September 3, 2020

Rorting of school funding

When State Aid was introduced 50 years ago it was intended to help__poor Catholic schools in the poorest socio-economic areas: no one thought it would ever become a rort.

April 22, 2020

Thoughts for Anzac Day. Never such innocence again.

Anzac Day dawns. We acknowledge the heavy costs endured the loss of life, the broken bodies and broken minds. We reflect, remember, and respect. There will be no big public gatherings this year mercifully perhaps. Because these sometimes include elements of naivety that make us cringe.

March 28, 2019

BEN POBJIE. Why 'Q&A' Is A Complete Waste Of Time (10 Daily).

With Tony Jones announcing his imminent departure from Q&A, it seems timely to take a good look at the little political panel show that his calm stewardship turned into a ratings semi-behemoth for the ABC.

September 24, 2020

Banks behaving badly again and get only a rap over the knuckles

Westpac has agreed to pay $1.3 billion for breaching anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing laws more than 23 million times. That is a lot of money. But it translates to just $56.52 per offence. AUSTRAC says it send a strong message to the banks.

September 13, 2020

Sino-Australian media cold war on ice

The shock and indignation of the Australian media over the forced departure of two China correspondents has quickly dissipated following revelations that ASIO raided the homes of four Chinese journalists two months earlier

September 8, 2020

Father Glen Walsh paid a heavy price

The revelations never end about priests and brothers, of monsignors and bishops with their secret sexual lives, masturbating, buggerizing, sodomizing and raping boys and girls protected by an amoral hierarchy and a few corrupt members of the upper-echelons of various police forces.

April 21, 2020

JACK WATERFORD. A matter of clout, and of egos

When Bret Walker is trying to find out who can be held responsible for Ruby Princess stuff-ups, he will probably look for his own team of investigators, even at the risk of tripping over others with fingers in the accountability pie.

February 20, 2019

SCOTT BURCHILL. Australian minds have not been decolonised.

Australia has never been properly decolonised, particularly in both the political and psychological senses, as most states which came into existence during the 20th century were. This has had a profound effect, not only on the way aboriginal Australians have been treated by settlers from around the world. It has also contributed to a lack of sympathy for those who have had to fight for their political independence elsewhere.

April 23, 2020

MICHAEL KEATING. Economic Policy post Covid-19. Part 2.

Today I address (i) how best to support aggregate demand, and (ii) how quickly to restore budget balance. In Part 1 of this article yesterday I concluded that these are the two key issues for future economic policy.

December 10, 2018

STEPHEN DUCKETT. Activity-based funding and prevention: a message for state governments (Croakey)

JENNIFER DOGGETT. Keeping people well and out of hospital should be a primary focus of our health system. Yet the evidence is that we could do much better in preventing and managing problems in the community, before they require hospital treatment.

In the post below, Professor **Stephen Duckett,**Health Program Director at the Grattan Institute, provides some useful advice to state/territory governments on how to focus own hospital avoidance without losing funding under the current activity-based system.

June 10, 2018

ANTHONY HOGAN. Religion and the question of voluntary assisted suicide.

Across Australia, various jurisdictions are beginning to address the question of whether or not to legalise voluntary assisted suicide for people who are terminally and extremely ill. By 2019, legislation approved in Victoria will come into effect while legislation previously approved in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory was overturned by the so-called Andrews Bill.Media reports covering the passing of the Victorian legislation represented the debates around the issue as being highly emotional and very contentious. Several issues seem to be at play here.

January 25, 2020

HENRY REYNOLDS. Australia Day or dying in a ditch for January 26.

Australia Day divides rather than unites the community which we presume is the key reason for having a national day in the first place.

April 10, 2019

CONCERNED CATHOLICS OF CANBERRA. A Catholic future - Out of hope not fear.

Opponents of reform of the Catholic Church in Australia risk doing enormous further damage to the church and its own community, a former member of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse , Robert Fitzgerald AM, says.Mr Fitzgerald is to address a forum of the Concerned Catholics of Canberra Goulburn group next Tuesday, 16 April, on the theme Governance for our Church Out of hope, not fear. He says that while many in the church are grieving and struggling, now is the time to listen, reflect and act.

September 28, 2020

Are market forces failing us? The case of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

_But perhaps its more accurate to say that it is our misplaced faith in market forces that is failing people with disability.

August 11, 2020

The New Zealand SAS inquiry: the most serious findings against the NZSAS and NZDF in their history

Five years ago I was approached by a man who played a part in a New Zealand SAS raid in Afghanistan where civilians were killed and injured. He wanted an official inquiry. Two weeks ago that inquiry reported.

March 4, 2019

RICHARD BUTLER. Nuclear Nonsense

Nuclear Nonsense The profound hypocrisy of the ownership of nuclear weapons is growing. Sideshows such as those wanted by Trump, in Singapore and Hanoi will change nothing. A return to serious discussions by the two nuclear weapons mega-powers, Russia and US, is needed, urgently.

August 12, 2020

'Poor moral leadership' and our alleged war crimes

Australias SAS must be accountable for possible war crimes in Afghanistan, says Professor Philip Dwyer (P &I 27.7.20). Indeed, it must. We must emphasise also that individual soldiers have responsibility for their actions. And that we, our government and nation, are responsible too.

June 24, 2020

Universities and jobs - the Government's changes are neither fair nor sensible

The Governments proposed changes to the fee structures for university degrees are not fair, and contrary to the Governments assertion, nor do these changes respond to the needs of the labour market.

August 20, 2020

Thailand's students revive their tradition of protest

Thailand’s authorities so far are responding relatively calmly to the latest political protests. They need to: like all nations, Thailand has had enough shocks in 2020.

September 21, 2020

Soon we must admit defeat in Afghanistan, and war crimes

I doubt we can fashion much of a narrative of which Australians could be proud when we consider what will be happening soon with Afghanistan. What will probably be good for Afghanistan – a measure of peace – will be a result of our defeat, not our participation.

August 17, 2020

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.

April 28, 2020

BARRY JONES. From COVID-19 to Climate Change? Hoping for a miracle.

Australia handled the COVID-19 pandemic exceptionally well. Our success gives us confidence that our political leaders and institutions are capable of addressing other serious issues, such as climate change, the refugee crisis, redefining work, and setting a high international standard.

April 5, 2020

MUNGO MACCALLUM.-Patriotism is Paramount

The pandemic is not an excuse to close down the parliament, it is a vital reason to keep it going.

September 20, 2020

Military and Economic Deals arent peace arrangements just because Trump says so (Canberra Times Sep 19, 2020)

Peace is not in the air, (Carlill, Canberra Times, 16/9). The deal done between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE, boastfully brokered by President Trump, has little to do with peace, but much with military hardware and hoped for economic gain.

October 22, 2018

QUENTIN DEMPSTER. A short history of the ABC. Part 1.

The Senate will be enquiring into political interference at the ABC.Quentin Dempster provide useful historical background to that inquiry.

August 5, 2020

Government body meant to boost relations with China has been 'tortured and unspectacular', according to former chair

The Federal Government’s foundation that was meant to “turbocharge” relations with China is beset by dysfunction, a lack of purpose and possible conflicts of interest, say senior insiders.

July 6, 2020

Morrison and Sebastian, exemplars of Australian art

I have nothing against pop singers, Some of them are very nice people, generous, tolerant, kind to children and dogs. And they give pleasure to many Australians.

December 31, 2019

BRUCE DUNCAN. Mr Morrison, please do not abandon innocent Aussie children in Syria.(Repost from 1.11.2019)

How will the Morrison government respond to the desperate plight of some 65 women and children detained in a camp in Syria? Relatives are pleading with our government to bring their family members safely home, but it appears immobilised by fear of a political reaction. How good is that?

September 7, 2020

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 will probably nullify any advantages from emissions of coal.

July 19, 2020

When all you have is a defence hammer, what about some quality diplomacy?

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail comes to mind upon the release of Australias 2020 Defence Strategic Update, continuing the tendency to view international issues mainly through a security lens.

September 15, 2020

Gas Gush: the toadies of mainstream media trot out governments fossil fuel fracking campaign (MWM SEP 15, 2020)

Gas fracking and a new fossil fuel power plant got a big leg-up today as News Corp, Nine Entertainment, ABC News and Guardian Australia faithfully splashed with the latest government gas plan on their front pages today.

December 3, 2018

MUNGO MACCALLUM. Something important happened on treaty.

You could be forgiven for missing it, but something quite important happened in politics last week.

June 30, 2020

Pathological philanthropy in the Australia-US Alliance

_With confirmed coronavirus cases in excess of two million, the number of new, confirmed cases across the country approaching 45,000 per day for most of the last ten weeks, and resultant deaths in excess of 126,000 (and climbing), the decisions made across the United States to open the economy should not surprise.

August 27, 2020

Premier Berejiklian on the ropes

When the Premier cannot rely on the unanimous support of her Cabinet to oppose lifting the ban on uranium mining, or she accepts a rotten compromise to save her skin, such a government has run out of steam and its end is nigh.

May 24, 2020

HAMISH MCDONALD. Journalists on the ramparts (Inside Story 20.5.20)

Another triumph for Canberra and the Morrison governments deft and resolute diplomacy, it would seem. Support for an inquiry into Covid-19 from more than half of the 194 countries at the World Health Assembly in Geneva was a major strategic victory for Australia.

April 19, 2020

MUNGO MACCALLUM. George Pell and the faithful choristers at The Australian.

Cardinal George Pell (we must resume his proper title now) is out of prison and is seeking asylum with an order of Carmelite nuns in Sydney. But his real protectors are the loyalists who always refused to believe he was guilty, and are now running a fierce campaign for his immediate canonisation.

March 25, 2019

ALEX MITCHELL. Does this ring a Bell? (Justinian 21 March 2019)

The backstory of Justice Andrew (Taco) Bell’s role in helping Schmo Morrison grab the seat of Cook … Wheels within wheels … Memories of the Cook preselection rort … The PM’s Muslim baiting goes back to the beginnings of time … Career paths on the up-and-up … Alex Mitchell comments

September 24, 2020

NSW Nationals self-destructing?

For at least the last 50 years, pundits have been predicting the imminent end of the National Party or the Country Party as it was half a century ago.

July 4, 2019

ROBERT MICKENS. Reforming the Church with 'no possibility of return.' How Pope Francis is initiating processes of Church reform that will be hard to undo.

How many cardinals does it take to help Pope Francis reform the Roman Curia? And how many years do they need to get the job done?Many Catholics at least those who are hoping the pope can succeed in decentralizing ecclesial power away from the Vatican have grown frustrated that after some six years there have been no definitive answers to those questions.

May 13, 2018

RICHARD BUTLER. US and the Iran Agreement: True Lies and Chaos.

In explaining his decision on the US leaving the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA), President Trump told a number of true lies. His National Security Advisor, John Bolton, then told the truth: it was to conform with Israels wishes. Israel and Iran commenced hostilities in Syria, immediately.

September 14, 2020

Joining the dots on Huawei

The banning of Huawei from Australian 5G network infrastructure needs a rethink in view of the drastic retributions by China on the Australian economy.

March 20, 2019

RICHARD BROINOWSKI The ADF in the Middle East

President Trump wants to get US troops out of Syria, and probably out of Iraq as well, and soon. The Pentagon however has said US forces will be out of Afghanistan in five years, a period estimated to allow successful negotiations with the Taliban, while reserving to themselves the right to initiate drone strikes. Five years will take the withdrawal into the next administration, which might decide against it.

September 3, 2020

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 continent.

August 5, 2020

Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki (The Interpreter 5 August 2020)

Existing nuclear arms control deals are dead or dying, but that should not be an excuse to give up disarmament hopes.

April 6, 2020

JOHN MCCARTHY. Beyond the Pandemic

Australia can no longer rely on the US for our security shield. Australia must secure longterm multilateral structures with our south-east Asian neighbours in order to better prepare ourselves for the world after the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 12, 2019

DEAN BAKER. Mark Zuckerberg is a Rich Jerk (Counter Punch 5-11-19)

Last week, New York Times columnist Timothy Egan had a piece headlined Why Doesnt Mark Zuckerberg Get It? The piece then goes on to document how Facebook has become a medium for spreading lies and nonsense all over the world, that many ill-informed users have come to believe.

August 4, 2020

Do we share the same values as the US?

No, we most certainly do not

July 20, 2020

Range of options for Kim Jong-un in the lead up to US elections

As the weeks tick over towards the US elections in November and doubts grow about President Trumps prospects, the main stakeholders in the North Korean denuclearisation problem are having to reassess their options. All of which is making for a particularly complex poker game in which the stakes remain extremely high.

November 27, 2019

BENZI GOPSTEIN: Burning Christian churches in Israel justified ( Palestine Post 19-11-19)

The rabbi said he is ready to spend 50 years in prison for burning a church.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal