Flat White

In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.

G20 and our evolving ties with India

16 September 2023 1:15 am

The recently completed G20 summit in New Delhi brought with it some noteworthy developments. As an organisation, the G20 is…

Can a Frasier reboot survive in a new politically correct world?

15 September 2023 7:00 am

You are frequently cautioned against using the word ‘classic’ too liberally as a critic. But when it comes to television,…

Koalas defy rumours of extinction by … doing extremely well

15 September 2023 5:00 am

New South Wales Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said, ‘The creation of the Great Koala National Park is essential to saving…

Why I am voting ‘No’: an Asian perspective

15 September 2023 4:30 am

On October 14, 2023, Australians will go to the polls to vote on enshrining the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in…

Australia’s Brexit moment

14 September 2023 6:30 am

The longer the Voice campaign goes on, and as more and more Australians say ‘No’, it’s obvious Prime Minister Albanese’s…

Planning for power failure

14 September 2023 5:00 am

In south-eastern Australia, the capacity of conventional power has run down to the point where there is just enough to…

Healing from the Voice will take years

14 September 2023 4:30 am

When goodwill prevails, the most prominent voices will be those who support reconciliation, solidarity, and a positive way forward. When…

Is the Voice’s question misleading?

14 September 2023 4:00 am

At the same time the federal government is threatening to pass internet anti-misinformation laws, the same government has drafted a…

Lithium battery fires will cause a tragedy

13 September 2023 6:40 pm

Lithium batteries in electric vehicles are going to cause a major disaster – it’s only a matter of time. I…

A kiss is just a kiss … not!

13 September 2023 6:00 am

Luis Rubiales has resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation following criticism for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso at…

Lies, damned lies, and truth-telling commissions

13 September 2023 5:00 am

Part of the proposed Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Voice to Parliament is a national truth-telling commission. Normally,…

Are university campus sexual assault statistics inflated?

13 September 2023 4:30 am

In recent weeks, our proud Teal Independents have been busy showing their feminist credentials by supporting student activists seeking to…

The motive for the downing of MH17

13 September 2023 4:00 am

The International Court that presided over the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014…

Labor’s law: undermining constitutional democracy

12 September 2023 5:30 am

The Communications Legislation Amendment (Combating Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2023 was recently introduced by Federal Labor in the Australian Parliament. This law proposal…

From hopelessness to heartlessness: the vibe seems so hollow

12 September 2023 5:00 am

We are not yet halfway through the run-up to the referendum on the Voice to Parliament, and already many of…

We need a transformation in Australian politics

12 September 2023 4:30 am

The Australian Bureau of Statistics website shows that in June 2022 Queensland public sector employees comprised 52,700 Commonwealth, 406,800 State,…

An open letter to Tim Costello

12 September 2023 4:00 am

Dear Rev. Costello, You recently published an open letter to church leaders – such as myself – on the matter of…

Race-based land grabs must end

11 September 2023 6:00 am

Most Australians were brought up believing that Crown Land is public land – shared for present enjoyment and preserved for…

‘No’ will let them know

11 September 2023 5:00 am

Then what? As the October 14 Voice referendum grows closer, speculation is rampant about the socio-political consequences of the result.…

What to do about crime? Papua New Guinea at 48

11 September 2023 4:30 am

September 16, 2023, will mark 48 years of independence for Australia’s nearest neighbour – Papua New Guinea (PNG). And, by…

Tyre Extinguishers take on Toorak Tractors

11 September 2023 4:00 am

Ten days ago, Greens leader Adam Bandt urged Australians to ‘embrace’ the civil disobedience of climate activists and ‘feel joy’…

Dead-celebrity market worth US$2.25 billion

10 September 2023 4:00 am

‘Deleb’ (as in dead celebrity) is a label used in show-business to describe a deceased star, celebrity, or artist whose…

Rising tyranny: the public-private partnership

10 September 2023 2:26 am

The slogan cuius regio, eius religio (whose the reign/realm, his the religion) was adopted in Europe in the mid-16th Century to end…

The Voice is the latest saviour cult

10 September 2023 1:32 am

Is Western Civilisation’s middle-class being pranked? The people we thought we knew – peers, colleagues, relatives, and friends – are…

Harmonies and strains in campaign songs

9 September 2023 7:45 pm

In the long history of pop songs being co-opted or leveraged for social cause campaigns, almost none seem an immediately…