Beware politicians who inflict referendums on voters Elected politicians across the world have invented two devices to avoid taking their own decision: they send any controversial subject off to outside consultants, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers…
US at the crossroads: it means we are too Americans, all 323 million of them, are living on the brink of major decisions. Do they make war on North Korea or Iran? Do they overthrow the government in Cuba or Venezuela? Do they declare China and Russia are “enemies of freedom” or keep talking to them?…
This week I travelled to Mullumbimby in the Northern Rivers region of NSW to discuss the future of the media with Chris Graham, publisher and editor of the news-breaking and opinionated website New Matilda. The Politics in the Pub night was organised by Dr Richard Hil and his partner Jennifer who have miraculously gathered an…
President Donald Trump declares war on North Korea and Iran – is he serious? US President Donald Trump delivered his first address to the UN General Assembly in New York this week at its annual session for heads of government. Normally it is an occasion for immense hypocrisy as leader after leader takes centre stage to…
Two Aussie high achievers take low road to ignominy I’ve been having the gravest doubts about two celebrated Australians whom I have previously admired – former High Court judge Michael Kirby and millionaire entrepreneur Dick Smith. In recent months both have been shown in their truer colours and it has been ugly. Kirby has always been a…
Exploring Australia-China history Canberra writer and journalist Rob Macklin has written a highly relevant, timely and utterly riveting book on the intricate relationship between Australia and China. Over the years, I’ve read most of Macklin’s 28 books but this is his best. It’s a cracker. With China established as Australia’s major trading partner, and the Beijing…
Trump presidency spells end of American era President Donald Trump promised at his inauguration seven months ago that he would make “America great again”. Instead, he’s sending it broke. Much of the federal budget debt was inherited from the Democrats who had already approved and allocated colossal spending programmes as part of Hillary Clinton’s election…
American Dream becomes everyone’s nightmare President Donald Trump, his Cabinet, the White House, the Republican Party hierarchy, the Clinton/Obama-led Democratic Party and the mass media are combining to wreck America, the wealthiest and strongest power on earth. Bit-by-bit, day-by-day, blow-by-blow they are taking it down. After just seven months into his four-year presidency, Trump is an…
A stellar crowd of friends gathered at Lucio’s restaurant in Paddington, Sydney, on Saturday 12 August 2017, to welcome Kay Lanceley into the gracious company of octogenarians. She did it in typical style, with much laughter and general gaiety. As very young people might say, the celebration was “awesome”. Kay, widow of the acclaimed artist Colin Lanceley…
NSW Budget becomes the excuse for fake news extravaganza … Item One: “World-class” hospital at Tweed Heads … Item Two: Massive taxpayer grant to NSW Art Gallery … World news in summary: Mrs May embraces Orange Order and Trump’s big dollar gamble. Stop Press: Winter break Cooking the books When I worked fulltime as State…
