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. Continue reading “Oppositions have advantages, too”
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GST the battlers’ friend
GST, crispin hull, tax, tax returns, big business, tax fairness, Jim Killaly, australian tax office
THE case for increasing the GST was strengthened this week by revelations from the Australian Tax Office. Continue reading “GST the battlers’ friend”
Families of dead Islanders await justice
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. Continue reading “Families of dead Islanders await justice”
We should adopt US spelling
A COUPLE of weeks ago I was saved by a sub-editor from committing an egregious error of history in this column. Continue reading “We should adopt US spelling”
Australia’s day of population reckoning
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. Continue reading “Australia’s day of population reckoning”
Risky approach to Henry tax report
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. Continue reading “Risky approach to Henry tax report”
Addiction and journalism
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. Continue reading “Addiction and journalism”
Religion behind US military support for Israel
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.
Continue reading “Religion behind US military support for Israel”
Some annoyances to fix
HERE are a few minor and major annoyances that big organisations and individuals should have a go at fixing in 2010. Continue reading “Some annoyances to fix”
China right to link population to climate
ALL but the crankiest conspiracy theorists now accept that the world is warming and humans are causing it. But the baffling, illogical and scary thing is that political leaders seem blind to a critical element of the human causation – the more humans we have the more carbon emissions we will have. Continue reading “China right to link population to climate”