Category: Australia
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President Xi, world leader
Psst! China’s President Xi just became the leader of the world If you had been reading the mainstream press in Australia or listening to the radio or watching television, you may be excused for missing the story that China’s President Xi Jinping has just been elevated to world leadership. By a unanimous vote, the 2,200 delegates…
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Beware imposed referendums
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…
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US at the crossroads
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?…
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The road to ignominy
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…
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Riveting book on Australia and China
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…
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Trump spells the end of the American era
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…
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Kay Lanceley’s 80th
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…
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Cooking the books
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…
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American carpetbaggers in Oz
A conga-line of visiting US militarists simply confirms Australia’s client status … The ABC is no longer “Our ABC” … Trump declares Qatar is a Terror Central … Would Hillary Clinton stop making up excuses … Trump is the real issue … US publicity-seeker unleashed Another week and yet another Washington cold warrior has been…