Politics
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ALLAN PATIENCE. The ALP and the religious right in Australian politics
The religious right is casting a darkening cloud over Australia’s democracy. Continue reading »
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MIKE SCRAFTON. Irish Reunification-Child of Brexit
Arriving at agreement on a new Irish Constitution following a post-Brexit Border Poll would expose the cracks in Irish identity. There is little public evidence that any government—in the Republic, Northern Ireland, or the UK—has given serious thought to the steps that would need to follow a double yes vote. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL KEATING. Australia’s Political Fault Lines.
This article takes issue with a recent article by John Menadue which argues that a largely unchallenged and powerful oligarchy is wielding untrammelled political power. Instead, a number of other reasons are proposed as to why our political parties have fragmented, and how that has made the achievement of necessary policy compromises more difficult. Nevertheless, Continue reading »
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MARGARET REYNOLDS. Labor Review ignores Centralised Factional Control!
The ALP Reviewers certainly deserve recognition for facing some of the issues which led to its recent Federal election defeat. The Review Team has put on the record the factors contributing to misunderstanding and failure to capture the public imagination. Recommendations are a welcome start in charting new directions. However, the fundamental issue of factional Continue reading »
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ROSS GITTINS. Confessions of a pet shop galah: a lot of reform backfired (SMH 11.11.2019)
As someone who, back in the day, did his share of being one of Paul Keating’s pet shop galahs – screeching “more micro reform!” every time they saw a pollie – I don’t cease to be embarrassed by the many supposed reforms that turned into stuff-ups. Continue reading »
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J. A. DICK. Political Religion and the Prosperity Gospel
Re-reading a bit of political philosophy, I came across a 1939 quotation by the French philosopher Raymond Aron (1905-1983) who warned of ‘notre époque de religions politiques.’ If Aron were around today, he would have much to wrote about. Continue reading »
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JACK WATERFORD. Labor could fall further yet
Did Morrison win that election? Or did Labor simply blow it? Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. The political limbo rock – how low can you go?
One of the best ways to determine how history will judge a politician is not to tot up what they achieved but to try to evaluate the depths they sometimes sank to as they pursued their careers. Continue reading »
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GREGORY CLARK- APEC on the chopping block ( Asia Times November 5, 2019)
For old-time Asia watchers, there was a delicious irony in the way Chile has decided it does not want to be the site of this year’s planned APEC annual meeting. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL KEATING . Economic Growth ,Redistribution and Climate Change.
Many pundits are arguing that if Labor is to become competitive at the next election it must focus on economic growth and jobs and abandon or at least downgrade its policies for income redistribution and to combat climate change. The evidence, however, is precisely the reverse. It is these policies that are the key to Continue reading »
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DAVID SOLOMON. Whither Labor
Labor’s post-election post-mortem demonstrates conclusively that Scott Morrison’s victory was no miracle. It also shows why so many people thought it was. Continue reading »
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AWM redevelopment – Green lights all the way despite widespread opposition
Due process has been missing in action with the proposed Australian War Memorial demolition and expansion. Wide-ranging and serious concerns from many people have been dismissed, as AWM Director Dr Brendan Nelson continues to be given green lights in his quest to have the Memorial display yet more of the machinery of warfare. One wonders Continue reading »
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NOEL TURNBULL. The political limbo rock – how low can you go
One of the best ways to determine how history will judge a politician is not to tot up what they achieved but to try to evaluate the depths they sometimes sank to as they pursued their careers. Continue reading »
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MARK BUCKLEY. Why Labor Lost
As this year’s election result became clear, Bill Shorten stated, “We were up against corporate leviathans, a financial behemoth, spending unprecedented hundreds of millions of dollars advertising, telling lies, spreading fear – they got what they wanted.” That is the voice of a hapless victim, complaining about forces beyond his control, and not the alternative Continue reading »
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RICHARD WHITINGTON. What will Weatherill, Emerson and the willy-wag-tails teach the wombats?
Here we have two wombats, Lofty and Rorty. They’re stranded on the median strip in the middle of a busy freeway, on their way home from a meeting where, against most expectations, they were outflanked in their bid to take over the Association of Australian Native Animals (AANA). Continue reading »
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PETER SAINSBURY. Sunday environmental round up, 10 November 2019
Nearly all about climate change this week: 20 fossil fuel companies responsible for producing 35% of all greenhouse gas emissions and confusing the public and politicians about the causes of climate change; the USA starts the formal process of withdrawal from the Paris agreement: will others follow? is the Paris agreement dead in the water 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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TONY SMITH. A flicker of interest in human rights
Foreign Minister Marise Payne recently incurred the wrath of China by daring to mention the treatment of the Uighurs. At first sight this might seem to signal the beginning of a new commitment to human rights by the Coalition Government. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister is leading domestic policy in the opposite direction. Continue reading »
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JERRY ROBERTS. Thinking about economics
Whether anybody — anybody at all — understands the workings of the world economy, or even the national economy, is a moot point but there are lots of interesting theories. Continue reading »
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CO2 is rising at the fastest rate since 66 million years ago.
As the CO2 level rises to 408 ppm and the total greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, including CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, reaches about 500 parts per million CO2-equivalent, the stability threshold of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, currently melting at an accelerated rate, is exceeded. Under warming drought conditions, firestorms currently engulfing California, large parts of South Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. Democracy or oligarchy .
Our political contest used to be between Left and Right, Labor and Conservative. That has changed with growing anger that power is now rigged in favour of a largely unchallenged and powerful oligarchy. Our democratic system including our traditional parties are just not properly responding .Voters are fleeing the major parties and particularly Labor. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL KEATING- Scott Morrison and the ‘Quiet Australians’
Prime Minister Morrison says that he will make sure that government services are reliable and responsive to the needs of those “quiet Australians” whose legitimate expectations are consistent with past practice and social conventions. What that means for the growing number of other Australians, who are less able to have a go and look after Continue reading »
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ALLAN PATIENCE. Schmoozing America, antagonising China
The Morrison government is cleaving ever more closely to the USA, asserting that the two countries have shared values and aligned interests. Meanwhile it has taken to lecturing China about human rights abuses and emphasising how the values of the Chinese Communist Party are anathema to Australia’s cultural values and democratic politics. Continue reading »
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ALEX WODAK. Draft recommendations supporting drug decriminalisation released by the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into Ice
The Commissioner of the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into Ice, Dan Howard QC, will now consider what amounts to a draft report by Council Assisting, Sally Dowling SC. He will submit his officIal report in January, to be then considered by the NSW Government. Council Assisting accepts that relying heavily on attempts to cut Continue reading »
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CAVAN HOGUE: Why is Mr Dutton afraid of Australian children?
The Australian women and children facing danger in Syria are not being brought home because it can’t be done or because they would be a threat to Australia but because of cheap domestic politics. As H.L. Mencken observed: “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. Catch 22.0 – we wouldn’t need inquiries if public administration wasn’t so broken
On ABC Insiders host Fran Kelly asked health minister Greg Hunt why the Government didn’t have an immediate response ready on the aged care royal commission report just released. “It wasn’t a surprise to anyone, was it”, Ms Kelly observed with obvious frustration. Continue reading »
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MIKE SCRAFTON. It’s not all about Brexit
Everyone’s crystal ball is fogged. The outcome of the UK’s election is clouded. More than the future of the nation’s relationship with Europe depends on the outcome. Brexit might be one of the lesser consequences. Continue reading »
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JOCELYN PIXLEY. Politicians and Central Banks
Central banks are rarely discussed until booms turn to busts. Like many others, politicians turn on central bankers in ignorant blame, particularly when central bank (CB) messages are unattractive. The LNP detests the Reserve Bank of Australia’s urging that it fosters higher wages and engages in long-term investment. But what can CBs actually do? Continue reading »
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Schadenfreude, thy name is Tony Abbott: No one is above the law
If a law can be abused, it will be. This is as true of laws enacted in the name of national security and anti-terrorism as any other law. Why is this simple reality so hard for politicians to grasp? Continue reading »
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DUNCAN GRAHAM Don’t cry for me, Indonesia
Though it started well earlier this year, the signals now flashing from across the Arafura Sea are no longer cheering. The world’s third largest democracy celebrated a successful poll in April when the voters made their wishes clear. Since then Indonesia’s politicians have ignored the electors and set about imposing agendas never revealed during the Continue reading »