Month: June 2016

LABOR has clarified its policy on negative gearing after claims by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that it would stultify the start up of new businesses. Continue reading “The negative sides on poor policy on gearing”

BE SURPRISED but not totally gob-smacked if Malcolm Turnbull loses his seat of Wentworth at next Saturday’s election – even if the Coalition wins. Look at this way. One of the main reasons for the dramatic fall-off in Coalition support since the heady days of its huge winning margin shortly after Turnbull assumed the prime ministership has been the large disappointment in Turnbull himself. Continue reading “Turnbull’s seat by no means completely safe”

US political scientist Francis Fukuyama wonders why it didn’t happen a whole lot sooner. He was referring to the rise of the protest candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Fukuyama argues that the people who support these two are disaffected with mainstream politics. Trump supporters, who are mainly white, middle-aged, male and less well-off, are disaffected by what they see as a political elite that has sold out American jobs with free trade agreements. Continue reading “Anglophone experience says use power well or lose it”

LEADERS and former leaders of major parties have been attacking the minor parties and independents almost as forcefully as each other this election, especially in the past week. The Coalition has been especially vociferous against Nick Xenophon’s party. Continue reading “Major parties lose ground because of growth mantra, lobbies”

WITHOUT action, Australia could be heading for solar disarray. Each state and territory has a different solar-power regime. The mainly state-owned monopoly owners of the poles and wires are not especially interested in the environment or efficiency unless it sounds in extra cash. And the limited competition among suppliers is made more difficult for consumers to exploit because charging regimes all differ. Continue reading “Without action, solar disarray looms”