Category: Uncategorized

MARRIAGE and death are among the most important things humans have to deal with. After the Howard and Rudd Governments did their best to take them off the Federal Parliament’s agenda permanently, the Greens are to use their new-found position of power to put them back on. Continue reading “Constitutionally, marriage not all it’s cracked up to be”

THAT excellent documentary series, “Yes, Minister”, has resulted in at least two truisms in public administration, one on surveys and the other on inquiries. Continue reading “Ask and its shall be given unto thee”

A TIED result of 75 seats to each side has been averted. At least for now. A by-election or defection could change things. The narrowness of the election shows some of the defects in our Constitution. It is plainly a defect that the Constitution permits an even number of members in the House of Representatives. Continue reading “Election reveals constitutional flaws”

I HATE to point out the obvious, but . . . . Sorry, I actually like to point out the obvious, especially when few others are willing to do so. Have you noticed the rise and rise of the buzz word “sustainability”? Continue reading “‘Sustainable city’ an oxymoron”

YOU have to wonder who is Commander-in-Chief of the US armed forces. If Barack Obama still thinks he is leading the armed forces he should look beyond the military coterie’s obsession with Iraq and Afghanistan and ask where does US security – and indeed world security – really lie. Continue reading “Real US security lies in withdrawal”

MY FIRST national tallyroom experience was at the 1969 election. As the poverty-stricken son of a clergyman I was chosen with a few others from the Political Science I class by Professor Fin Crisp in response to a request for casual labour for election night. Continue reading “40 years of the national tallyroom”

HERE is a list of election-cycle clunkers. They are clunkers that the Australian public should not have endured but which they largely brought upon themselves. Continue reading “”

AT THE beginning of this year when a Labor victory was assumed by one and all, I wrote in this column: “Most people assume that a second Rudd term is inevitable. I think is quite likely, but Abbott should not be ruled out. The advantages that an Opposition has with apathetic, gullible and ignorant masses, a media rightly down on any glitches with government programs, easy populist one-liners, plus the present electoral-boundary advantage suggest an Abbott victory is not out of the question. . . . Continue reading “10 months of conservative free-for-all”

THE media, as much as the politicians, are on trial in this election. The circle is a vicious one. Politicians, corporate leaders, CEOs of pressure groups and almost anyone with any public profile do short courses on how to deal with the media. They are told the media has certain characteristics or culture. In order to look good in the media, you have to play to that culture. Continue reading “Media on trial in election campaign”

NEVER let the facts get in the way of a non-story. For the past few elections I have done an analysis of preference flows from the previous election. Continue reading “Greens hand government to Labor”