Crispin Hull

That essay: Stalin not at the gates

Australians should be hoping that the members of the Reserve Bank board have read the 6000-word essay written by Treasurer Jim Chalmers for the latest edition of The Monthly before today’s board meeting.

But they probably haven’t or, if they have, won’t alter their static thinking and rates will rise – recklessly and riskily.

It’s broke we need to fix it

What an unseemly, messy “debate” we had in the Australia Day week over the Voice.

To put it crudely, it seems that the whitefellas opposing the Voice are concerned that it might give the blackfellas too much, and that the blackfellas opposing the Voice are concerned that it will not give them enough.

Why millionaires want to pay more tax

The demonstrators at last week’s virtual meeting of the elite rich and powerful at the Davos World Economic Forum were instructively and decisively different from previous demonstrations.

This was not the usual anarchists in the street demanding the end of capitalism. Rather it was 200 b/millionaires pleading mostly in writing for higher taxes to be imposed upon themselves.

Good and bad confused in ugly reporting

The simmering, underlying bias in media reports continued this month on three major subject matters. Events which were described as Bad Things were really Good Things. And events described as Good Things were really Bad Things.

I refer to population growth; property prices; and private-school fees.

Cashless pokies should just be the start

The money launderers and gaming profiteers are askance at the NSW Government’s proposal to ban cash gaming transactions. This ding-dong should have profound national implications about the role of cash in Australian society.

Don’t get caught up with detail

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney set the broad timeline for the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament at the weekend.

There are two overwhelming reasons to vote Yes. The first is that after years of detailed consultation and deliberation this is what the vast majority of Indigenous Australians say they want. They want to be recognised and heard by having a Voice to the Parliament.

2022 – predictably unpredictable

Before asking what will 2023 bring, it is worth looking at what 2022 brought. Virtually no-one predicted the two most significant events of 2022. First, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Ukrainian response. And second, the rise of inflation and the interest-increasing response of central banks.

They have a common theme – the failure of intelligence agencies and economists to take account of some fairly constant human behaviour.

It’s a gas. Bluff called on gaming

The bluffs of two of the most powerful industries in Australia have been called – one each by each side of politics. Federal Labor has taken on the fossils of the fossil-fuel industry and the NSW Liberals have taken on the gaming industry.

It is a significant power shift.

Corrosive, centralised elitist power

Have you noticed the change in the way federal government policy is announced? When Scott Morrison was Prime Minister, he appeared with the relevant Minister at almost all policy announcements and usually dominated the media conference.

Now Anthony Albanese is Prime Minister, very often the Minister appears alone at the policy announcement. Several Minister stand out: Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Energy Minister Chris Bowen, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, and a couple of others.

What of those who pay for their ‘voice’ to Parliament?

A miserable lot: the Nationals announce opposition to the Voice

The National Party’s hypocritical and evidence-lacking decision to oppose the Voice to Parliament exemplifies the political dilemma the Liberal Party has faced since 2007.

Does it side with the Nationals at the behest of its right-wing and at the cost of further alienating urban progressive voters, or does it ignore the Nationals and the right and adopt policies for the sensible centre?

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