Our Constitution is the: “Commonwealth of Australia founding document. After many years of debate and drafting, it was passed by the British Parliament and given royal assent (approval by the Queen) in July 1900. Australia’s 6 British colonies became one nation on 1 January 1901.” Australians are sticklers for tradition when it comes to our…
By Denis Bright Will we all continue to live with those dark AUKUS nuclear submarines? The Christmas edition of The Australian (24-25 December 2022) released a quote from the head of Australia’s nuclear task force Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead. It described the AUKUS submarines as the gold standard of our new security blanket. Spies worldwide…
Another needless, fatuous endeavour; another irresponsible drain on the public purse; another expression that the military-industrial complex Down Under is thriving in all its insidious stupidity. But Australia’s purchase of HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) batteries from the United States can be put down to loneliness – or the feeling of being left out.…
“It’s a sad story and it wasn’t of much interest to me.” George Pell on the abuse of children by Gerald Risdale. When John Howard was asked about the detention of David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay without charges for over five years, he expressed the view that the presumption of innocence doesn’t matter because “we…
Some people sincerely believe that we don’t need the position of president and that the Prime Minister fills the role anyway. As one who worked tirelessly for the Australian Republic Movement during the debate in 1999, I do not concur with that thought. If we are to become a republic with a ceremonial head of…
One of the things that’s always interested me is how people can sometimes use a perfectly reasonable line of argument and then suddenly leap to: “And therefore, you must agree with me on the next fifty points because otherwise you’re just not being reasonable!” For example, I remember reading a book put out by a…
Business Wire Media Release 50% of the world’s population is under 30, compared to just 2.6% of parliamentarians globally*. If this ratio were reflected in a year, the views of those under 30 would stop being represented in parliaments around the world after the 9th of January. Today is No Say Day – the last day…
According to conservative political lore, a snowflake is a person with progressive ideas who will melt when confronted with a bit of heat and pressure. The script according to the conservative parties around the world is the ‘snowflakes’ of 20 or 30 years ago gradually become more possessive of the increasing value of property and…
The year 2023 will be a hard slog for the government. Perhaps a momentous one in terms of urgency and necessity. There is no point in prioritising one over the other because they are all critical. It seems incredibly unfair that many in the mainstream media refuse even the slightest praise for a government that…
By Denis Bright Recent problems with Jetstar flight bookings to Bali are the tip of the structural problems of maintaining affordable passenger and sustainable freight movements. In Brisbane, the Eagle Farm rail freight link which once carried bulk fuel from portside refineries to regional centres has been sold off to property developers during a temporary…