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Political Comment
Political Comment
State of destruction
David Lowe - 9
Tasmanians go to the polls next weekend, in an early election brought on by Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockcliff, whose party has fractured during its ten years in office but is currently warning voters not to elect a Labor minority government, which he's been calling a 'Coalition of Chaos'.
Political Comment
The case for natural parks
Between One Mile Beach and Big Rocky Island, just south of Nelson Bay, lies the stunning Samurai Beach, a part of the Tomaree National Park.
Political Comment
What’s so controversial about vehicle efficiency?
David Lowe - 13
Thanks to years of political inaction, Australia is one of the few countries in the world not to have a New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. The European Union, New Zealand and China have one. Even the United States has a standard, which means new cars in Australia use 20 per cent more fuel and create 20 per cent more pollution than their American counterparts. With the Albanese Government about to introduce legislation to correct this situation, the Coalition is busily dusting off the 'war on utes/the weekend' rhetoric.
Political Comment
Spies like them
David Lowe - 50
The Dunkley by-election is done and dusted, with Advance's fear campaign failing to fire, and Labor's primary vote actually increasing. The swing to the Liberals on preferences came from right wing voters not having anyone crazier to vote for this time, with UAP and One Nation out of the race. Meanwhile another question continues to be raised; which Australian politician was secretly working for a hostile foreign power, and when?
Political Comment
Hijacking feminism, harming women
Surely the success of feminist activism is one of the most positive stories of our times. Just think of the limited options of our mothers, compared to young women today.
Political Comment
Doing it for Dunkley
David Lowe - 28
The eyes of Australia turn this week to the electorate of Dunkley in Victoria, historically the site of the Frankston riot and just down the road from where Harold Holt disappeared. Now it's the location of an all important federal by-election.
Political Comment
Last chance for Julian Assange?
David Lowe - 2
This week the Australian journalist Julian Assange will find out whether he will be extradited from the United Kingdom to the USA, where he faces 175 years in solitary confinement for his role in revealing the truth about war crimes and the inner workings of empire, or conducting 'espionage', as America calls it.
Political Comment
Frogs, fertility, toads and drugs
My mother inculcated me with a love of science, which somehow survived a run of sadistic chemistry teachers who staggeringly discouraged creative experiments in the lab. Like making LSD, and smallish explosive devices.
Political Comment
Raging against renewables in Canberra
David Lowe - 31
Parliament returned to Canberra last week to be greeted by the Rally Against Reckless Renewables on the front lawn; a protest against net zero policies, wind turbines, the United Nations, COVID vaccinations, China and chemtrails, amongst other things.
Political Comment
Stereotypes and labels are so 2023
As the first ever female Young Liberal State President, I drew gasps from the Liberal Women’s Council by telling them I was a ‘feminist’.
Political Comment
The price of political influence
David Lowe - 7
Despite promises of reform when the Albanese Government was elected, Australia’s political donation laws remain unchanged, which is why it took until last week to find out who was donating in the last financial year, via the AEC's Transparency Register.
Political Comment
Tassie salmon under the microscope
If you, like me, eat salmon, perhaps it’s time for us to finally face facts. In the words of celebrated Tasmanian writer Richard Flanagan, we’re eating horror, and we’re dining on destruction.
Political Comment
Without a legacy to stand on?
David Lowe - 11
In what's been a busy week in Australian federal politics, ScoMo finally announced he would be leaving the parliamentary building, just as Albo undid one of his predecessor's signature policies (or land mines) by reworking the Stage 3 tax cuts, creating hysteria among Liberals and the mainstream media, and some relief for those Australians earning less than $200,000 a year.
Political Comment
Expensive card habits versus cash
How many of us use our cards routinely to buy just about everything, while barely giving it a thought? Once we were seduced by being offered frequent flyer points and receiving rewards for our customer loyalty.
Political Comment
Beetaloo Basin or bust
David Lowe - 17
The Albanese Government is currently considering whether billions of extra taxpayers' dollars should go to prop up the Middle Arm gas hub in the Northern Territory, which will facilitate the fracking of the Beetaloo Basin shale gas reserve, one of the world's great carbon bombs.
Political Comment
As if Chris Minns wrote it
This is Chris Minns here, Premier and top dog for all of NSW. I have been reading some criticisms of the government I lead in your ever-popular and most influential newspaper, so I am writing to set the record straight.
Political Comment
Make Australia America Again
David Lowe - 88
Peter Dutton's ongoing quest to bring the worst elements of American politics to Australia reached a new low this week with his social media post urging Woolworths to stop 'peddling woke agendas'. This was in response to the supermarket giant saying it would no longer be selling Australia Day merchandise, along with Kmart and Aldi, due to declining sales.
Political Comment
Seeing the forest and the trees
David Lowe - 3
The chainsaws were finally ordered to stop in what remains of the native forests in Western Australia and eastern Victoria on New Year's Day, throwing into sharp relief the absence of any similar policy in NSW or federally, despite unambiguous economic and scientific arguments.
Political Comment
Trashing Westminster traditions
As an eager Young Liberal in the 1980s, I was schooled by a generation of older Australians whose values were forged during World War II.
Political Comment
Big parties freezing out the independents?
David Lowe - 38
Electoral reform sounds boring, which is probably why the government hoped to squeeze a substantial change to the way Australian politics works in amongst some positive-sounding modifications late last year, without too many people noticing. After independents raised the alarm, this legislation was delayed, and is now likely to be presented in the new year.
Political Comment
Who is Steven Miles?
David Lowe - 7
Queensland's new premier Steven Miles has arrived in the big chair at a dramatic time. One week into the job, he's already faced one of the worst natural disasters in the state's history, and taken on the fossil fuel industry. The bloke clearly doesn't lack guts, or ambition.
Political Comment
Where have all the Christmas beetles gone?
Do you remember when we were inundated with Christmas beetles at this time of year? What happened to them, and can we revive the Christmas beetle spirit?
Political Comment
Dutton takes the nuclear option
David Lowe - 9
The Coalition has produced a policy! Don't get too excited – this policy is recycled, and not in a good way – in fact it's radioactive. Like Robert Menzies, John Howard and Tony Abbott before him, Peter Dutton wants to legalise nuclear electricity generation in Australia.
Political Comment
Dance, sing and play more in 2024
As a fierce sun finally fades, hundreds of people dance in the darkness, stars swirling above. This is not the Burning Man festival but an outdoor end of year school concert in Byron Bay last week.
Political Comment
Pat Dodson hangs up his hat
David Lowe - 15
As a torrid year in Australian politics draws to a close, it's a good time to look back at the life and career of the man known as the father of reconciliation, who recently announced he's permanently departing the federal arena.
Political Comment
The test of sisterhood
In 2003, when I introduced myself as an MP with my maiden speech in parliament, I articulated my centralist, small ‘l’ liberal principles. I argued that values are not something to be on display in the morning and forgotten in the afternoon.
Political Comment
Labor’s hypocrisy on climate undimmed
David Lowe - 47
Last week the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, delivered the Albanese Government's second annual Climate Change Statement, claiming major progress in emissions reduction while the numbers continue to scream that the opposite is true.
Political Comment
Erring on the side of kindness
There is one thing we can all do in these wretched times of powerlessness and overwhelming sorrow. Give.
Political Comment
Hope for whistleblowers?
David Lowe - 1
It's been a strange time recently for whistleblowers, and those who value their contribution to Australian society.
Political Comment
Will Albo go to an early election?
Will Albo go to an early election? Anthony Albanese has been ‘hoist by his own petard’, meaning he is about to be blown up by the [political] explosives that he planted.
Political Comment
Teals show their strength
David Lowe - 55
In a week when the major parties raced to the bottom in reaction to the High Court's decision on indefinite detention, the teals in Canberra showed another way of doing politics, on issues including lobbying, forests and truth in political advertising.
Political Comment
Farewell to the drover’s dog
David Lowe - 3
Labor recently said goodbye to one of its heroes, Bill Hayden, sometimes referred to as the greatest prime minister Australia never had. He was pushed aside as party leader by Bob Hawke in 1983. Soon after, Hawke was elected to replace Malcolm Fraser as PM. As Hayden memorably put it in a moment of bitterness, 'a drover's dog' could have led Labor to victory at that time, but in the end it was a silver bodgie who took the prize.
Political Comment
The endless idiocy of Tony Abbott
David Lowe - 62
For a bloke on a very large pension, former Prime Minister the not-so-honourable Tony Abbott is working very hard for the Institute of Public Affairs these days. His latest IPA speech in London was outrageously stupid, playing down the climate crisis even as his own country burns and the international numbers confirm the situation is more dire than ever.
Political Comment
All the way where with the USA?
David Lowe - 12
Anthony Albanese missed out on the B-52s, but he did talk to lots of people about nuclear submarines on his latest trip to the USA. He also made announcements about cybersecurity, minerals and technology sharing.
Political Comment
Healing in a post-truth world
A great sorrow is upon our land. The week of silence after rejection of the Voice is now over, but the grieving doesn’t end there.
Political Comment
What about whistleblowers?
David Lowe - 2
Professor Peter Greste and Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen made a strong case for protecting truth tellers in their joint appearance at the National Press Club last week.
Political Comment
From devastation comes determination
I was one of the 60,000 ‘Yes’ volunteers who set up stalls, handed out leaflets, and helped the campaign create a local presence and profile.
Byron Echo
Pam’s chemical-free farming passion
Third-generation farmer Pam Morrow has been growing her own organic food for over 20 years. Her passion for farming without the use of chemicals...
National News
Many rental homes barely habitable due to heat
Rental homes had an average indoor temperature of 25°C and experienced two hours a day over 30°C according to a new report, 'Cruel Summers', from tenant advocacy organisation Better Renting.
Byron Echo
Stone and Wood’s new NRB beer
Stone and Wood have launched a new beer: Northern Rivers Beer (NRB). At a warm, and pretty laidback, night at the Billinudgel Hotel earlier...
Byron Echo
The Drongo: even more of them around these days
The team at Spangled Drongo Brewing officially fired up their brewhouse in June last year, but you may have heard their name prior to...