In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.
We need cancel culture herd immunity
I’ve always disliked the phrase “I told you so”. It reeks of bitterness wrapped in arrogance, especially when coming from…
Revealed: the true hottest day ever recorded in Australia
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology deleted what was long regarded as the hottest day ever recorded in Australia, Bourke’s 125°F…
Standing for Hong Kong
First, they came for the Tibetans, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Tibetan. Then they…
Eden-Monaro: how dare #Cobargo residents think for themselves?
It’s been a week since the Eden-Monaro by-election. The outcome has been overshadowed by the mounting coronavirus crisis, but one…
We need industrial relations reform for post coronavirus recovery
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced there will be an overhaul of Australia’s industrial relations laws. He wants business groups…
There is no greater taboo than perceived insensitivity to Aboriginal Australia, so why the constant cries of racism?
“Burn the f…ing place down!” screams the angry young Aboriginal woman on the TV screen (in a red dress and…
Do we want to follow St Jacinda and price our industry out of existence?
Rio Tinto’s announced closure of its aluminium smelter in New Zealand due to uncompetitive power prices this week is a…
We are killing more people because of lockdown than we are saving
While it’s tempting, and even invigorating, to experience a shiver of schadenfreude at the resurgence of COVID-19 in Victoria on…
The woke: disregarding goodness in the absence of perfection
There was a time when our celebrities didn’t feel like they had to join the madding crowds and rush to…
Mr Andrews, tear down this wall
A few things immediately sprang to my mind this morning as I awoke to my city surrounded by rings of…
The latest in woke censorship: it’s only cancel culture when the cancellers say so
Meanjin online has published a piece by Eileen Chong, “Representations”, explaining why she demanded a short story written by Stuart…
The death – and rebirth – of the newspaper?
Everybody, whatever side of politics they are on, generally agrees that the media is one of the reasons that politics…
Old King Coal doesn’t mind the cold
Before sunrise on Sunday, the grass temperature in Washpool, in the south-east of the supposed Sunshine State, was minus 1.7…
Déjà vu in Dan Andrewstan
“For those of us who are old enough to remember it is starting to feel like 1990 has come again,”…
We don’t need new ICACs. We need a new political class
Sunlight may be the best disinfectant, but an industrial solvent is even better. And keeping your house clean avoids attracting…
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be oppressed in this racist hell
As many have remarked over the years, it is somewhat of a mystery why millions of people from the developing…
Why won’t Professor PVO watch Deplorable TV?
There is one thing that Professor Peter Van Onselen constantly gets right – and that’s getting things wrong. If there’s…
We’re only just entering the corona economic rapids. Wait to we go over the waterfall
On October 3, 2008, I sat on the end of a bed in a Dubai hotel watching the once credible…
And the winner is Syd-en-ney
It’s miserable in Melbourne today. At the time of writing, the rain has apparently turned to constant drizzle, but the…
The inequality of left-wing equality
Why is it that the only nation on earth, the United States of America, that is dedicated to the proposition…
Barra Mundi is toxic for the Coalition
If the counting trend continues, Labor’s Kristy McBain will win the Eden-Monaro by-election by a mere handful of votes. Just…
Activism, anxiety and anger
Fascinating research into the “Anger Activism Model” has looked at the link between people’s attitudes and their behavioural intentions. The…
How will history judge our behaviour during COVID-19?
A local primary school community recently presented to its teachers a framed letter of appreciation for their leadership, initiative and…
EXCLUSIVE: What you haven’t read about Eden-Monaro and the Labor leadership
Labour appears to have won the Eden-Monaro by-election. Appears to have. That’s about as strong as we can get —…
The Greens defence policy? Smile and say “Nĭ hăo”
How did the Greens react to this week’s defence announcement by the PM? With all the logic you’d expect from…
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Coalition must U-turn on X
Kudos to Senator Ralph Babet and to One Nation for opposing this tyrannical abomination
