January 17, 2021

Sunday environmental round up, 17 January 2021

Some good and some bad news about climate change from 2020, with a focus on the rapidly warming Arctic. Different starting points and scopes for two plans to keep warming under 1.5oC but their strategies share many commonalities. Three-quarters of Australia’s threatened species are plants and their numbers are declining. Some heart-warming and some heart stopping wildlife photos.

May 8, 2019

JOHN FITZGERALD. In response to Bob Carr on China.

Professor Bob Carr singled me and a few others out for criticism on the Menadue blog. Fair cop. Along the way however he made demonstrably false claims about my stance on China and Chinese Australians which have since been reproduced on official sites of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on 30 April in Beijing’s premier international propaganda journal, The China Daily. This is going a bit far. I respectfully ask that my corrections are published in all three places.

April 9, 2020

JAMES GRUBER. Australia May Get Lucky Again.

“Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second rate people who share its luck”, author Donald Horne proclaimed in 1964. Horne was being ironic and hated that people took it to mean that our country is somehow special or blessed. That said, an economic recovery may well happen sooner than we think.

November 22, 2018

ROD MITCHELL. A carbon price that curbs polluters and reduces inequality.

The federal government’s non-response to climate change has run its course and events are rapidly overtaking its startled members. And now, after years of resistance, Woodside, BHP and Rio Tinto have done an about face and are calling for a price on carbon.

December 12, 2017

MUNGO MacCALLUM. Malcolm Turnbull ran dead on SSM

Malcolm Turnbull may not have wished to appear churlish last Thursday after the final vote on the same sex marriage bill, but he had no choice: that was his job. So rather than following the parliament to embrace bipartisanship at the long and tortuous procedure, he had the obligatory swipe at Bill Shorten.

April 9, 2020

ELIZABETH COOMBS and AMY MCCARTHY.-DARE WE QUESTION ‘THE BARD’?

It may be “That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet” (Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene I), but there is a lot in a name, particularly if you are transgender. ‘Deadnaming’ denies and repudiates the gender identity of transgender individuals.

April 30, 2020

TONY SMITH. Promoting ignorance over education.

True education is open minded and open ended. It is the antithesis of propaganda and works to free minds, not control them. The federal government has a minister who lacks any understanding of basic educational principles.

November 21, 2018

ROHAN FOX, MATTHEW DORNAN. China in the Pacific: Is China engaged in “debt-trap diplomacy”? A repost from November 12 2018

Recent media coverage has touted the rise of Chinese aid and lending as a threat to Pacific nations’ sovereignty and to the West’s influence in the Pacific. China, so the narrative goes, is aggressively lending to smaller nations who do not have the capacity to pay back the loans. Some commentators have even described such lending as “ debt-trap diplomacy”, implying that lending forms part of an intentional strategy by the Chinese state to pressure Pacific island governments….Debt is a problem in the region and one that appears to be increasing in importance. But for most countries it is not debt to China that is of concern. Keep that in mind next time you hear that the Pacific is drowning in China debt.

This article was published by Development Blog, ANU Crawford School of Public Policy on the 8th of November 2018.

February 12, 2019

GREG BAILEY. The Liberal National Party, the Baby-boomers and the quest for victory in the May Election.

If, as seems likely from the polls, the ALP wins the next federal election it will not be through the failure of the LNP to throw up a massive scare campaign. Conservative parties ranging from the medium to the far right adopt lowest common denominator strategies to foment an underlying sense of fear that seems constantly resident in so many voters. But now the generational change between the Baby Boomers and Generation X and Y is becoming more and more pronounced and creates problems for those conservative parties who seek to retain power through the retention of a fear based campaign.

June 18, 2018

North Korea: Beyond Charismatic Politics, an Interview with Byung-Ho Chung

The following is an interview of Byung-Ho Chung Professor at Hanyang University and President of the Korean Society for Cultural Anthropology, conducted by AAA Executive Director Ed Liebow.

May 31, 2018

JOHN STAPLETON: Surveillance in Australia: Part Two: A Parallel Secret Police Force

This is a government run on announceables.

Even without the Budget blizzard, so far in 2018 we have had major announcements on everything from the so-called Gonski 2.0 education reforms, the establishment of an Australian arms industry to compete internationally, and an investigation into the practices of Public Service.

December 20, 2018

PETER RODGERS: Morrison and Jerusalem – a special sort of dunce

We have to hand it to Scott Morrison. He has been at the heart of two major shifts in Australian political life. One made him Prime Minister, the other overturned a sensible long-standing approach on Jerusalem. Yet the new PM struggles to offer a coherent explanation how either development benefits Australia. His approach on Jerusalem exhibits a rare talent to combine the stupid with the pointless.

December 20, 2019

KAMRAN CHAUDHRY. Asia Bibi's freedom a victory for Pakistan's religious minorities.

Although 2019 was a mixed year for Catholics in the Islamic republic, there were some encouraging signs.

May 5, 2020

HANAN ASHRAWI. A Call to Collective International Action (PLO 26.4.2020)

The future of the region hangs in the balance

September 4, 2020

Letters: Port of Darwin not at risk from China (AFR Aug 30, 2020)

Laura Tingle in ‘‘ Why the PM decided to pounce on deals with China’’ (August 29-30)continues the furphy about the lease of the Port of Darwin being some sort of security risk. No one has ever, that I can recall despite all the rumblings from the cloak and dagger brigade, identified quite what these risks might be.

April 8, 2020

RIVKA T. WITENBERG.-Panic buying is not hoarding:

Why are people emptying supermarket shelves? They grab not only toilet paper, milk, Panadol, paper towels, rice and spaghetti but also hand sanitisers, cans of all descriptions and more recently alcohol.

June 1, 2020

JOHN BROWN. Three cheers for the working class

I have come to realize even more sharply over the last 12 months the extraordinary and unappreciated contribution that the working class - those much-maligned trade unionists and workers make to Australian society.

June 15, 2020

Kishore Mahbubani. Why the Trump Administration Has Helped China (The National Interest 8.6.20)

The Trump administration mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd has raised the stature of China, which is now perceived as the more competent country in the world.

The Chinese Communist Party or the Chinese Civilization Party(CCP)

May 20, 2020

JACK WATERFORD. Dutton fights from the flank

The Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, was rarely to be found when the discussion was fixing on how a cruise liner entered our borders and spread Coronavirus and Covid-19 across the continent – perhaps the most serious breach of quarantine and biosecurity since federation. But that reticence has not stopped a non-stop barrage of distraction.

October 16, 2019

IAN JOHNSON. The Eastern Jesus. A review of R.S. Sugirtharajah's "Jesus in Asia"

Over the past few years, the authorities in Beijing have given churches across the country orders to “Sinicize” their faith. According to detailed five-year plans formulated by both Catholic and Protestant organizations, much of this process involves the predictable palaver of state control: “to actively practice core values of socialism, love the motherland passionately, support the leadership of the Communist Party, obey the law and serve society.” 1

December 30, 2019

PAUL MALONE.- Doubts continue about the alleged Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack in 2018

Some 20 months after the alleged Syrian government toxic chemical weapons attack on Douma in April 2018 the evidence to back the claims of a gas attack has been blown apart.

November 22, 2018

HELEN CLARK. Another decade lost to the global war on drugs (The Hill, 20.11.18)

In my experience as head of my country’s government and previously a health minister, as a former senior official at the United Nations, and more recently as a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, I’ve found debates on drug policy tend to be divisive and passionately ideological. On one point, however, there is a clear and growing consensus: Around the world, the so-called “war on drugs” is failing.

December 6, 2018

KIM WINGEREI. The Italy of Asia.

Assuming that come May next year Australia will have had its 7th Prime Minister in ten years, it puts us on par with Italy - the erstwhile lead exponent of revolving door politics. Despite being the fourth most populous country in Europe, Italy is also the perennial underachiever on everything from economic growth to political clout. Political stability matters.

January 25, 2019

IAN AND TIM ROBINSON. A Sad Excuse for a National Day

A National Day should be the anniversary of a central event in the life of the nation, a day when we all come together and celebrate our nation’s shared values – a celebration of the start of our nation’s journey, usually the attainment of independence, or some other significant national milestone.

July 11, 2017

Modi’s actions fail to live up to his words

Three years on, it’s hard for even the most ardent Indophile to remain optimistic about the nation’s future.

May 26, 2018

VIC ROWLANDS. Gonski and better learning.

The Holy Grail of teaching is not how children learn so much as when and why they learn, why they learn differently with the same teacher, or differently within the same class. The Age (26/5) reported: “Schools have largely ignored data on their students published on the government’s MySchool website, and one in four principals say the initiative has harmed their school.” (Two thirds said the effect was neutral.)

April 28, 2020

DUNCAN MACLAREN. The Coronavirus and Scottish Independence

_During her daily briefings on the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on Scotland’s NHS and people, the First Minister and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has been articulate, transparent, comprehensible and compassionate. And she hasn’t mentioned the word independence once, except to say that the desired “indyref 2” would not take place this year.

June 2, 2020

NICK DEANE. My fear - a US led war with China?

My fear is that Australia’s warring mind-set and its entanglement in its alliance with the USA will eventually lead the country into a US-led war with China. The possibility of stimulating defence industries to assist with the post pandemic recovery only adds to my trepidation.

May 21, 2020

IAN McAULEY. Economic reflections on the lockdown

Changes in behaviour during the lockdown reveal the limitations of economic indicators.

March 18, 2019

RICHARD BROINOWSKI. Growth of Tribal Hatred

Hotel Mumbai, currently screening in Australia, tells the harrowing story of attacks by the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba across the Indian city of Mumbai in November 2008. Indoctrinated to believe that non-Muslims are not human, 10 young men armed with grenades and AK-47s go on an orgy of destruction. Urged on through their earpieces by a faceless fanatic in Pakistan who promises riches for their families and paradise for them, they slaughter 160 defenceless Indians and foreigners in 24 hours, including many guests and staff at the luxurious Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, before all but one of them are killed by late-arriving Indian special forces from New Delhi. Their ring-master is never caught. The plot resonates with the shocking slaughter in Christchurch on 15 March 2019.

February 12, 2019

ROSS GITTINS. Never fear, Hayne is a new start – and not just for the banks. (SMH 5.2.2019)

If you think the banking royal commission’s damning report means you’ll never again be overcharged or otherwise mistreated by a bank, you’re being a bit naive. If you’re hoping to witness leading bankers being dragged off to chokey, you’ll be waiting a while.

But if you think that, once the dust has settled, we’ll find little has changed, you haven’t been paying attention.

_I think we’ll look back on this week and see it as the start of the era of re-regulation of the economy.

June 8, 2020

JOHN AUSTEN. High Speed Rail – shooting a corpse?

The Grattan Institute’s recent condemnation of high-speed rail is fair enough. However, its further speculations on ‘renovating regional rail’ and urban commuting need questioning.

February 22, 2017

GEORGE BROWNING. Benjamin Netanyahu – Hero or Villain?

Benjamin Netanyahu is about to make an historic visit to Australia. Should he come and how should he be received? Having just guided legislation through the Knesset ‘legalising’ the illegal: settler outposts on private Palestinian land; he has seemingly set in motion an unstoppable movement which, taken to its ultimate conclusion, could deprive Palestinians of every inch of their ancestral land and establish Israel, a state devoid of morality or conscience. No wonder his President and Attorney General advised against it!

June 25, 2020

Death of the critical friend in South Australia

Organisations advocating on behalf of those who otherwise have little say in the decisions which effect their lives can be seen as critical friends of government. They appear to be a threatened species - and we should be alarmed.

June 5, 2020

With China, many Aussies are absolute hypocrites (Sunday Mail 31.5.20)

We once ludicrously feared Reds under beds. Now, they’ve made the beds we lie in, writes Peter Goers in his monthly column.

March 28, 2019

JAMES O’NEILL. Australian defence strategy still locked in a past era

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald (25 March 2019) the coalition government, if re-elected, would spend $2.5 billion on an air defence system. The object of the expenditure is said to “bolster Australia’s capacity to intercept enemy aircraft”. The new system will also defend against helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems.

March 19, 2019

KATHERINE McKERNAN. Sydney’s rough sleeping problem - no rest for any of us!

Sydney’s incidence of rough sleeping, just the extreme manifestation of the broader problem of homelessness, remains on the increase and has been so for a number of years. Set against the backdrop of a booming NSW economy, ironically riding the stamp duty boom of a rampant property market, it is a sad indictment on the effectiveness of government responses to homelessness. As the people of NSW once again head to the ballot box, it is time that politicians of all persuasions showed determination and unity in solving this problem.

June 18, 2018

MICHAEL KELLY SJ. Bangladesh wake-up call on sexual abuse for Asia's bishops.

The case of Father Walter Rozario bears all the hallmarks of denial, cover-up and silencing victims seen in the West.

December 6, 2018

MARK BEESON. China's Rise and the rules-based liberal order: Implications for Australia

The prosperity of millions of Australians has become dependent on the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This unambiguous material reality explains why Australian policymakers and commentators spend so much time fretting about how to manage the relationship. The sheer material importance of the Chinese economy to Australia means that policymakers in this country have no other option other than to try and get the relationship right – even if they are not happy about what China’s so-called rise may mean for other elements of Australian foreign policy. In some ways, this relationship presents new and novel problems for Australia. In some ways, it reflects longstanding debates about ‘our’ relationship with Asia and the region of which we are a significant, but perhaps increasingly less important part. If we want to understand why Australia’s relationship with China (and the region) is so controversial at times, we need to put it in historical context and think about the different, often contradictory foreign policy goals that have been pursued over the years.

April 21, 2020

CAMERON LECKIE. Fear mongering by a think tank funded by arms manufacturers.

Having a strategic policy think tank co-funded by some of the world’s largest arms manufacturers is inconsistent with providing sound policy advice that is in the broader national interest. Peter Jennings recent Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Strategist article is a desperate attempt to wrangle more taxpayer’s dollars for unnecessary defence expenditure.

January 21, 2019

PATSY MCGARRY. Church response to modern abuse scandals 'same as 30 years ago.'

Marie Collins claims lessons of abuse in Ireland not being used to change policy elsewhere ‘The church reaction is a mirror image of what we were hearing here in Ireland 30 years ago.’

November 22, 2018

JOHN MENADUE. Health Reform Priorities

Health costs are rising through greater use of technology, ageing, lack of coordination and waste. Doctors provide many services that should be provided by others. Mental , indigenous and dental health have serious problems. Services are being delivered less equitably. There has been very slow progress, particularly in prevention of illness and disease .Our health system is provider not patient driven.

May 30, 2018

JOHN STAPLETON: Surveillance in Australia; Part One: Who’s Watching the Watchers?

Beyond the daily media coverage of the frenetic efforts of a failing Prime Minister, the biggest unexplored story in Australia of Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership has been the massive expansion of state surveillance under his watch.

April 13, 2020

ROGER SCOTT. Queensland votes despite the virus: results predictable, process chaotic

_Two by-elections and the state-wide local government elections went ahead last month with outcomes that returned most major party candidates but encouraged only the Greens and One Nation. The process was abysmally managed, with chaos and uncertainty on the day and results still not finalised.

June 2, 2020

Are Australians paying for secret US weapons tests at Woomera?

Australian taxpayers will fork out close to $1 billion for the Woomera Range Complex upgrade, used by the ADF, the US and UK. With revelations that the US military denies Australia access to computer source code needed to operate key components in our war-fighting equipment, Michelle Fahy investigates the real beneficiaries of the secret test range.

April 19, 2018

ROBERT FISK. The search for truth in the rubble of Douma – and one doctor’s doubts over the chemical attack

This is the story of a town called Douma, a ravaged, stinking place of smashed apartment blocks – and of an underground clinic whose images of suffering allowed three of the Western world’s most powerful nations to bomb Syria last week. There’s even a friendly doctor in a green coat who, when I track him down in the very same clinic, cheerfully tells me that the “gas” videotape which horrified the world – despite all the doubters – is perfectly genuine.

August 12, 2019

RAYMOND ZHONG. Vietnam is gathering the spoils of a trade war (The New York Times International)

No country on earth has benefited from President Trump’s trade fight with China more than Vietnam.

January 23, 2020

Monthly digest on housing affordability and homelessness – late Nov 2019 to mid Jan 2020

This is part of what is normally a monthly digest of interesting articles, research reports, policy announcements and other material relevant to housing stress/affordability and homelessness – with hypertext links to the relevant source. Due to the just past Christmas holiday period, this particular digest covers more than the usual monthly period, and is therefore longer than usual.

May 14, 2020

Scapegoating the WHO as the CHO (Japan Times 4.5.20)

Now is not the time to demonize and defund the WHO

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal