September 23, 2023

Strategic ambiguity: a weapon of mass destruction

Strategic ambiguity is the greatest oral weapon of mass destruction that the Western world has ever invented.

September 5, 2023

Climate action: there is no time left

Loud warnings of climate disaster continue. We could be in for a catastrophe from which there is no recovery. But we are dawdling along. It is time for more decisive action.

April 21, 2023

How a pathologically modest nation broke new ground on wellbeing

In 2015, Wales became the first country in the world to legislate for the wellbeing of future generations. The Well-Being of Future Generations Act followed an inclusive national discussion about the kind of country people want for generations to come.

August 31, 2022

The Australian War Memorial goes AWOL

The little world of Australian military historians is talking about Daniel Lanes The Digger of Kokoda and the resurgence of the debate over whether the Australian War Memorial should recognise Frontier Conflict. The two are connected by the Memorials reprehensible silence.

July 7, 2022

Plenty of spin at the second Catholic Plenary Council. Hearts were broken

There are significant long-term consequences in the fiasco for the whole idea of synodality and co-responsibility in the Catholic Church in Australia.

June 30, 2021

Jail for Zuma as South Africa fights corruption

The decision by South Africas top court to send former president Jacob Zuma to jail - albeit for an initial term of only 15 months - marks a significant milestone in the life of the fragile post-apartheid democracy. It signifies both the courage of the judiciary in the face of threats from Zumas supporter base and the determination of his successor and former fellow freedom fighter Cyril Ramaphosa to clamp down on corruption.

May 31, 2021

The probity standards public servants walk past are the ones they accept

Phil Gaetjens is not the only senior public servant who can be relied upon to see things in the governments eyes, even when being asked for an objective opinion. Theres all too much advice coming to government which is masquerading as independent judgment but has merely been pre-arranged to appease, to the point where some independent reports are being reworked in ministers offices.

April 5, 2021

What is the risk of a housing price bubble?

Home ownership is a cornerstone of the Australian way of life. But it is becoming less affordable. This article discusses the risks of a housing price bubble and what can be done.

November 24, 2020

It's a man's world: we need to call out News Corp's hostility to women leaders (The Conversation, 18.11.2020)

Julia Gillard did not simply threaten the political status quo as Australias first woman prime minister. As an unmarried, child-free, atheist woman from the left of the ALP, she also threatened Murdochs conservative ideology.

December 2, 2018

ROSS DOUTHAT. The Two-Emperor Problem (New York Times, 24.11.18)

Generally, Donald Trumps Twitter beefs are an expense of spirit and a waste of breath. But a minority of them are genuinely edifying, and illustrations of his likely world-historical role which is not to personally bring down our constitutional republic, but to reveal truths about our political situation, through his crudeness and goading of others, that might be harbingers of the Republics eventual end.

June 15, 2023

Labors internal dissent over AUKUS is building

The Albanese governments embrace of the AUKUS security pact faces a second internal rejection in as many weeks, with the Victorian branch of the Labor Party poised to condemn it on multiple fronts, writes Phillip Coorey in the AFR.

June 2, 2023

Straddling 65,000 years: Vale, Dr Yunupingu AM

It has been my privilege to know Yunupingu, and for our lives to have criss-crossed and intertwined all these years. I think that now finally - I have answered my own puzzlement about his lifes choices.

April 3, 2023

Swimming between the flags on Climate policy threatens our future

At the last election, the Labor Party adopted a climate policy of Swimming between the Flags. This resulted in electoral success but it represented an unthinkable future for humanity.

August 12, 2022

Weekly roundup Saturday 13 August

Weekly roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.

May 18, 2022

Uluru-Legacies, political capital and ending the procrastination

You know the feeling you get when something is bleedingly obvious, staring you in the face and because no one else seems to recognise it, you begin to doubt what you see?

June 27, 2024

NYT confirms war-ending Russian-Ukraine peace agreement sabotaged by West

With much less drama than its famous 1971 Pentagon Papers, the New York Times has disclosed three documents confirming that Russia and Ukraine were close to war-ending agreements in the first half of 2022, shortly after Moscow began its so-called ‘special operation’ attack on Ukraine, February 24, 2022.

May 27, 2024

ICC case against Ursula v.d.Leyen before the ICC for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza

Today the International Criminal Court has been officially called to investigate Ursula von der Leyen for complicity.

April 18, 2024

The emerging spectre of American fragility: A reckoning

The United States, having learnt nothing from the 20th Century, is, quite characteristically, spoiling for a fight with one of the great success stories of our time, China, on the basis of nothing more than a doltishly unfounded fear of this success and an ever so faintly emerging spectre of American fragility. A fragility across not only its military and political power, but, as well, across its bellicose and tottering brand of democracy.

August 8, 2023

Nine things Australians are not being told about the US military takeover

The astonishingly expensive tie-up between Australia and the US military deal is NOT about defence of the country, nor is it about bringing stability to Asia. The opposite is true, and Asians know it. Australians stand to lose a great deal, not just in terms of money, but in the great relationships that they have built with the rest of Asia over many decades, and in the world’s understanding of the Australian character.

July 16, 2023

The AWM, from behind the Pool of Reflection

As one of the pipers for the Australian War Memorial, I get a unique view of the crowds around the Pool of Reflection during the daily ritual that is the Last Post Ceremony.

May 5, 2023

AUKUS nuclear waste dump must be subject to Indigenous veto

Bipartisan secrecy and Defences poor record with Indigenous groups at Woomera are red flags for consultations over an AUKUS nuclear waste dump. Human rights experts say government must establish an Indigenous veto right.

April 13, 2023

Weapons-makers set to gain more influence in defence operations

Multinational weapons companies could end up more deeply integrated into Australian military operations if Defence gets its way with legislative reforms. This comes on top of significant public unease about Australias ability to act independently as a result of AUKUS.

April 6, 2023

AUKUS and Aotearoa New Zealand: the costs of attraction and repulsion

When the ALP Government led by Anthony Albanese came to power in 2022 it was confronted by the AUKUS minefield laid by its predecessor, the LNC Government led by Scott Morrison.

August 7, 2022

Working holiday makers crucial to tourism industry

The working holiday maker program is a crucial part of Australias tourism industry. They not only spend significantly as tourists, they also provide the labour that enables many tourism operators to remain in business. Many go onto become permanent residents as part of the skill stream of the migration program.

July 14, 2022

Papua New Guinea goes to the polls

On 4 July voting started in Papua New Guineas tenth election for the National Parliament. A new record of around 3500 candidates (releases from the Electoral Commission have given differing figures) will contest the parliaments 118 seats, seven of which were created by a revision of electoral boundaries earlier in the year.

July 8, 2022

Christianity: a dismal future?

The future for religion in Australia, especially Christianity, looks rather bleak following the 2021 Census. But is the future really that dismal?

May 19, 2022

Exploited Pacific Island workers applying for asylum

One of the symptoms of exploitation in the Pacific Access Labour Migration (PALM) Scheme is the number of workers who run away from their employer and then apply for asylum.

October 26, 2020

Trumps legacy to us (AFR Oct 26, 2020)

Consider the atmosphere now pervading Australian domestic and international life. Trump has alienated the Australian population further from the US.Diplomacy The US President has done precious little for the alliance. And four more years of strategic meandering would leave us even more uncertain about its future.

October 5, 2020

See if budget creates a future, and beware of dirty tricks!

Close observers of Tuesday’s federal Budget will no doubt have their eyes out for evidence of the usual political chicanery towards political donors, lobbyists and friendly interests, as well as mates, cronies and relatives of senior members of government, this time in the alleged cause of stimulating demand and picking winners in the post-Covid economy.

August 23, 2024

Emmy committee stands firm on Gaza journalist's nomination

The call for Bisan Owda’s nomination to be rescinded was “an incredible testament to the threat posed by a single young woman with an iPhone,” said one author.

June 24, 2024

Nuclear industry workers face significant, inevitable and unavoidable radiation health risks

Nuclear industry workers face significant, inevitable and largely unavoidable radiation health risks which have so far not been addressed in the debate about Australia possibly buying into this industry.

July 26, 2023

No action from Federal Government on Aged Care review

In Canberra, Friday is the traditional day for taking out the trash. It is thus not surprising that Aged Care Minister Anika Wells chose Friday 21 July as the day to release the capability review of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

July 8, 2023

The Wagner coup: Strategic setback or military deception?

The Wagner coup equation doesnt compute. It just doesnt add up.Herbert Wulfgave us a concise summary of the surreal 24 hours that gripped the world. But there are missing pieces of the puzzle that we havent been given.And now we learn that theWagner boss is back in St Petersburg, Russia.

June 17, 2023

Darkness: nuclear winter fire, ice, famine

The Ukraine conflict, and the nuclear threats uttered by Vladimir Putin have made the risk of nuclear war as high as it has ever been. The current position of the Doomsday Clock hands at 90 seconds to ‘midnight’ is the closest ever. Nuclear Winter, together with tech-ending EMP, is one of a number of civilisation- ending things we’ll have to deal with if the hands ever reach midnight.

June 12, 2023

Does the shift in influence in Southeast Asia betoken something more global?

A Lowy Institute survey issued in April this year showed that the balance of Chinese-American influence in Southeast Asia had shifted in Chinas favour over the last few years. Specifically, in overall diplomatic, defence, economic and cultural influence, the balance was 52 to 48 in Chinas favour in 2018 but its lead increased to 54 to 46 in 2022. Two points in the survey are worth adding. One is that the countries where the U.S. lost out most in overall terms included Malaysia and Indonesia. The other is that the areas favouring American influence are military and cultural, while those favouring Chinese are economic and diplomatic.

August 10, 2022

A hodge-podge is not an international service

As Opposition Leader touring overseas, Anthony Albanese probably clicked on ABC Australia TV to kill time. If so his claim that its a matter of national security that the ABC makes more content that projects Australian values and interests to the Indo-Pacific region sounds like despair driving action.

January 10, 2021

The truth about Trumps mob

The storming of the US Capitol on January 6 is easily misunderstood. Shaken by the ordeal, members of Congress have issued statements explaining that America is a nation of laws, not mobs.

October 22, 2020

You dont know what youve got til its gone.. Like manufacturing!

As part of the post-COVID recovery, the Morrison Government has announced a package to revive manufacturing. But why does manufacturing need to be revived?

April 14, 2019

Australia unprepared for worsening wild weather, ex-emergency chiefs warn (The New Daily)

Concerned former fire and emergency chiefs have warned of increasingly catastrophic extreme weather events and demanded action on climate change.

The group of 23 ex-top brass fired a salvo against Prime Minister Scott Morrison as well as state and territory governments in a signed joint letter issued in Melbourne on Wednesday.

May 2, 2024

Solomon Islands elections: who won on the night and why?

Polling is over in Solomon Islands. There might be recounts. And there will certainly be electoral petitions in which losers challenge results in court. But that’s all for the future. For now, results have been announced for all 50 of the country’s electorates. And the MPs-elect will be the people who choose the country’s next prime minister.

April 14, 2024

The stark monuments of conflict in Israel and Palestine

Visits to the historical sites of Israel and beyond provide stark reminders that the past – including the recent past – is always with us, with places and monuments marking conflicts of ideologies and conflicts of people.

September 26, 2023

The Constitution, sovereignty and The Voice

One question relating to the upcoming referendum on The Voice that has recently come to prominence concerns the question of sovereignty. Who or what is sovereign as the term is applied to the governance of Australia? Is there any such thing as Indigenous sovereignty? Might it be said that in Australia sovereignty is or could be shared? Might First Nations people be sacrificing some part of their sovereignty if a Voice to parliament is endorsed at the referendum? None of these questions affords an easy answer.

July 9, 2023

They lied about Afghanistan. They lied about Iraq. And they are lying about Ukraine

The U.S. public has been conned, once again, into pouring billions into another endless war.

September 5, 2022

In decline, can the US escape the Thucydides Trap?

_Conflict is far more likely to be initiated by a United States under threat of the loss of its top status.

July 12, 2021

Fear God, not the pandemic in Indonesia.

July 20 will be a big day in Indonesia. It marks the end of more than two weeks of lockdown, and its Bloody Tuesday - Idul Adha, the feast of the sacrifice. This year participants may become victims.

July 5, 2021

National Party greed was once restrained by Liberals

_We ought to be asking questions about the mysterious failure of public service systems to hold any senior public official to account for anything, let alone to punish or dismiss.

September 21, 2024

Can this year’s UN International Day of Peace make any difference in a conflict-obsessed world?

That question above is both meaningful – and meaningless. A paltry “Day of Peace” — this year, Saturday 21 September — insults the efforts of those who work year-round for something approximating “peace”. Or, at least, who work in multiple ways to promote more intelligent evidence-based possibilities to contain, if not resolve, conflict, and to reduce the unchecked pursuit of power and territory through destruction and death.

June 4, 2024

US spends $320m on Gaza’s pier while its people burn

If this scenario had been written into a novel at the turn of 19th century it would have been too unthinkable to believe it could actually take place – assisting in the bombing of innocent civilians, then charging in to feed them, appearing like the saviour of your victims.

August 6, 2023

The ASPI interference machine: China is everywhere

Its hard to credit, but the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) continues its incessant grumbling about forms of interference across a number of areas of Australian political and economic debate. What stands out in this method of noisy declaration is the tactic of sidelining legitimate public debate. Such interference supposedly impairs the credibility of the argument, given that the argument is also being advanced by sinister external forces. Blame Johnny Foreigner, and you have scored a few points in your favour.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal