MANY people complained that Malcolm Turnbull was running scared by cancelling next week’s sitting of the Parliament. But that was a political reaction. The more important constitutional question, and its implications for democracy, went unanswered: how is it that a Prime Minister without a majority in the House of Representatives can prevent that House from sitting? Continue reading “Five questions about democratic power”
Backfire: plebiscite shows appetite for action
JUST as the postal plebiscite has blown up in the faces of the conservatives who promoted it, let us hope that any subsequent rearguard sabotage attempt under the guise of freedom of religion does the same thing. Continue reading “Backfire: plebiscite shows appetite for action”
Upheaval likely when oppressed pushed too far
THE release of the Paradise Papers in the week of the centenary of the Russian Revolution and in a week when the peaceful leaders Catalonian independence were branded criminals should warn us that history did not end with the coming down of the Berlin Wall in the 1989. The clash between the forces of capitalism-individualism-rentiers vs the forces of communism-socialism-collectivism-labour is alive and just as destructive as it has ever been.
THE release of the Paradise Papers in the week of the centenary of the Russian Revolution and in a week when the peaceful leaders Catalonian independence were branded criminals should warn us that history did not end with the coming down of the Berlin Wall in the 1989. The clash between the forces of capitalism-individualism-rentiers vs the forces of communism-socialism-collectivism-labour is alive and just as destructive as it has ever been. Continue reading “Upheaval likely when oppressed pushed too far”
Medibank attack’s collateral damage on private health
THE Howard-Abbott-Turnbull attempts to bury Medicare while publicly praising it and its attempt to boost the bottom line of the private health providers are now proving to be corrosive not only of the public health system, but of the private system as well. Continue reading “Medibank attack’s collateral damage on private health”
Productivity Commission ignores major issue
THIS week’s Productivity Commission Five-Year Productivity Review contains page after page of sensible, mostly obvious, recommendations for change that would improve Australians’ living standards – with one glaring omission. Continue reading “Productivity Commission ignores major issue”
Every week, Turnbull’s government becomes more Trump-like
MALCOLM Turnbull’s government grows more Trump-like every week. Last week’s health-insurance announcement and this week’s energy announcement illustrate the point. Continue reading “Every week, Turnbull’s government becomes more Trump-like”
Plebiscite huge own goal for conservatives
WE ARE about to witness the most spectacular own goal on the conservative side of Australian politics since Malcolm Fraser called the early 1983 election and lost. There is enough polling evidence now to presume that the marriage plebiscite has been an utter miscalculation by the conservatives on several fronts. They thought they could defeat marriage equality. They will not. Continue reading “Plebiscite huge own goal for conservatives”
Luther’s 500 years of influence
FIVE hundred years ago this month, Martin Luther, placed (some say defiantly nailed) his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church in what is now Germany, thus sparking the Protestant Reformation and changing the tide of human history. Continue reading “Luther’s 500 years of influence”
Cognitive ability’s application to politics
RESEARCH published (but not widely published) this week has the potential to change the practice of the art (or perhaps science) of politics. Francisco Perales, of the University of Queensland, was looking at the marriage plebiscite, but his work has much wider application. Continue reading “Cognitive ability’s application to politics”
Tricky question of getting better banking
THE chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Rod Sims, has always championed competition as the friend of the consumer. In the past few years he has been especially critical of state-owned utility monopolies and privatisations that lead to monopolies and structures that hurt consumers. Continue reading “Tricky question of getting better banking”