In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.
What would Thomas Paine make of our government?
In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote: Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction…
Ned Kelly should not be depicted on Hezbollah-lite flags
What happened to the Left’s ‘politically correct’ mantra of not causing cultural offense because ‘words are literally violence’? It is…
Labor’s assumption is a miscalculation
‘It’s worrying…’ is how Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his concern at terrorist sympathisers marching in Melbourne and Sydney streets,…
John Pesutto should not go – yet
It’s being reported in the Melbourne newspapers that the state Liberal leadership of embattled incumbent, John Pesutto, is likely to…
One year since October 7: Israel’s leadership defies the odds and puts the West to shame
Today marks one year since the largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. The horrors of October 7 will…
QLD – time for good decisions on energy
Imagine for a second it is the end of October 2024 and an incoming Queensland LNP Energy Minister is fronting…
Classical class action?
Last week, it was reported that the pianist Jayson Gillham had, in light of what I term the Gillham Affair,…
This is an attack on free speech
It is no exaggeration to describe the federal government’s Misinformation and Disinformation Bill as a reworking of George Orwell’s Ministry…
Making immigration controversial will be one of Trudeau’s greatest legacies
Immigration has finally become a topic of genuine debate in Canada, and that is a remarkable and sorely needed development…
Monopolies in the labour market
See Saw Margery Daw, Jacky shall have a new master; Jacky shall earn but a penny a day, Because he…
Autopilot engaged on trade policy after Jim Chalmers’ trip to Beijing
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers flew back from Beijing last weekend keen to emphasise that our trade relationship with China has…
Contagiously enthusiastic! Come to Queensland
Stuart Ballantyne is seeking the few remaining positive people for a coffee
The Queensland election: a contest in a mediocre democracy
The much-anticipated Queensland election will be held on Saturday, October 26. The Queensland Opposition, under the leadership of David Crisafulli,…
Democracy demands choice, not the appearance of choice
Most Australians think we have a real choice when it comes to the government we elect, but many of us…
Putting faith in fact-checkers is the road to censorship
The federal government’s redrafted misinformation legislation is nothing more than a tool for elites, such as academics, journalists, and politicians,…
A truly toxic welcome
‘Who’s Captain Cook?’ should not have been a surprising question coming from a six-year-old commencing Catholic school having left a…
Curses! China Syndrome again
Israel’s recent very successful targeted attacks on Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon with exploding pagers and walkie-talkies have been praised or…
No stairs. Is this another example of the government trying to kill us?
At a function a few weeks ago, a NSW bureaucrat told me that he had woken up early to catch…
Australia must do some of the heavy lifting against terrorism
With domestic politics seeming to pander to those in our country who wave Hezbollah flags, our foreign policy is an…
Ignorance is bliss – indeed, a prerequisite
Every day is International Ignorance Day. It marks ignorance among the population as well as ignorance among the political, bureaucratic…
Counselling and psychotherapy: a lot less than you might have hoped?
A review of Val Thomas, Editor, Cynical therapies: Perspectives on the antitherapeutic nature of Critical Social Justice. 2023, Ocean Reeve
If that was the audition, I’d hate to see the show
Steven Miles calls his time as Premier an audition
A government power grab disguised as protection
How much do you trust the government? If you trust Albanese and Chalmers, how much do you trust Peter Dutton…