October 2, 2017

IAN McAULEY. What Australia can learn from Germanys election

At first sight the German election could be seen as a swing to the right, but its more about the continuing decline of traditional left and right parties, and the differing fortunes of Germanys regions. In Australia we can learn from Germany about how to handle our own transition to a multi-party democracy.

September 5, 2017

PETER MCCULLAGH. Good Suicide versus Bad Suicide

Will legalised suicide, even when presented as assisted dying, adversely impact on efforts to reduce do-it-yourself suicide?

If it looks like a duck and it quacks, then . . .

March 6, 2018

MICHAEL LAMBERT. Revisiting the South Australian Electricity Market.

In the context of the current South Australian election campaign, it is opportune to revisit the state of play with the South Australian electricity market which in 2016 and 2017 was used at the national level as an ill-informed or, perhaps more accurately, a misinformed argument about renewable energy and climate change policy.

August 3, 2018

BREXIT SIMPLIFIED

March 9, 2018

GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND

On Eureka Street Fatima Measham interviews Clare ONeil, Federal Member for Hotham and Labor Shadow Minister for Justice. ONeil explains how our economy is failing most people: the benefits of economic growth are not being shared. She explains the idea of inclusive growth, (Audio 27 minutes)

Writing in the Fairfax Press, Jessica Irvine outlines the findings of a survey on younger (aged 16 to 40) womens attitudes to work a survey released in time for International Womens Day. Being treated with respect, job security, good pay and interesting and socially useful work are all ranked highly. The full report is available from the Australian Womens Working Futures Project at the University of Sydney.

January 16, 2017

JOHN MENADUE. The new squatters on public land.

The new squatters on public land are being given a leg-up as they were in the 19th Century to seize and occupy public land.

August 5, 2019

MAX COSTELLO. It was the best of days; it was the worst of days

July 30, 2019 was the best of days for Australias immigration detention centre detainees because, at last, a mainstream media outlet revealed that their cruel maltreatment involved apparent criminal offences under Australian law. It was the worst of days, because it revealed that the laws regulator had not charged Home Affairs over an emblematic asylum seeker death by the 29 July deadline.

May 23, 2018

GRAEME WORBOYS. Save Kosciuszko.

Australians need to save Kosciuszko from legislative action that will lead to the decline of one of Australias most beautiful areas, its mountain water catchments and unique alpine native animals and plants.

August 19, 2019

Can Knut Morrison hold back the tides?

Weve lost influence over China and the US, and over Hong Kong and Kashmir and the world may be slipping into recession.

It is beginning to look as if we are drifting, more or less without a pilot, into the interesting times of the old Chinese curse. As one might expect, given our luck, the damnable thing is that there is almost no way that Australia can now much influence or affect a host of events with the capacity to completely change our fortunes.

November 25, 2018

JENNY HOCKING. Royal distortions of history: why the Queen's secret "Palace letters" about Gough Whitlam's dismissal should be released.

The long-running Palace letters case over the Queens secret correspondence regarding the 1975 dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam heads back to court on Wednesday 28 November, with an appeal hearing before the full bench of the Federal Court in Sydney.

August 6, 2019

ALLAN PATIENCE: What are Australia's values?

There has been talk of late about Australias values which are said to parallel the values of related countries, especially America and Britain. Implied in this talk is a view that these values characterise civilised even superior nations, in contrast to certain countries in our region, especially China. However, precisely what constitutes Australias values is not coherently addressed by their advocates, many of whom appear unconcerned that their values narrative contains echoes of the old white Australia policy, with all its insular, racist and xenophobic connotations.

June 18, 2017

MICHAEL WALKER. Three strategies unions are considering for their survival

There are three strategies unions, in danger of lsing their relevance, can consider for their survival: Teaming up with other community groups, aligning with particular professions and finding members online.

November 27, 2016

RICHARD WOOLCOTT. The Trump Presidency and Australia. Quo vadis series.

Quo vadis - Australian foreign policy and ANZUS

Summary.Our relationship with the US is of course very important and substantial. This does not mean that we should be seen as not responding quickly to the greatly changed world of 2016.

June 29, 2020

Our dream run over COVID has come to an end

Australia awoke last week to the strains of Spike Milligans poignant refrain, Im walking backwards to Christmas.

August 22, 2018

IAN BUCKLEY.Historical Light on Current Aims to Attack Iran

This article highlights the vitally important role played by former US intelligence officers to prevent ongoing illegal regime changes across the world, presently Iran. Then, to better understand current examples, it explores their historical origins, consequences and possible remedies aimed at prevention.

March 19, 2016

John Menadue. A dismal humanitarian response to the Syrian tragedy: political inertia, bureaucratic failure and security obsession.

In earlier blogs I have highlighted the contrast between Canada and Australia’s programs to settle Syrian refugees.

Australia continues to be a laggard.

In Parliament last week, the Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, said that a total of 29 refugees had been settled as part of a 12,000 intake that Tony Abbott had announced in September last year.

In November last year, the Canadian government announced that it would accept 25,000 Syrian refugees. The latest official figures from the Canadian government reveal that 26,176 Syrian refugees had arrived. Many more are in process.

April 28, 2019

Who owns the development rights in our cities?

Land development rights are in reality a public asset and should be capable of being exploited only where accompanied by a fair value commitment to improvement of the public realm, including for example through the delivery of more social or affordable housing. Part of the value added from increases in the value of development rights (eg. as a result of re-zoning or infrastructure improvements) should be re-directed from the seller to the community. This could be done without either increasing the cost of development, or the cost of housing.

November 26, 2017

ALLAN PATIENCE. The complacency of the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper.

The 2017 White Paper displays, yet again, Australias foreign policy complacency, its misplaced middle power imagining, and its awkward partnering in its region. It is a failure as a strategic map for advancing Australias security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world.

January 16, 2016

Peter Day. Professional sport needs more Pats.

Despite all the feel good talk, the rags to riches stories and wonderful qualities that people like to associate with professional sport, when all is said and done, what really shapes and drives it are these three things:

Results 2. Results 3. Results.

Winning is everything, and self-interest, the jockey. In such a hyper competitive environment, gaining an advantage, any advantage, becomes the Holy Grail. Even a one per cent edge can be the difference between winning and losing, between keeping your job and looking for another. No wonder clubs aggressively pursue all sorts of human expertise: corporate heavyweights, nutritionists, scientists, dieticians, psychologists, lawyers, motivators, and so on.

March 28, 2018

FRANCIS SULLIVAN. CEO Truth Justice and Healing Council.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuses comprehensive and confronting final report rightly focuses on the Catholic Church, with one of the 17 volumes dedicated solely to that institution. The litmus test for the Church leadership in the coming months and years will be the degree to which they act on the Royal Commissions recommendations.

August 31, 2018

ANTHONY PUN: The aftermath of the China Panic & its influence on a General Election

The China Panic has an unintended consequence of shaping the minds of the Chinese Australians and taught them how to be a strategic player in Australian politics. The monopoly held by the Milking Cows, and Uncle Toms in delivering votes to a political party would soon be over and the community will insist on being consulted. There are several policies in the last 2 years which are unpopular with the Chinese Australian community and together with the China Panic, have filtered through social media to an extend that it can influence votes. Despite a change of leadership, PM Morrison has to demonstrate by actions to soften those previous unpalatable policies to re-capture the votes otherwise the voters would return a Labor government by default. What applies to the Chinese Australian community also generally applies to the multicultural communities.

June 25, 2017

JIM COOMBS. Crime Down, Gaolings Up. Why ?

Sources of accurate information, such as the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) under their Director, Dr Don Weatherburn, have for some years reported that crimes of all types have been decreasing. This is due to better police technology and resources and security generally. So why do we hear that crime, especially violent crime, is something we should fear, and have government stamp out with tough on crime policies, which the courts duly do, in line with changes to the law. Why are we so misinformed, and who is to blame ? The three Ps, Police, Press and Politicians.

October 7, 2019

DAVID ROWE. It's a miracle! (AFR 7.10.2019)

David Rowe

May 11, 2018

MICHAEL KEATING. Budget commentary, Part 2: Sustainable tax cuts for low-income households

Part 1 of this series of Budget comments criticised the credibility of the Governments projected return to a budget surplus and argued that the proposed tax cuts were therefore not in fact sustainable. In this second part I will argue that nevertheless some tax relief targeted at low-income households should be supported, and other alternative sources of revenue should be found to return the budget to surplus and make those tax cuts sustainable.

July 3, 2018

FRANK BRENNAN. The sentencing of Archbishop Wilson. (Eureka Street 3/7/2018)

Philip Wilson has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment to be served by way of home detention. It’s very likely that he will appeal his conviction and sentence. An appeal may well succeed, but that’s not the end of the matter. This has been a six-year saga relating to events which occurred more than 40 years ago. The law is complex; and emotions are running high.

September 2, 2019

Urgent appeal to save nuclear agreements (Japan Times 25-8-19)

HIROSHIMA The Hiroshima Round Table held its seventh annual meeting last Wednesday and Thursday. For the first time, in recognition of the uniquely dangerous international security environment since the dawn of the atomic age in this beautiful city, the Round Table issued an urgent appeal to maintain existing nuclear arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation pacts and to build on them in order to deepen strategic stability. The Hiroshima Urgent Appeal, signed by all participants with the exception of those whose institutions preclude individual officials signing any public appeals, was in addition to the regular chairmans summary that covers all topics discussed at the meeting.

August 1, 2019

DAVID SOLOMON. Lobbying? Check the definition.

Let us be clear about this nonsense ban on lobbying contained in the Prime Ministers ministerial guidelines. Its pretty meaningless. The fact is, as the Code of Conduct for lobbyists explains, the only people who are considered to be lobbyists, are third party professional lobbyists. These are people or organisations that sell their lobbying services to others. It does not, repeat not, apply to not for profits like, for example, the Minerals Council of Australia lobbying on behalf of their members, nor to firms (like BHP) lobbying on their own behalf.

August 26, 2019

Private Health Insurance: Where To Now?

Much has been written about the problems of the Private Health Insurance (PHI) industry. Desperate attempts to make an inherently inefficient product less inefficient have been proposed. Such suggestions do nothing for the inherent unfairness of taxpayer subsidised PHI. But something needs to be done and it should address both the inefficiencies and the inequities.

August 22, 2019

NOEL TURNBULL. They did what they were trained to

They did what they were trained to do, a friend and fellow Vietnam veteran said about the new film, Danger Close, when we caught up this week. This was not to denigrate in any way the sacrifice and bravery of 108 infantrymen with supporting artillery, helicopters and ultimately Armoured Personnel Carriers. Rather he meant to emphasise that the Australian Army trained, trained and trained its members to confront exactly that sort of situation and worked to inculcate a culture and camaraderie which produced professionalism, resilience and bravery.

June 12, 2019

RICHARD KINGSFORD. Current economic modelling dudding the environment and future generations

With the Federal election verdict widely attributed to quiet Australians favouring the economy over the environment, one key point has been missed in the wash-up analysis. Rather than supposedly avoiding a gaping economic hole required to fix the environment through the public purse, the modelling incorrectly assessed the impacts, costs and benefits of the environment. Current economic modelling predominantly relies on a confined definition of economy: one focused so narrowly that it fails to measure long-term environmental benefits or costs.

March 26, 2018

AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICES - Appeal to Senate

September 23, 2019

MIKE SCRAFTON. Morrison and the absence of justice

In his comments to IPAA, Prime Minister inadvertently illustrated the problem with government. Its not the Westminster system of government or the role of the public service which are secondary issues. The primary question concerns the purpose of government. Morrisons solution to the trust deficit affecting democracy is wrong.

September 23, 2019

MUNGO MACCALLUM. Morrison joins the conga line.

And so back to Mark Lathams conga line of suck holes Scott Morrison goes to Washington. The regular obeisance is hardly unexpected, but it is no less embarrassing for that.

Morrison has made it clear that the main purpose of his visit is to shmooze. He will continually tell The Donald how grateful and obedient Australia has always been to its great and powerful friend.

August 19, 2019

Slogans like "those who have a go get a go" are no substitute for rational, coherent policy

The status of Jean Blackburnas one of the finest contributors to Australias education policy is confirmed by the recently released biography by Craig Campbell and Debra Hayes covering her life and work. Above all, Jean Blackburn understood the interrelationship between schools and society. Schools both reflect and shape reflect the nations broad political, social and economic character.

August 5, 2018

BERNARD MOYLAN. Scandals In The Church.

I am not attempting to whitewash the Church. It must take its proper responsibility for any abuse of power, learn something from its self-abasement and work even harder to implement gospel values wherever they are most needed. It may take quite some time to emerge from the present morass but it is still a task worth pursuing. The Church must still follow, even when bruised and demoralised, Christ’s injunction to work towards bringing about the kingdom of God on earth, however impossible it looks from where we now stand.

November 20, 2018

MICHAEL PASCOE. Leaderless Australian government outsources all responsibility (New Daily, 20.11.18)

It has come to this for the Australian government: With no leadership, no mettle and no political capital to spend, difficult decisions are outsourced, and responsibility for decisions that might offendis spread far and wide.

January 21, 2018

JOHN AUSTEN. Roads another year of inaction and congestion-causing deficits

Spending on roads continues to vastly outstrip road revenues, increasing our national debt. This easy access to funding is why we spend too much on the wrong roads and has stopped road reform - as stated in a post in Pearls and Irritations last year: .

August 22, 2019

Raising the racist flag

The ironies were stark and troubling. On 17 August most Indonesians joyfully commemorated their nations proclamation of independence from the Netherlands 74 years ago.

A few werent having fun. Next afternoon young Papuans studying in East Java and who are suspected of wanting self rule, were brutally bashed and teargassed on the pretext theyd slandered the Republics flag.

The bloody clash came three days after the national release of a much trumpeted film recounting the struggles of Javanese against colonial oppression.

June 24, 2019

MUNGO MacCALLUM. The Peak Crazy of Morrison and Dutton.

It took just a month after the election for the miraculous Morrison mob to dial back up to peak crazy.

April 19, 2018

MICHAEL PASCOE. The banking royal commission its even worse than it looks

If you think the banking royal commission is big, youre wrong. Its much bigger.

March 6, 2018

JOHN WARHURST. Demystifying the Coalition

The downfall of Barnaby Joyce and his replacement by Michael McCormack from Wagga Wagga as Nationals leader shows once again that maintaining the Liberal-National coalition has a considerable impact on the nation, and thus it deserves greater attention and transparency. Instead it is clouded in secrecy and often taken for granted.

January 26, 2017

WALTER HAMILTON. Rush for the exits

When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this month stood alongside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull near The Gaponce Sydneys favourite suicide spotthey presented themselves as brothers-in-arms for multilateral free trade. How quickly things can change.

September 24, 2019

Justin Trudeau is trashing his own brand

Canadas PM Justin Trudeau is caught in a messy hypocrisy scandal, not a racism scandal. To be absolutely clear: Trudeau is not a racist, was never a racist and, in my judgment, has never behaved in a racist manner just deeply embarrassing. But he has given fresh ammunition to critics to reinforce the narrative that he is a dilettante playboy who lacks gravitas.

July 24, 2019

NOEL TURNBULL. Aquariums, indigenous achievement and climate denialism

Cairns in Far North Queensland is a remarkable place where remarkable things excellent, good, bad and odd occur.

June 11, 2018

MARIAN SAWER. Foreign donations and beyond.

In the furore over Chinese political donations, the broader electoral reform agenda can easily be forgotten. Australia was once a pioneering democracy but it has fallen behind in protecting its reputation for electoral integrity and political equality.

May 9, 2019

TONY KOCH. For 30 years I worked for News Corp papers. Now all I see is shameful bias. (THE GUARDIAN 9.5.2019)

No editor I worked for would publish the rubbish they now produce.

_About six weeks ago I cancelled my subscription for The Australian newspaper after getting it for more than 30 years. As soon as this election is over, I will do the same with the Courier-Mail.

September 26, 2018

PETER MANNING. A tone-deaf chairman at the ABC.

ABC Chair Justin Milne has criticized Michelle Guthries leadership skills as not good enough for the Board of the ABC. The truth is his own communication skills in relating to staff are deficient and tone-deaf.

April 25, 2018

MARGARET OCONNOR. Institutional reform following the Royal Commission on child sex abuse is womens work.

Women from those who quietly brought pressure on parliamentarians through to the Prime Minister and Governor General brought about the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Yet the response to the Commission is being handled as if it is all blokes business.

April 13, 2018

GOOD READING AND LISTENING FOR THE WEEKEND ...

Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull would like us to believe that if only recalcitrant states could sign on to the Commonwealths National Energy Guarantee, energy policy will be set on a stable path. A more realistic view is provided by the World Economic Forum, which, in ashort and hard-hitting while paper, warns that tsunamic forces could swiftly upend businesses and also profoundly alter the outlook for how energy systems affect emissions and sustainable development in all countries.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal