August 23, 2018

DUNCAN GRAHAM. The Bush Drivers Lament.

Thousands of escapees from chilly southern cities are currently cruising northern Australia in search of warmth, wildflowers, new friends and a little adventure.

The grey nomads prefer caravans, some so lavishly equipped theyre really villas on wheels with solar panels, family pets and air conditioning. The young and foreign go for small vans with a mattress and a gas stove.

All bring money into backblock towns to buy fuel, food, souvenirs and spare parts.

Local government reaction is mixed; some see opportunities so encourage visitors, others begrudge using ratepayers funds to supply services for outsiders, particularly budget travellers. The confusion is damaging tourism. Duncan Graham reports:

May 14, 2018

JOCELYN CHEY. Caught in the middle: Chinese Australians feel unwanted

International disputes between contending powers frequently result in persecution of local ethnic minorities. Look at how local German and Japanese communities were treated during the two World Wars, for instance, or how people of Middle Eastern background have been profiled since the rise of Al Qaeda and ISIS. As suspicions of China predominate in Canberra, and stand-offs occur, for instance in the South China Sea, the loyalties of Chinese Australians have been called into question. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the first Chinese immigrant to settle in Australia. The Chinese community will celebrate that event, but the contributions of the growing Chinese community to the nation and to our developing relationships with Asia are under-appreciated.

July 2, 2019

JOHN CARMODY. The enduring farce of British politics

To Australian eyes, British politics appear relentlessly chaotic, even anti-social. The solutions seem impossible to find, forever out of sight, let alone reach and as in true tragedy entirely self-inflicted.

September 24, 2018

CHRIS FOTINOPOULOS. Bigotry is bad business, so why not let the consumer decide?

Take a drive along any arterial road in Australia and youre likely to pass dwellings dedicated to various deities with its congregants practising their brand of faith free of external interference. Apart from the exclusive varieties, most churches are open to anyone seeking respite from secular life. But as much as most churches are welcoming, they are free to exclude anyone who disrespects church ethos. Just as I can ask an unruly guest to leave my home, so too can a church official determine who leaves Gods home.

August 27, 2018

RAMESH THAKUR. Challenging the Peter Principle: From Julie Bishop to Marise Payne

Before coming to Julie Bishops record as foreign minister in areas of my particular interest, three preliminary comments.

May 6, 2019

DAVID WROE AND DANA McCAULEY. Sack 'nutter' spy chiefs to fix relations with Beijing, Paul Keating urges (SMH 6.5.2019)

Former prime minister Paul Keating has launched an extraordinary attack on Australias spy chiefs, calling them nutters and urging Bill Shorten to sack them to improve relations with China if he wins the election.

February 28, 2025

A five-minute scroll

Trump give his first views on China policy. Sarah Henderson criticises ABC for including Jewish Council of Australia in their programs.The LNP has confirmed that Australians will pay to see their GP under Dutton. Penny Wong welcomes 25 Somare-Whitlam scholars to Australia and a call for truth to be a key factor in political advertising.

September 14, 2018

MELISSA PARKE. Conflict in Yemen

I dont want to live any more said the man standing in the rubble of his destroyed home. His teenage daughter beside him burst into tears and the younger daughter looked up at him, not understanding. The airstrike, in the UNESCO World heritage old city of Sanaa, had come without warning in the middle of the night killing all other members of the mans family, leaving them homeless. They had no connection to any of the warring parties to the conflict in Yemen but were among its tens of thousands of civilian victims.

October 17, 2017

GEORGE BROWNING. Violence and Religion

Recently released Fairfax poll figures indicating that Australia records the highest percentage of citizens of any comparable country believing the world would be better off without religion because of its assumed connection with violence is somewhat of a shock. That we are apparently more tolerant of religious difference than most is comforting, but does not ameliorate the first figure.

September 12, 2018

MICHAEL SAINSBURY Can a woman save Wentworth for the Libs? (Crikey, 12.09.18)

Liberal candidate Andrew Bragg has bowed out of the race for Wentworth, citing a need for women candidates. But will it be enough?

July 15, 2018

KIM WINGEREI. Democracy is not just about elections!

A flood (by my modest standards) of social media comments to my recent post - We have to talk (about) Turkey - was a poignant reminder that so many believe that democracy is mainly about free elections. The way many local commentators (and politicians) respond to President Trump’s actions also indicate the same misapprehension among those that should know better. Democracy is a system of government designed to protect and uphold the rights of the people. And to protect the people from government. In that sense, the case of the ‘Canberra Two’ is both scary and illuminating.

April 16, 2018

DAN MCGARRY. Want to lead in the Pacific? Try listening first

The average Australians conception of Pacific island nations is so limited it makes some of us wonder if they even want to understand. Our voicesand our realityhave been pointedly and repeatedly ignored in the media, and in the corridors of power.

August 8, 2019

GREG BAILEY. Lobbyists, corruption and neoliberalism

The revelations surrounding the fast tracking of visas for Chinese high rollers coming to Crown Casino and betting gargantuan amounts of money have been extensively covered over the last week in the media. Corruption there certainly seems to be and not a little incipient anti-Chinese sentiment in sheeting this back mainly to wealthy Chinese gamblers.

July 7, 2019

ROBERT MICKENS. Pope Francis is seeking to unite humanity

“Among all the world’s political and social leaders, Pope Francis stands increasingly alone as the most powerful force for global peace and stability.” Thus began the prelude to an earlier article titled, Pope Francis or Steve Bannon. Catholics must choose.

April 25, 2019

JOHN MENADUE. Jobs at Adani or on the Great Barrier Reef.

There are very strong grounds for Australia to phase out the mining of steaming coal as soon as possible and certainly not to promote new coal projects such as Adani. Our planet is increasingly at risk. Protecting the Great Barrier Reef is likely to save and promote more jobs than the few jobs in prospect at Adani. Tourism is a growth industry of the future. Coal mining is a declining and dying industry.

December 23, 2019

MUNGO MACCALLUM.- Our economy is enjoying global tail winds ,not head winds as Frydenberg tells us.

Scott Morrison is rummaging around in his near-empty presents sack looking for some spare socks and mouldy chocolates, the sleigh is off at the panel beaters in need of drastic repairs, and the reindeer continue to shit on us from a great height. Merry Christmas from ScoMo and his orcish elves.

July 26, 2018

BRUCE GUTHRIE. Nines takeover of Fairfax is a bad deal for democracy (New Daily 26.07.18)

Within hours of the announcement of Nines takeover of Fairfax Media Iwont insult readers by calling it a merger Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was singing its praises.

November 12, 2018

Bob Carr replies to China critics (Australian Financial Review, 12.11.18)

That the mob always gets it right is cornerstone wisdom of Australian politics, often confirmed by polling that shows the public’s deeply rooted common sense.

July 17, 2018

Trump-Putin Summit 16 July: an assessment

This was a most unusual summit, preceded and followed by a torrent of mostly negative Western MSM comment on the theme that Putin will win this, and Western interests will lose.

June 13, 2016

JOHN MENADUE. Julie Bishop Foreign Minister or Senior Consular Officer

Foreign ministers can hide their failures more easily than other ministers because foreign affairs has no serious domestic constituency. Appearances on the public and world stage can also hide a lack of substance - for a while.

But the failures of Julie Bishop are now clear.

Most of her media appearances are now about consular problems Australians involved in airline crashes, terrorism, or other disasters. Normally these matters would be left to officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. But our foreign minister doesnt want to miss these media opportunities. It is easier than explaining complicated foreign policy issues.

December 13, 2018

JOHN MENADUE. The Transition of Pearls & Irritations

To readers and supporters

_With good content and only word of mouth promotion we have over 6500 subscribers and about 5000 daily readers. There is steady growth.__P and I helps set the agenda on important public issues._It will not come as a surprise to you that we are looking to migrate P & I to a safe home, either an individual(s) or an organisation that shares our values and beliefs.

P & I doesn’t attempt balance. It has a point of view.

October 5, 2017

RAMESH THAKUR. Incorrigible Optimist by Gareth Evans review-Part 2 of 2

At a time when the worlds political landscape seems starved of good policy-making, Gareth Evans political memoirs are a reflection on the pursuit of good leadership in Australia and the world, Ramesh Thakur writes.

June 7, 2018

ADAM NI. Despite strong words, the US has few options left to reverse Chinas gains in the South China Sea.

At a top regional security forum on Saturday, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Chinas recent militarisation efforts in the disputed South China Sea were intended to intimidate and coerce regional countries.

December 18, 2017

PAUL COLLINS - Will the Vatican play ball?

We now have the recommendations of the Royal Commission (RC) to the Catholic Church. Many of them request the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) to take specific issues to the Vatican requesting that they be implemented. The question immediately arises: how will the Vatican react? What will Rome do? What Ive tried to do here is foresee something of that reaction.

September 25, 2018

MICHAEL SAVAGE. Ministers warn harder EU exit risks breaking up Britain (the Guardian, 23.09.18)

Theresa May is being warned by cabinet colleagues that a shift towards a harder Brexit will hasten the break-up of the UK, amid a renewed attempt by Brexiters to secure a clean split from the European Union.

May 25, 2018

ANDREW GLIKSON. An Orwellian climate endangers planet

Two plus two is five if the party says so (George Orwell).

Should anyone record the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, they may report that, while temperatures and sea levels were rising, the human sense of reality has been clouded by electronic systems, including television, the internet and smartphones, by science fiction, virtual realities, public circuses, fake news, gratuitous hype and superlatives which overtook common sense and the quest for protection of the earth and the survival of the species.

March 10, 2019

JULIAN CRIBB. The Rise of Woman. Greta Thunberg.

Shes just turned 16 and is already a world leader with more statespersonlike qualities, clear-eyed goals, plain speaking and sheer guts than almost any national head of today or recent history. Julian Cribb looks at the rise of Greta Thunberg

May 14, 2019

BELINDA KINKEAD. Australia's Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Australia is experiencing a remarkable renewable energy transition not that you would know if you listen to some federal politicians. The Coalition consistently tells us that Australias greenhouse gas emissions are coming down and that were on track to meet our Paris climate targets at a canter. In reality, neither of those statements is true.

December 19, 2019

GEOFF RABY.-Why Xi Jinping has had a very good year(AFR 18.12.2019)

China’s leader has shrugged off a trade war and an uprising in Hong Kong, and confounded Australia’s establishment security hawks.

September 12, 2018

STEPHEN LEEDER. The Evil You Cannot See.

Concern about air quality in Australia popularly centres around two topics: exhaust stacks from city road tunnels and climate change. Neither are as critically important as the effects of small particle pollution.

November 7, 2017

GILES PARKINSON. South Australia's stunning transition to consumer-powered grid

South Australia is already being hailed or in some quarters demonised for its leadership on renewable energy technology. A new report from the Australian Energy Market Operator highlights how far out in front it is in the transition to a consumer-powered grid.The earlier comments by Turnbull and Frydenberg are now looking even more petty and ill informed.

August 27, 2018

JAMES ONEILL. Julie Bishops Unmemorable Tenure as Foreign Minister

The departure of Julie Bishop as Foreign Minister is no cause for regret. Her tenure was marked by hypocrisy, selective application of international law, and blindness to geopolitical realities.

August 15, 2018

PETER SMALL. Mulesing; Have we convinced ourselves of our own rhetoric to the wool industries detriment?

It is five years since I first went to China and I heard the plea of wool processors for Australia to do something to increase the availability wool from non-mulsed sheep. I responded with the well-worn rhetoric as to why we had to mules. You all know the lines; - Mulesing is the lesser of two evils; a death from fly strike is much worse

October 2, 2018

PETER WHITEFORD. Relax. The divide between the taxed and the taxed-nots isnt new and doesnt buy elections.

Might government benefits, and government employment, be a self sustaining machine one in which those who benefit from government payments deliver the votes needed to ensure they continue?

November 12, 2018

MUNGO MacCALLUM. Poor Malcolm.

Just because youre paranoid, it doesnt mean people dont hate you. It sometimes seems that Malcolm Turnbull is being pursued by that old Andy Capp character Joe Btfsplk, who brought bad luck to everyone near him.

January 1, 2018

Resolution for 2018: persuade our political leaders to work harder on establishing an independent Australian foreign policy

Australias foreign policy must no longer be formed by the interests of the US military/intelligence/industrial lobbies or the neuroses of US domestic politics.

April 11, 2016

Klaas Woldring-electoral reform,who are the reformers?

Electoral reform in Australia is extremely important. The self-interest of the parties should not dominate it. I believe an entirely Independent Inquiry should be held about Australias electoral systems altogether, similar to the Royal Commission in NZ in the 1980s. There are also very major problems with the single-member-electoral district system, problems that have much wider ramifications than the voting system alone. The resulting two-party system has become an absolute negative in itself. Consequences for other governance systems are particularly disturbing and wasteful, e.g. amending the archaic Constitution has become almost impossible and is clearly avoided by the major parties for fear of failure or being just too difficult. Replacing the expensive, dysfunctional Federation, where the major parties are frequently in double adversarial contests, has equally become virtually impossible. Economic development frequently follows the path of development in marginal seats to boost electoral outcomes. If there is to be innovation in Australia it should first be in governance systems.

November 11, 2018

MICHAEL MULLINS. The politicisation of remembrance

In Australia there is a highly selective regime of remembrance that chooses to exclude the Frontier Wars that killed large numbers of indigenous Australians, and also the many unsavoury aspects of war such as the mistreatment of women by our ‘heroes’. My view is that communal war remembrance should be more nuanced. It needs to include an element of contrition for the shameful actions, alongside legitimate pride for actions that went towards achieving what must be the greatest degree of global harmony in the history of humankind.

September 24, 2018

MICHAEL SAINSBURY. Not Gonski yet: ScoMo, schools, tools and the battle for Wentworth.

The ScoMo-ment, Episode II: Scott prevails for another week, consolidating his drive to not become Australias fourth shortest prime minister. Michael Sainsbury reports as the by-election battle for Malcolm Turnbulls seat of Wentworth heats up.

September 12, 2018

MICHAEL KELLY SJ. Religious Persecution and Home Churches in China.

When will they ever learn? The best tonic to stir up religious fervor and greater commitment in a totalitarian society is to persecute believers.

February 4, 2019

ELENA COLLINSON. What A Labor Victory Might Mean For Australian Foreign Policy (Council on Foreign Relations).

A federal election is due this year in Australia. While the Liberal-National Coalition government has yet to formally announce a polling day, the stage has effectively been set for a May election. According to Australian law, May 18 is the latest possible date a federal election could be called. The opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) is favored to win, having consistently polled ahead of the Coalition over the last year, at least, and having extended their lead in polls in the aftermath of Malcolm Turnbulls ouster from the Coalition prime ministership in an internal Liberal Party leadership contest last year.

April 28, 2019

BOB BIRRELL. Overseas Students. A labour market program?

As readers of Pearls and Irritations will be aware, Net Overseas Migration to Australia (NOM) in 2017-18 was 236,731. This is equivalent to 0.9 per cent of Australias population. NOM was the main source of Australias overall 1.6 per cent growth in 2017-18.

June 5, 2018

RICHARD BUTLER. Domestic fixation/ Foreign Salvation?

Plainly Trump is fixated upon the domestic political scandals in which he is mired. The idea that he can find salvation through an achievement on the international stage is dubious. Whatever happens at the Summit with Kim Jong Un will not cause those scandals to disappear and, the outcome of the Summit is not uniquely in his gift. Although not at the table, China and Russia will have a say.

March 14, 2018

MOTOKO RICH. Japan Fears Being Left Behind by Trumps Talks With Kim Jong-un

As recently as last fall, it was Seoul that appeared sidelined by Washington in its approach to North Korea, as President Trump made fiery threats and accused South Korea of appeasement for advocating dialogue. Shinzo Abe, Japans prime minister, was Mr. Trumps closest friend among world leaders.

May 28, 2019

JAMES LAURENCESON, MICHAEL ZHOU. Small Grey Rhinos: Understanding Australia's Economic Dependence on China (Australia-China Relations Institute)

Australia lives with an acute fear of abandonment.

In security terms this fear has underpinned Australian foreign policy settings for decades. Recently, doubts about the reliability of the United States as Australias security guarantor have sent Australian government ministers on a mission to convince America that ongoing and expanded engagement with Australias neighbourhood is in its own interests.

January 3, 2019

MUJIB MASHAL. Afghan units led by C.I.A. leave trail of abuse .Victims and officials say raids are pushing people toward the Taliban (The New York Times International Edition).

Razo Khan woke up suddenly to the sight of assault rifles pointed at his face, and demands that he get out of bed and onto the floor. Within minutes, the armed raiders had separated the men from the women and children. Then the shooting started. As Mr. Khan was driven away for questioning, he watched his home go up in flames. Within were the bodies of two of his brothers and of his sister-in-law Khanzari, who was shot three times in the head. Villagers who rushed to the home found the burned body of her 3year-old daughter, Marina, in a corner of a bedroom that had been set on fire.

October 16, 2016

MUNGO MacCALLUM. Malcolm Turnbull's problem in the parliament.

Another week, another stuff up. Once again Malcolm Turnbulls year of delivery has delivered a parliamentary prat fall.

This one was unprecedented, but not actually serious: for the first time ever, the government voted against itself. The mistake was quickly corrected, but there was considerable embarrassment in the process, an embarrassment compounded when the offending minister, Kelly ODwyer, was unable next day to explain the legislation of which she was in charge during the fiasco.

May 14, 2019

THOMAS FRIEDMAN. Has Our Luck Run Out? (New York Times)

Most crucial problems today are global in nature and can be dealt with only by a global coalition.

September 19, 2019

WILLIAM BRIGGS. How Australia became a racist country

_Is Australia a racist country? Are Australians racist? The questions crop up with unfortunate regularity. There is another question. How did Australia become a racist country? An accident of birth cannot be a reason for what has become an entrenched fear of the other, and yet there is a deeply rooted xenophobia in Australia. How did we get to this point? After all waves of migration have marked the development of Australia since Europeans first arrived.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal