27.1 C
Byron Shire
March 19, 2024
Home Articles & Columns Political Comment

Political Comment

State of destruction

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'.

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. 

What’s so controversial about vehicle efficiency?

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.

Spies like them

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?

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. 

Doing it for Dunkley

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.

Last chance for Julian Assange?

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.

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. 

Raging against renewables in Canberra

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.

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’.

The price of political influence

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.

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. 

Without a legacy to stand on?

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.

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.

Beetaloo Basin or bust

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.

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.

Make Australia America Again

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.

Seeing the forest and the trees

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.

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.

Big parties freezing out the independents?

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.

Who is Steven Miles?

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.

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?

Dutton takes the nuclear option

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.

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. 

Pat Dodson hangs up his hat

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.

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. 

Labor’s hypocrisy on climate undimmed

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.

Erring on the side of kindness

There is one thing we can all do in these wretched times of powerlessness and overwhelming sorrow. Give. 

Hope for whistleblowers?

It's been a strange time recently for whistleblowers, and those who value their contribution to Australian society.

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. 

Teals show their strength

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.

Farewell to the drover’s dog

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.

The endless idiocy of Tony Abbott

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.

All the way where with the USA?

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.

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.

What about whistleblowers?

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.

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. 

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...

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.

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...

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...