Politics
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The longer term consequences of the pandemic may be fewer citizens’ rights
When we require a bureaucrat’s permission to leave the country, or to cross our neighbourhood’s State border, one far removed from any known instance of a viral infection, our rights and liberties are indeed slipping. They are doing so right under our noses. Continue reading »
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Being old and disabled in the time of COVID
The Prime Minister has apologised for the number of deaths in residential aged care during the COVID disaster. But he hasn’t apologised for the large number of people in residential aged care who don’t need to be there. Continue reading »
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Universities at the crossroads – will town trump gown?
University mergers proposed for SA may be the wrong answer to the wrong question. We have let universities become captured by commercial interests and corporate culture. Now Covid has wrecked their business model. It is time to reclaim them for the public? Continue reading »
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Gig workers falling through pandemic protection
Many people have pointed out how various groups have been forgotten in the official response to the Covid-19 pandemic: casual workers, temporary migrants, and anyone involved in universities. Continue reading »
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The perils of pedagogy
The government hates social scientists and our views often do little to improve the mental well-being of students. Should we shut up to protect our self-interest and keep our version of the truth from our students to protect them? Continue reading »
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Barnaby’s Boondoggle: documents reveal $80m price for ‘Watergate’ licences was nearly twice valuation (Michael West Media August 17, 2020)
The Coalition paid the tax haven-linked Eastern Australia Agriculture nearly double what independent valuers recommended for water licences. Most of the record $80 million from the sale ended up with a Cayman Islands company established by Energy Minister Angus Taylor. Investigative journalist Kerry Brewster has this exclusive report. Continue reading »
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The economic outlook and taxation. Part 2
Yesterday Part 1 of this article argued that bringing forward the second and third stages of the Government’s legislated tax cuts would achieve very little economic stimulus and would damage the longer-term fiscal position. Part 2 today considers the future demands for government spending, and therefore how much revenue will be necessary after economic recovery. Continue reading »
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Bad habits must be unlearned before they bring down governments and society
Morrison has never been one for secrecy, refusal to acknowledge error or bad judgment, and willingness to use his prerogatives to avoid being pinned on detail. Perhaps his impulses on the pandemic or reviving the economy are worthy — methinks they devote too much focus on culture wars. Continue reading »
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Industrial policy makes a comeback (EAF 16 August, 2020)
It used to be said that governments are terrible at picking winners but losers are good at picking governments. Is that still true? Continue reading »
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Morrison can’t bluff his way out of the aged care crisis
I will turn 80 next year, which means that the issue of aged care is rapidly assuming more than academic significance. Continue reading »
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The economic outlook and taxation Part 1
The Covid-induced recession has turned out to be worse than we initially hoped writes Michael Keating. Part 1 of this article discusses the additional fiscal stimulus that will be necessary and why it should not include bringing forward the Government’s legislated tax cuts. Part 2, tomorrow, will discuss the key requirements for revenue raising. Continue reading »
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Morrison’s government has tried ditch the rules… to no avail
The problem with this government is that it doesn’t seem to learn from its mistakes. Perhaps that is because it fears that any change in approach will be seen as an admission of wrongdoing — even maladministration, as with the sports rorts affair. Continue reading »
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A Former President of Colombia Has His Oscar Wilde Moment
Senator Álvaro Uribe, a former president of Colombia, commenced a private prosecution against Senator Iván Cepeda for attempting to pervert the course of justice by paying witness to make false allegations against him. The judge dismissed the case, and found that it was Uribe who was doing the perverting. The matter is now before the Continue reading »
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The Ruby Princess fiasco, deaths and damage.
This was not just another Covid cluster – it was a full on Covid cluster fuck, brought to you in glorious 20-20 hindsight and quadrophonic dodging and denial. Continue reading »
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Senate committee extends deadline on banking inquiry
‘Parliament should endorse the Banking Amendment (Deposits) Bill 2020 to explicitly rule out the possibility of bail-in where authorities would allow banks to convert your deposits to shares in a banking crisis — should be a no-brainer for any government.”(John Hewson) Continue reading »
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The withering away of the State
The inability to come to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic can be traced directly to Reagan’s notion in the 1980s that “government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem”. Continue reading »
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Sunday environmental round up, 16 August 2020
CO2, CO2, and CO2: an oil pipeline in the USA reopens, coal mines and CSG wells in NSW look for approval, Feds give green light to more emissions, gas flaring increases, while Texas ‘mothballs’ its carbon capture and storage poster-child and blows the other states away with wind energy. French scientists use AI recognise individual Continue reading »
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War and Pandemic Journalism: the Truth Can Disappear Fast (Counter Punch August 7, 2020)
The struggle against Covid-19 has often been compared to fighting a war. Much of this rhetoric is bombast, but the similarities between the struggle against the virus and against human enemies are real enough. Continue reading »
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Saturday’s good reading and listening for the weekend
Unfortunately Ian McAuley has broken a few bones in a bicycle accident. Nothing this weekend, sorry, back on air next weekend. Continue reading »
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The Unraveling of America (Rolling Stone August 6, 2020)
Anthropologist Wade Davis on how COVID-19 signals the end of the American era. Continue reading »
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The witch-hunting of Moslemane and Zhang
Australia’s ‘foreign interference’ laws were criticised by many as a step towards domestic authoritarian politics with a pronounced anti-China flavour. NSW politician Shaoqett Moselmane and staffer John Zhang have since been attacked by the Attorney-General, the PM, and vilified by the media; all in the cause of witch-hunting China. Now both Moselmane and Zhang are Continue reading »
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Cancel culture, Nick Cave and the Harper’s Letter: a moan from the Ivory Tower or call to the liberal battlements?
Nick Cave has revived the issues raised in the Letter on Justice and Open Debate published on 7 July 2020 and signed by 150 noted authors, academics, and public intellectuals. Issues that cut straight to a key fault line in liberalism. Continue reading »
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The COVID Interregnum (Counter Punch August 7, 2020)
A little over 500 years ago, Europeans, driven by a lust for riches and enabled by new technologies, colonized the Americas and set about making them productive in an entirely new way. Continue reading »
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It is high noon in the wild West for Clive Palmer
Extraordinary legislation rushed through State Parliament this week to protect Western Australia against an estimated $30 billion damages claim marks a dramatic escalation of the Government’s battle with Clive Palmer. Continue reading »
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A pandemic letter from an Aussie in the USA (PURSUIT August 14, 2020)
How did one the world’s most inequitable health care systems cope with COVID-19? The short answer is that it provides the starkest of warnings Continue reading »
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Queensland’s election in the shadow of the virus
Queensland faces a full state election on 31 October. Unlike recent state and federal by-elections, this election will be severely effected by the Coronavirus. And as with the virus, just what will happen in 11 weeks time is anybody’s guess. Continue reading »
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The art of grabbing headlines
NSW Police Minister and former CEO of the Australian Hotels Association (NSW), David Elliott, is a master at getting his name in the media. Today he is attempting to use the same formula to support his ambition to become Premier. Why isn’t it working? Continue reading »
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Are the ‘big four’ accounting firms above the law?
In 2004, the federal parliament passed the Age Discrimination Act, making age discrimination in employment, education and the provision of goods and services unlawful. But the major accounting firms seem to think it doesn’t apply to them. Continue reading »
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Kamala Harris might ensure a fair fight
Joe Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his candidate for Vice President is outstanding. It takes the fight to Trump and Pence forcefully. Harris’ presence in the debates and the campaign will strengthen the possibility that the vote will be allowed to determine the outcome, not corruption. Continue reading »
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US sanctions policy ‘on steroids’: a legitimate tool or is Donald Trump using it for retribution? (Michael West August 10, 2020)
The Trump Administration is adding foreign individuals and entities to US sanctions lists at a rate never before seen and it’s increasingly been done without Congressional oversight, judicial review or any requirement to produce evidence, writes Marcus Reubenstein. Continue reading »
