John Menadue
Publisher and Editor
Callum Foote
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Category Archives: Politics
Spies are often the ‘second eleven’
When the full history of Australia’s slide into McCarthyite hysteria over China is written there should be special mention of the role of our spy organizations – ASIO and ASIS in particular. As someone who has worked over the years … Continue reading
Posted in Defence/Security, Politics
6 Comments
Research reveals shocking detail on how Australia’s environmental scientists are being silenced (The Conversation Sep 9, 2020)
Ecologists and conservation experts in government, industry and universities are routinely constrained in communicating scientific evidence on threatened species, mining, logging and other threats to the environment, our new research has found.
Posted in Environment and climate, Politics
2 Comments
Holy See response to Child Sexual Abuse Royal Commission: another example of clericalist obstinance
It is almost three years since the Royal Commission inquiring into child sexual abuse recommended that the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) request from the Holy See responses on 14 matters. The Holy See responded in February 2020 with ‘observations’. … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Religion and Faith
10 Comments
Freedom and protests in 2020 Australia
Where is the national outcry at the erosion of our freedom to protest?
Government must stop militarising our biggest challenges
Proposed legislation to enable the PM to declare a national emergency and call in the troops appears to be yet another example of the government’s dangerous tendency to militarise our biggest challenges, including climate change.
Posted in Defence/Security, Politics
5 Comments
China-Australia Business Relations. Are we still Lao Pengyou?
Close business friendships, and our common humanity, must always transcend loose political rhetoric.
Posted in Economy, Politics
6 Comments
Ecological Conversion
Are there shy signs of a new era emerging as humanity faces this pandemic? Could we be moving towards a more ‘woke’ state, leaving behind something of our 2019 ‘zombie’ selves, heads cowed over smartphones?
Posted in Environment and climate, Politics
5 Comments
Promoting health equity: mixed scorecard for Australia’s policy response to Covid-19
Covid-19 has shone a spotlight on health inequities in society. Despite claims that ‘we are all in this together’, just like other historical pandemics, inequalities in Covid-19 mortality and morbidity reflect existing social and economic inequalities. Australia’s Federal and State/Territory … Continue reading
Federal and State blame game won’t shift the burden of economic revival
Initially, Scott Morrison was imaginative in trying to co-opt the premiers and chief ministers into a united response. However, as the premiers have gone their own way he has become more willing to criticise and more exasperated about their standing … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
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Islam, Communism and the Belt and Road Initiative
Soon after the Bolshevik uprisings, Communism and Islam seemed destined to liberate the Muslim world from European Imperialism, but that was not to be due to their ideological differences.
Posted in Politics
5 Comments
China’s universities on the rise
China’s universities are rising in the world university rankings. The United States is still well ahead, but the balance is shifting in China’s favour. The effects of Covid-19 are likely to intensify this shift.
Abbott – a national disgrace
Just when you thought it was safe to open a newspaper again, Tony Abbott is back in the news. This time he is in the UK, where the Brits have appointed him a ‘trade envoy’.
Posted in Politics
6 Comments
Many Australians are in for a difficult time in the months, and possibly years, ahead
A new report released earlier this week summarises the extent and effects of income and wealth inequality before Covid-19 and provides a lens through which to assess the affects of Covid-19 as it continues and governments and businesses respond.
Posted in Politics
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Swallowing a Huge Spider to Catch Foreign Relations Flies
In the name of foreign relations, the Morrison government is giving itself extraordinary powers to meddle in the affairs of States, Territories and universities.
Posted in Politics
3 Comments
Falling into depression
It has always been argued that gas, while not a squeaky clean fuel, is a least a better bet than coal. But now it turns out that gas may be even dirtier, because the methane leaks that cannot be contained … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Politics
8 Comments
Overcoming individualisation is fundamental to social change
Individualisation positions the idea of the autonomous, self-contained individual at the centre of political, ethical and psychological frameworks, and determines much of our current politics.
Posted in Health, Politics
6 Comments
How governments made economic medicine less potent, more insipid
I expect the premiers will suffer little political pain if recovery doesn’t happen, is patchy or too slow. It will be Morrison and Frydenberg who are blamed.
Posted in Politics
2 Comments
The EPBC Review says good-bye to environmental and human health on Planet A
The Samuel Report and its rejection of an independent regulator by the Minister have ‘grave’ implications for the health of countless communities around Australia.
Posted in Environment and climate, Politics
1 Comment
Greg Sheridan’s feverish cherry picking
What has Greg Sheridan of The Australian been smoking or taking, or is it just common or garden cherry picking?
Posted in Arts and Media, Politics
7 Comments
China policy – the children are in charge
Is the Australian Government serious about restoring the relationship with China? There are disturbing indications that it is not.
PART 2: COVID controversies and vaccine shortcuts
The urgent need for a vaccine to protect us from COVID-19 is obvious. Scientists have produced some promising candidates but, as so often is the case in this pandemic perceived political imperatives are demanding ‘shortcuts’ in the development process that … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Politics
5 Comments
McMahon, Abbott and Morrison.
Has Tony Abbott surpassed McMahon as the worst of our worst?
Posted in Politics
8 Comments
Police state governance and the civil liberties of an MP
In disdain for human rights and to display power, governments deploy police forces to harass or arrest citizens, and then justify their actions with claims about the influence of foreign forces.And it’s happening right now in Australia.
Posted in Human Rights, Politics
4 Comments
An appeal to the Australian legal fraternity – Lawyers4Collaery
International lawyers have banded together to support Julian Assange with an open letter to the British PM. Why haven’t Australian lawyers supported Bernard Collaery and Witness K with an open letter to our PM and Attorney-General?
No 10 and the secretly funded lobby groups intent on undermining democracy (The Guardian Sep 1, 2020)
Thinktanks such as Policy Exchange are working to shift power away from state institutions – into the prime minister’s office.
Posted in Politics
2 Comments
Sunday environmental round up, 6 September 2020
COVID is increasing deforestation but the Australian government moves rapidly to put fast-tracked development above the environment. Computer geeks start monitoring the sources of CO2 emissions and Indigenous groups use the law to challenge governments to protect their lands and … Continue reading
Posted in Environment and climate, Politics
1 Comment
New expose of Catholic Church’s rorting of taxpayer funding
Documents leaked to the ABC expose shocking rorting of taxpayer funding by the NSW Catholic school system with the approval of Catholic bishops. It is the latest in a long line of exposes about misuse of government funding by Catholic … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
10 Comments
For Hong Kong’s sake, the judiciary must regain Beijing’s trust (SCMP Sep 3, 2020)
How did it come about that Beijing has developed such mistrust of the Hong Kong judiciary? The courts have put a slant on the Basic Law, by applying obscure norms and values from overseas which are totally unsuited to Hong … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
3 Comments
Saturday’s good reading and listening for the weekend
What people in other forums are saying about public policy
Posted in Politics
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The Battle of Narrabri may well decide our climate future
Approval for the Narrabri gas project will say goodbye to any hope of an effective climate policy and usher in an expanding national gas industry with a rise in emissions and untold direct damage to the sustainability of this drying … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Public Policy
1 Comment