Journalism and other writing
Old stuff scanned and put on the web. This one from 1997.
AT FIRST I thought it was a paradox. Travel in Mexico is either dogged by the manana mentality with endless delay or it is done at break-neck speed risking life and limb. Continue reading “Fast lane in slow manana land”
ON ONE, ideology goes out the window. Principle is of no moment. Political foes become expedient friends. That matter is the electoral process. As a rule, political parties will ask only one question about changes to the electoral law: will this benefit or hurt my party. Nothing else matters. Continue reading “Electoral advantage — they’ll vote for that”
COULD you imagine Paul Keating or Malcolm Fraser making the following the core of their New Year speech (take a deep breath and wade through to the end of the three paragraphs please): Continue reading “Entitlement mentality leads to paralysis”
THE hogwash delivered last week by the US National Rifle Association in response to the Connecticut shootings can be fairly quickly dismissed by a comparison with Australia. Continue reading “Gunning for donation reform”
A LARGE sign spelling AON atop a 12-storey office block glares over the ACT Supreme Court building on the other side of London Circuit. 
It should act as a reminder and warning. But the lesson has been forgotten and the warning ignored. Continue reading “Court’s drowsy procrastination goes on”
SEVEN years after the loss at sea of two Australian immigration officers and three others, the search for accountability for the families appears to be whimpering to an end after a Court of Appeal decision last week. Continue reading “Seven-year wait for justice”
STATE and territory governments in Australia are too inept, tainted by corruption and compromised for anyone to have any confidence in their capacity to make decisions on whether developments are environmentally acceptable.
In the 19th century a local stream could be dealt with locally. But now environmental issues are becoming more national and international. Continue reading “States should not have environment role”
“WE’RE doomed; we’re all doomed,” as Private Fraser of “Dad’s Army” fame would have it. Continue reading “How to save us from climate-change doomsayers”
THE Royal Commission into child sex abuse is going to face a major evidentiary and constitutional problems. In announcing the commission, Prime Minister Julia Gillard stressed the evil not only of the abuse itself, but also the cover-up. Indeed, in her eyes, the cover-up seems to be the core reason for the commission. Continue reading “Inquiry will need access to confessional secrets”
IT IS taking quite a long time to break down the misconception that people who are not dark-skinned cannot possibly be Indigenous or Aboriginal. Continue reading “Indigenous not helped by speech ban”