Journalism and other writing

POLITICAL scientists, journalists and others frequently refer to the advantages of incumbency, but this parliamentary session, particularly this week, it is better to talk about the advantages of Opposition. [click to continue…]

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THE case for increasing the GST was strengthened this week by revelations from the Australian Tax Office. [click to continue…]

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IT IS now a year and a day since Queensland Coroner Michael Barnes handed down his findings in the case of the sinking of the Malu Sara – a Department of Immigration border protection vessel – with the loss of five lives. [click to continue…]

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A COUPLE of weeks ago I was saved by a sub-editor from committing an egregious error of history in this column. [click to continue…]

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HOW apt that the debate which major political parties have tried to avoid for so long should become one of the major talking points of the week of Australia Day – our population. [click to continue…]

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THE Government has been holding back the report of the Henry Tax Review for a month now. It is an unusual piece of media-policy-agenda manipulation. The more astonishing thing is that nothing much has leaked from it, except a few pronouncements by Ken Henry himself. [click to continue…]

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OK, I’m sorry. I weakened. I didn’t mean to. I had been off them for more than a week and I was doing really, really well. The substitute was working, though it was somehow not the real thing. The kick did not last long enough. [click to continue…]

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ISRAEL’S military spending is the sixth highest per head in the world. You might wonder why it would need any further help. Yet last week the US pledged to give Israel almost $US3 billion in military aid in 2010.

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HERE are a few minor and major annoyances that big organisations and individuals should have a go at fixing in 2010. [click to continue…]

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