wearing a baseball cap Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. The wrong way to make political – or any – decisions
The Morrison Government’s decision-making is about to get worse – if that’s possible – as Cabinet submissions are apparently to be replaced by PowerPoint presentations. Presumably the full Cabinet submissions will be available and a few Ministers may read them but the reality is that the use of PowerPoint (PP) will discourage the rest from Continue reading »
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ALISON BROINOWSKI. Friends of Assange, at last.
Influential Australians are suddenly stirring in support of Julian Assange, who will face extradition to the US and several life sentences unless political intervention heads it off. Is it too late? Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. China Series
China is in the ‘news’. But it is not always well informed news. In addition much of our news and views about China are shaped in Washington and London.We don’t really know much about China, our major trading partner by far and the rapidly rising power in our region. This is occurring as US influence Continue reading »
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MICHAEL KEATING. Retirement Incomes Review: Part 2
The Government’s independent Review of the retirement incomes system has identified four criteria against which that system should be judged: adequacy, equity, sustainability and cohesion. Yesterday I reviewed the performance of the Australian retirement income system against the criteria of adequacy. This article completes the review against the other three criteria. Continue reading »
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JACK WATERFORD. Sexing up the charges for PR purposes
Austrac’s record on remittance scrutiny looks as lamentable as Westpac’s Continue reading »
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HAJO DUKEN. No one is above the law
This sounds so obvious and innocent. However, in times of raids on journalists and the national broadcaster, moves to substantially curtail the liberty to protest, the prosecution of Witness K and his lawyer, and many other clashes between the law and our liberties, do we not have every reason to be suspicious and ask what Continue reading »
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MICHAEL KEATING. Retirement Incomes Review: Part 1
The Mercer Global Pension Index rates the Australian retirement income system as number three in the world. Nevertheless, the Government has commissioned an independent Review, and this article and another tomorrow discuss whether and how our retirement income system might be improved. Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 1 December 2019
How much can we trust the certification system for palm oil? Not much according to two reports over the last 4 years. Air pollution kills 3,000 Australians each year – there’s an opportunity to put pressure on ministers to enact higher national air pollution standards. Bankers are increasingly recognising the need for urgent action 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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LAURIE PATTON. The Assange dilemma updated. What is journalism in the online age?
It’s time for more humane treatment of Julian Assange. Guilt or innocence aside nobody should be treated the way he is allegedly being treated. More than 60 doctors have now written an open letter to the UK authorities saying he suffers from psychological problems including depression, dental issues and a serious shoulder ailment. They want Continue reading »
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MARK BUCKLEY. Seriously Under-achieving
The current Government seems to be, almost universally, staffed by a large group of impostors. Are they visitors from another planet, passing themselves off as movers and shakers, decision makers? Have they infiltrated the bodies of the incumbents, but are insufficiently programmed to carry off the deception? Are they all zombies, not alive, but not Continue reading »
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Sunup in Sawojajar
Expat blogs praise the joys of living in Bali. A low-cost paradise, they say. Sundowners with fellow retirees while a maid (‘a real treasure’) prepares dinner and ‘our’ gardener trims the lawn. Good time to bitch about deemed interest rates on pensions. Below the green paddy, the cheerful reapers. This is Indonesia. So is East Continue reading »
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RICHARD WHITINGTON. What started with Whitlam in Werriwa in 1952 remains a work in progress.
Tomorrow 29 November, is the 67th anniversary of Edward Gough Whitlam’s election to the Australian Parliament in 1952. Twenty years and three days later he became Prime Minister, after Labor’s longest exile in opposition, and nine straight election losses. Whitlam’s path to his 1972 victory had much of its foundation in the monumental task of Continue reading »
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JOHN TAN. Is this what a corporate state feels like?
Variously called classical economics, neoclassical economics, trickle-down economics, neoliberalism, a new wave of economic thinking swept Australia. Keynes was gone, Hayek and Friedman were the rage. We were told that free markets were the only way. Governments were a hindrance. Everyone should learn from the efficiency of corporations and markets. Planning was unnecessary because free Continue reading »
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ALAN AUSTIN. Which party runs the economy better and how do we know? Part two.
There are two ways to demonstrate that Australia’s Labor governments have managed the national economy better than the Coalition has. First, by comparing outcomes over time in Australia. Second, by comparing how Australia has ranked in the world under different administrations. The second accounts for global conditions which, as we saw in part one, are Continue reading »