April 26, 2021

There is a conspiracy about the origins of COVID-19. But it has nothing to do with China’s secrecy

The WHO report into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, released on March 30, supported what the scientists have long known: that the SARS-CoV2 virus most likely originated in an animal reservoir and, after a process of mutations, in complex settings of environmental and ecological change, eventually found its way into human populations. It also raised a curious question: why, if it is clear that the origin of COVID-19 is no different to other zoonoses to have emerged in the last century, are the public debates focusing on quite different issues?

September 25, 2023

Earth Systems Treaty: John Hewson calls for action on ‘mega threats’

Former Liberal party leader John Hewson, in a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, enquired why the United Nations was not acting on proposals to deal with a series of well documented and interacting catastrophic threats.

August 11, 2023

Labyrinth: the Productivity Commission on Closing The gap

The Productivity Commission has released a draft report on its review of progress on closing the gap. The review arises from the terms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, in particular, clauses 121 to 124.

August 2, 2023

Making the best of the Ben Roberts-Smith fiasco

There may be an upside to the Ben Roberts-Smith case. Not for the family of Ali Jan or the people of Afghanistan. Not particularly for Roberts-Smith and the men of the SAS, past and present, or their commanders, only some of whom deserve an upside. No, an upside for the rest of us, Australians all.

June 28, 2023

War service did not stop the racism

Noel Turnbull’s article about the treatment of black warriors who wore the Australian uniform make for some uncomfortable reading for those Australians who think Indigenous peoples have no need to control their own destinies. Historically, we have applied the claim that veterans are heroes very selectively.

December 14, 2020

The myth of "zero net emissions by 2050"

It should raise people’s hopes to believe “ zero net emissions by 2050” will arrest or at least slow down global warming, had it not been yet another cruel hoax perpetrated in the wake of more than 50 years of obfuscation and denial of environment and climate science.

August 22, 2024

'Insane torture': Israeli soldiers confirm horrific abuse of Palestinians at Sde Teiman

“Teeth were broken, bones were broken,” said one soldier. “You notice how easy it is to lose your humanity,” said another.

July 15, 2024

Ready for the pulse? Getting rid of US bases would make us safer

Australians are remarkably unprepared for a nuclear attack. If and when it comes, it may not be what most people expect.

September 9, 2023

Crimes against future generations and humanity are not unlawful in Australia

It will probably shock most Australians but the political system which they take for granted to be a democracy capable of safeguarding their and their kids’ interests is hardly a democracy at all.

August 23, 2023

Redefining violence is key to planetary security

Mothers, grandmothers, aunties, sisters, daughters, and allies, you are out here on a chilly winter’s day because of your love and rightful concern for children and the next generation’s future. I wish to honour your concern by introducing you to a bold approach. In the context of the extreme changes in the climate system we’ve seen this year, it’s time for Australia to commit to a planetary crisis response plan, and seek to establish a Planetary Crisis Peace Treaty in our region, including with China.

August 8, 2023

After Robodebt, here’s how Australia can have a truly ‘frank and fearless’ public service again

The Robodebt Royal Commission revelations have triggered revulsion in all fair-minded Australians.

July 12, 2023

Donald Trump Junior vs Novak Djokovic: A tale of two visas

While both Donald Trump Junior and Novak Djokovic were granted visas to enter Australia, the stark difference in how the two cases were managed highlight the difference in approaches of the Albanese and Morrison Governments to controversial visitors.

September 10, 2021

Australia's China experts feel the chill

Academics resisting Canberra’s line on national security fall under suspicion.

August 29, 2024

‘Millions benefitted’: why generations see Deng Xiaoping as the architect of modern China

As China commemorates the 120th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping’s birth, in the second instalment of a three-part series, we look at the impact of his policies – from the factories to the countryside.

June 28, 2024

Will whatever got Albanese elected get him re-elected?

Watching Peter Dutton deliver his nuclear power announcement at a press conference on June 19 was a reminder of two things. The first was a recent observation by former Victorian Liberal Party strategist Tony Barry that the Coalition commitment to nuclear energy “is the longest suicide note in Australia’s political history”. The second reminder is its contrast with the ‘small target’ strategy that Labor adopted when contesting the 2022 election.

May 11, 2024

Cartoon commentary

July 30, 2023

Is the Productivity Commission an institution beyond repair?

The appointment of Chris Barrett to head the Productivity Commission puts its Trade and Assistance Review under the spotlight.

July 25, 2023

Measuring what matters is an urgent and sensible foundation for better government

Australia’s first wellbeing framework, announced by the Treasurer under the Measuring What Matters banner, is important and can play a vital part in setting national direction and navigating significant challenges for Australia in the years to come.

April 29, 2023

Civil-military relations and the AUKUS debate: no public role for the military

Subordination of the military to the civil power in a democracy is non-negotiable, but is often taken for granted. More democracies falter because of a breakdown of civil-military relations than through external subversion or foreign aggression.

October 1, 2021

Monthly digest on housing affordability and homelessness – Aug/Sept 2021

The following is the latest instalment of 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.

July 3, 2023

All Victorians invited to make a truth telling submission

All Victorians are now invited to be part of truth telling by making a submission to the Yoorrook Justice Commission. Submissions had previously been open to First Peoples only.

June 21, 2023

Our digital Aunty

The ABC is in trouble again as it abandons its cultural role to become “fully digital” by 2028.

April 22, 2023

Has Dominion spelt the end of Murdoch influence in Australia?

The alternative universe occupied by the Murdoch media and its consumers is facing a very expensive and damaging confrontation with reality. But how and whether this affect the Australian operations are another question.

September 28, 2021

AUKUS: NZ happy to be left out of new alliance to protect its China trade

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she wasn’t approached about joining the new AUKUS agreement and nor would she expect to be. But to be left in the dark by ANZAC mates about AUKUS is a dose of cold reality for NZ.

August 9, 2024

Thailand plays out its party-dissolution ritual

Progressive party scuttled as protection of the monarchy overrides the verdict of the voters.

April 22, 2024

Major acceleration in processing of asylum seekers

In the last three months, processing of primary level asylum seeker applications increased from 1,002 in December 2023; to 1,479 in January 2024 and 2,037 in February 2024 (see Chart 1).

September 17, 2023

About The Voice!

If you don’t know about the voice, dont just say No!

April 20, 2021

Alarming inconsistency: NSW Government Ministers on development in flood-prone areas

The floods on the eastward-flowing rivers of New South Wales have abated, but when they were at their height there were some alarming differences between state government ministers on the important matter of development on the floodplains of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system.

April 15, 2021

Peak Sinophobia in Australia?

Sinophobia in Australia, promoted over recent years by naïve MPs, opportunistic academics and jejune journalists, has now entered its neo-McCarthyist phase.

August 28, 2024

Prioritising global overheating over AUKUS: a kumbaya opportunity for hawks and doves

Australia punches well above its weight when it comes to global fossil carbon emissions. With less than one-third of one percent of the world’s population, we are responsible for about 4.5 percent of fossil carbon emissions globally, and around 80 percent of this comes from our fossil fuel exports. Our nation is thus responsible for around 14 times more emissions than our population size would predict. And even if we only consider our per-capita domestic GHG footprint, we rank among the globe’s highest emitters. Australia’s exports of fossil fuels are nearly three times those of the UAE.

August 14, 2024

An exploratory platform for thinkers and analysts

John Menadue’s website adds real value across all aspects of Australia’s governance and policy development.

May 3, 2024

Do as I say, not as I do

Antony Blinken megaphoned the United States’ complaints about China in advance of his visit this week. They included Beijing’s unfair economic and trade practices, ‘industrial over-capacity’, and ‘genocide and crimes against humanity’ against Uyghurs.

April 14, 2024

Whitlam’s biggest bull story

Forty-nine years ago, the Australian Prime Minister and the President of Indonesia met in a tiny sugar town in North Queensland and tried to convince the world they were discussing beef cattle exports, and not the invasion of East Timor.

August 31, 2023

Balancing responsiveness and independence: Another view

Frank and fearless advising is certainly a function of character as Peter Shergold said in 2007, a line Mike Keating endorses in his recent article in Pearls and Irritations, but I still believe firmly that it is also a function of the limited tenure of departmental secretaries as I argued with Shergold in the pages of the Australian Journal of Public Administration.

June 11, 2023

Audit Office slams Morrison government mismanagement of health grants

The latest Audit Office _report_ documenting mismanagement by the Morrison government of a grants program – in this case the Community Health and Hospitals Program – has generated outrage. At a time when the health system is under great pressure, over a billion dollars in grants were allocated on the basis of a dodgy process. What can be done to prevent a recurrence?

August 29, 2022

Neil Hauxwell: Toward a great TAFE revival

The most important outcome from the Jobs and Skills Summit must be some federal government leadership. Our Vocational Education and Training system, including TAFE, is in urgent need of a major reset.

December 8, 2020

The media correctly tells us about China’s human rights abuses but not abuses by Israel (Haaretz, Dec 5, 2020)

Israel’s war on Palestinian children.

Last week, we were in the Al-Arroub refugee camp, searching for an open area in which to sit, for fear of the coronavirus. There wasn’t one.

July 27, 2024

Space and domination: The ANU Gaza Solidarity Encampment

As of the 14_th _of July 2024, the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at the Australian National University (ANU) is 76 days old. For Palestinians, 14,000 kilometres away, past the iridescent waters of the Riau Islands, through the rice paddies of India and the vastness of the Saudi sands; for Palestinians trying to survive in their home, an agonising struggle for liberation has raged for 76 years. _

September 27, 2023

Pezzullo, like Campbell, has brought shame on the Public Service

Mike Pezzullo must be removed to restore integrity and protect our democracy.

September 26, 2023

Let’s avoid more Covid disasters. The public already knows who to blame

During Australia’s Covid-19 pandemic response, some companies received billions in contracts made without tender, sometimes by ministerial intervention. It would be too much, of course, to hope that anything the inquiry into the pandemic response does to address this issue will be taken up with any enthusiasm by the Albanese government. It seems to have lost all zeal for reform.

April 15, 2023

If the Minerals Council can make representations to government, why can't the Voice? - Weekly Roundup

The Liberal Party is moving further to the right; The arithmetic of referendums; and the sorry demise of suburban socialist communes. Read on for the Weekly Roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues in public policy.

July 13, 2022

False claims again - The Douma Aqaba chemical weapons and air strikes on Syria

_The alleged Douma chemical weapons attack provided the justification for the United States, British and French governments’ airstrikes on Syria on 14 April 2018.

August 8, 2024

Australia needs to hear its tone of voice in our conversations more than ever

Pearls & Irritations needs support at a critical time and when Australia needs to hear its tone of voice in our conversations more than ever.

June 26, 2024

Dutton’s nuclear thuggery

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull famously described Coalition leader Peter Dutton as a “ thug”. That description appears particularly apt in Dutton’s nuclear power plans.

May 23, 2024

Cartoon commentary

July 14, 2023

The Voice: the game-changer everyone yearns for?

Against the background of reconciliatory legal and political gestures from Canberra over the past 30 years, and in view of the Voice being proposed as an organic instrument ‘from the heart’ of Aboriginal Australia (rather than a top-down ‘advice’ - device of bureaucratic convenience), it may well be the game-changer everyone yearns for.

April 8, 2023

China weighing Taiwan risks – Asian Media Report

In Asian Media this week: Japan crucial to deterring invasion. Plus: China says war would be defensive; Rahul Gandhi connects Modi and Adani; Next to Putin, Xi stands tall; Indonesia woos Tesla for EV plan; Asians reject hectoring Western politicians.

April 2, 2023

Chat GPT4 on the necessity for dissent in times of war

The new House Select Committee on China is currently blaming China for every problem in America. Those who appeared and suggested improving Sino-American relations were accused of giving comfort to the enemy.

July 13, 2022

NATO hasn’t got our back as some think

_Anthony Albanese demonstrated that in some respects he remains a prisoner of his predecessor’s national security policies. Amid the glamour of Europe, he revealed once more that Canberra’s security agencies still control how Australia projects itself to the wider world.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal