Come the Revolution – Alex Mitchell
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Gillard’s speech secures her place in history
By Alex Mitchell Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s speech in the House of Representatives on October 9 was one of the finest pieces of parliamentary oratory you are ever likely to hear. It was bold, stirring, direct and compelling. I urge you to find it on the web and listen to it in full. The last…
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Shameful episode of Four Corners
ABC TV’s flagship current affairs programme, Four Corners, has done serious damage to its professional reputation by screening “The Battle for Syria” under its colours. It was an imported programme so no one on the staff of the ABC bears any ethical responsibility. But the question remains – who bought it in and decided to…
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The problem with austerity
Austerity doesn’t work – it’s official. An American bankers’ think tank, the Institute of International Finance, has just come out with a report which concludes the bleeding obvious: that the all-out pursuit of debt reduction at the expense of economic stimulus has made the Greek situation worse. The Institute’s chairman Charles Dallara, who worked for…
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French protestors in the streets
IT’S begun in France now. After last week’s massive demonstrations in Greece and Spain, on Sunday thousands took to the streets of Paris in opposition to the austerity package introduced on Friday by President François Hollande’s Socialist Party government. Having called for austerity to be imposed on the economically troubled countries of southern Europe, Hollande…
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The Parrot “mans up”
2GB shock jock Alan Jones has apologised to Prime Minister Julia Gillard for saying her father died of shame because of her repeated lies. “Every person in the caucus of the Labor Party knows that Julia Gillard is a liar,” Jones said. “The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame. To think…
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The ugliness of the anti-Islam crusade
The worldwide revulsion at the anti-Islam film, The Innocence of Muslims, has been coupled, in many Western countries, with the caveat: “But in the interests of free speech we defend the right of the film to be shown.” The film is a vile attack on the fastest growing religion in the world and its 1.6…
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Back in Australia
After three months and four countries, we’re back home in the Tweed Valley in Australia – such a beautiful place to come back to. Our trip was one we’d waited a long time for, and it was memorable. Each day brought a discovery. We feel we’ve reconnected with the life of Europe, renewed some of…
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A discovery in Bangkok
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, opened only four years ago by the municipal authorities, is a spacious modern nine-storey Guggenheim-style building. Its aims are to exhibit contemporary art, provide a meeting place for artists and hold community cultural events. When so many of Asia’s great galleries still appear to have little connection with their…
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Reunion with the Tiger Man
In 1956 when I was 14 years old I spent my school holidays with my widowed Aunt Ethel (Smith) and my two cousins, Peggy and Peter, at Sarina, a small sugar town just south of Mackay in North Queensland. It’s on the map these days because its association with rugby league, producing such stars as…
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From Europe to Asia
If confirmation were needed that this is the Asian century, a flight from crisis-ridden Athens to dynamic Bangkok would surely provide it. Thailand undoubtedly has its problems, with political conflict and natural disasters following in quick succession in recent years. But in the 20 years since I was here last it has boomed, with a…
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