Category: Australia
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Roger Corbett puts foot in mouth and breaches Reserve Bank protocol
Fairfax Media chairman Roger Corbett has breached Reserve Bank Board protocol by publicly commenting on party politics, attacking Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and supporting Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. His widely-reported comments created a storm of comment in today’s mainstream media with Mr Rudd saying: “It’s a free country, anyone can what they like.” Up to…
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Murdoch: serial ballot box thief
The question is asked frequently: how much influence does the Murdoch press have on public opinion? Because no accurate statistical research exists, there is no clear answer. The question usually arises in elections whether in Australia, Britain or the US. The Murdoch media goes into over-drive in support of one particular leader and starts to…
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Murdoch’s war on Labor voters
For Australian voters, the September 7 election comes down to this: “Do you want Kevin Rudd to be in charge of the country or Rupert Murdoch?” That’s the election take of a friend of mine. He, like everybody else, is appalled by the conduct of Murdoch’s vile rags – the Sydney Daily Telegraph, Brisbane Courier-Mail,…
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Dr “Ziggy” Switkowski: nuclear power apologist
In the latest news bulletins from Tokyo, contaminated groundwater from the devastated Fukushima nuclear power plant is freely leaking into the Pacific Ocean. The horrendous consequences of the earthquake/tsunami which destroyed the plant in 2011 are mounting with every passing day. Would someone please inform Australia’s leading nuclear energy apologist, “Ziggy” Switkowski? But let’s go…
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Obeid’s gopher heads to Senate
It’s all over bar the shouting – former Eddie Obeid gopher, Sam Dastyari, will be the next ALP senator from NSW. Dastyari, current general secretary of the NSW Labor Party, used to work as a researcher in Obeid’s 10th floor office in the NSW Parliament. As a 24-year-old Young Labor operative he joined Obeid’s staff…
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The political corruption of a Senator’s selection
As widely predicted by Sam Dastyari, general secretary of the NSW Labor Party, the “pea” to take Matt Thistlethwaite’s vacancy in the Senate is going to …. Sam Dastyari. Thistlethwaite has resigned from the Senate to contest Kingsford-Smith in south Sydney which is being vacated by former Education Minister and Julia Gillard supporter Peter Garrett.…
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Faction bosses decide Labor candidates
Labor’s newest faction, the pro-American Ruddites, is claiming the mantle of party reformers. But an investigation of the pre-selection in critical seats previously held by Cabinet ministers (and the prime minister) show that powerful factions remain in charge. Trade Minister Craig Emerson (Rankin), Climate Change Minister Greg Combet (Charlton), Education Minister Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith),…
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Art Lovers the book
My book Art Lovers has just arrived from the printers, and it looks terrific! It’s the 60-year history of the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales – six decades of social and cultural change. I’ve loved working on it. It will be launched by the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir AC, during a…
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Rudd’s party reform: the real agenda
When the Federal Parliamentary Labor Caucus meets in Canberra on Monday, July 22, it will be a red letter day in the 120-year history of Australia’s oldest party. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has seized his return to the Prime Ministership and his soaring popularity to insist on a dramatic reform of the Labor Party. He…
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Why is Kevin Rudd selling his mansion in Yarralumla?
If a millionaire politician puts his home on the market in Canberra, it’s not much of a story. When it’s Kevin Rudd, that’s another matter. Kevin Rudd’s mansion in Yarralumla is up for sale, prompting more speculation that he hopes to return to his former Canberra home, The Lodge, the official residence of the prime…