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Fibre in the Coral Sea or message in a bottle? Who’s interests are we serving?
Many have been preoccupied with the geopolitical tensions exposed by the Coral Sea Cable, continuing a longstanding – and problematic – tradition of treating the islands of the South Pacific as an empty stage on which to play out Great Power conflict. Continue reading »
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Big pharma monopolies gauging over vaccination prices whilst refusing access to poor countries
Wealthy nations including Canada, Australia , Germany, and the United Kingdom continue to oppose the TRIPS waiver Continue reading »
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A cry from Myanmar: We can’t breathe.
The people of Myanmar are facing one of the world’s greatest humanitarian catastrophes, and are asking why the world has forgotten them. There is a way out, but the world needs to act quickly. Continue reading »
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Labor’s plan for an anti-corruption body
The ALP this week released an outline of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) it would introduce if it were to come to power at the next federal election, a body based on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that has operated (mostly) successfully in New South Wales for more than three decades. Continue reading »
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The Nordics are way out in front for happiness in the COVID era
It may be surprising but a lot of people in the world are happier in the midst of COVID and lockdowns than they were – although Australia is a slight exception. Continue reading »
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Car parks: certainly corrupt and probably illegal
An Audit Office report led to condemnation of ‘processes’ behind Commonwealth funding of commuter car parks. This is like merely looking at – not even touching – deckchairs on the Titanic. Continue reading »
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The ABC continues to deny right-wing bias by The Drum.
It is was with some sadness that I penned an article indicating what I saw as a right-winged bias by The Drum in its selection of some panellists. Since that article, I have continued to exchange correspondence with the ABC and I believe that the thread of responses mirrors the same tactics the Government uses Continue reading »
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Rights, law breakers, Scott Morrison, Sky News and the Covid lockdown
George Christensen and Craig Kelly, amongst others, have been spruiking false information about the pandemic, about vaccinations and about the lockdown, giving comfort to those who have proved more than a little capacity for anarchic behaviour. Given these exponents of controversy in service of self-promotion sit on government benches, one might have expected censure from Continue reading »
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What goes around comes around: carbon tariffs bite our exports
In his excellent opinion piece, Ross Gittins points out that those posturing against the proposed EU carbon tariffs on our exports are the very people who struck down own effective national greenhouse action. They argued then that that unfair competition from countries who were not acting would impact our industries – so it’s a bit Continue reading »
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The ALP is supporting stage three tax cuts for the wealthy.
Progressive taxation is the cornerstone of a fair, equitable and just society. Just don’t tell that to the Australian Labor Party. Continue reading »
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John Barilaro is privatising Kosciuszko National Park
John Barilaro’s Snowy Mountains Special Activation Zone Precinct effectively wrests the control of developments in Kosciuszko National Park from the Minister for the Environment into the hands of the Minister for Regional NSW, John Barilaro. The plan is to heavily develop Jindabyne and surrounding areas for tourism, with little thought for the environment. Continue reading »
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Between the lines with Tom Switzer: China, friend or foe?
The western world’s relationships with Beijing are at their worst in more than half a century. How do we account for the rapid deterioration in Australia’s dealings with China? With Peter Hartcher,described by Tom Switzer as a ‘China scholar’ and David Brophy. Continue reading »
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Dutton’s and Pezzullo’s citizenship hypocrisy
The in-coming minister’s briefing prepared by long-standing Departmental Secretary Mike Pezzullo was inevitably going to be more significant for what it didn’t highlight than what it did. Continue reading »
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Possibilities for the next federal election
Now that the redistributions in Victoria and WA are completed we can begin to assess the possibilities for the next federal election. Imperfect as it is polling offers some interesting insights. Continue reading »
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Public service or politics?
Senior public servants are only as good as the leadership provided by politicians working in the national interest. With appropriate checks, balances and protections in place, senior public servants should be able to give the frank and fearless advice required of their position and as set out in law. Continue reading »
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Ready or not: a carbon price on exports is coming to Australia
Those of us who have at least an elementary grasp of economics would have been astonished at the reasoning of Trade Minister Dan Tehan during his ABC interview last week on The EU’s proposed carbon levy on imports (the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Continue reading »
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Gareth Evans versus the Surveillance State: application of the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme
See below a letter exchange between Assistant Secretary, Integrity and Security Division Attorney-General’s Department and ANU Professor Gareth Evans and former Foreign Minister regarding the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme. Gareth Evans did not give his response to the media but did copy his reply to a number of former Cabinet, diplomatic and ANU colleagues, from Continue reading »
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We can help restore confidence in the AZ vaccine
Public policy and personal reticence due to side effects continue to impede the use of Australia’s available and effective AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine at a time when it is most needed, the now critical 6 months before sufficient supplies of alternate vaccines can deliver the desired 80% vaccination rate required to end the need for Continue reading »
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Pegasus-India’s Watergate moment
A journalist hacked by Pegasus says he will survive, but Indian democracy may not. Continue reading »
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Australia’s alliance with the United States: passed its use by date
Australia’s alliance with the United States has become an unthinking custom and practice. It has already cost us dearly in both blood and treasure with little to show for it. It is time to look at the alternatives. Continue reading »
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1921: pandemics, racism, inequality a hundred years on
Considering what was making news a hundred years ago, we seem to be plagued with the same issues. Race, wars, gender inequality, pandemics; self interest still seems to drive those in power, and although we have learned to use weasel words to hide our real intent, we are not improving much. Continue reading »
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Poor leadership, irresponsible media and a clever virus
Despite this being the most scientific of all ages, capable of producing highly effective vaccines a year after the SARS-COV-2 virus was identified ( Russian scientists actually achieved this in six months), poor leadership, ignorance, stubbornness and irresponsible media, (broadcast and social), are making this pandemic much worse than it needs to be. Continue reading »
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The EU tariff plan is good news for Australia’s place in the World
The steady deterioration in Australia’s environment and the ineffective revision of the EPBC Act suggests that we need help from other developed nations to solve our problem. This help may come from proposals on trade from the EU and the USA. Continue reading »
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The harmful myths we live by about the US.
Defence Minister Dutton has upped the ante in some interesting comments on China and Afghanistan. He reinforces some myths we accept and states unequivocally our dependence on the US to protect us from evil for Thou art with us, Thy nukes and Thy military they comfort us. Continue reading »
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Wanting a social marketing campaign on Covid and getting a band aid instead
There is one thing almost everybody commenting about Australia’s poor vaccine roll out agrees with – the need for an advertising campaign. Continue reading »
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Saturday’s good reading and listening for the weekend
What people in other forums are saying about public policy Continue reading »
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The NSW ‘lockdown’ that isn’t while putting business before people.
A ‘lockdown’ strategy that does not involve lockdown, a vaccine distribution policy that is dangerously inconsistent and covid testing facilities that cannot meet the demand generated by public health orders, are but some of the problems responsible for the continuing explosion of COVID-19 cases in Sydney Continue reading »
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RBA Governor’s wages-immigration bomb and how he got it wrong.
RBA Governor Philip Lowe’s speech last week on the Labour Market and Monetary Policy set off a frenzied debate on the impact of immigration on wages. Continue reading »
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After many years the Great Barrier Reef ‘in danger’ listing shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Environment Minister Susan Ley says she was “blindsided” by UNESCO’s recommendation to declare the Great Barrier Reef ‘in danger’. Prime Minister Morrison was “appalled”. Their responses reflect a concern that the Reef’s political potency may be re-ignited. Then to top it off they blamed the Chinese. Continue reading »
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It’s time for Labor to capitalise on Morrison’s inadequacies
We are not yet in election mode and can assume that both parties are reserving their campaign strategies and tactics for the end. But at the moment, Morrison and the coalition will have defeated themselves. Continue reading »