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Peter Costello’s retirement
Broelman’s cartoon today on Peter Costello’s retirement was a ripper. Poor Peter has stood in John Howard’s shadow for so long he hasn’t needed sunglasses since 1998. There was a similar cartoon in The Australian yesterday. It showed Peter standing variously next to Alexander Downer, Howard and Brendan Nelson with the words “tick tick tick” in... »
Federal Budget
I covered my first Federal Budget as a reporter tonight. Other papers I’ve worked at always had press deadlines that were too early. My coverage was still limited by time however, also isolation. Major newspapers are able to send reporters to Canberra where they go into a “lockup” at 4pm. That gives them restricted access to the... »
Influence rather than conflict
Maybe I’m naive, but I don’t believe politics has to involve confrontation, opposition and conflict as it does under the two-party system. Despite the spin which is already being trotted out, the Queensland election result delivers the people’s verdict on the merger of the National and Liberal parties. They didn’t want it. Politicians wanted it because... »
Sir Thomas Playford
Reading Stewart Cockburn’s biography of Sir Thomas Playford dispelled a couple of myths. I falsely believed that Playford created the gerrymander which helped keep him in power for a Commonwealth record 26 years, and that he was responsible for merging the conservatives with the Country Party. Both of these circumstances occurred shortly before Playford began his... »
Mike Rann tweets
I’m impressed the South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, is an active twitterer. He posts news, personal information and opinions several times a day. I’m one of his 1552 followers (and counting) and find his posts interesting. He makes most of them by text message. Here is a recent sample: “I hope other states will follow our ban... »
Sir Henry Parkes
I had a schoolboy’s understanding of Sir Henry Parkes before reading his biography by Robert Travers. He’s known as the “Father of Federation” but perhaps is better remembered as a master politician and orator. His great achievements were free public education for all and reforming the colony’s governance to make it more democratic. Perhaps his greatest failures... »
Turnbull’s ‘courageous’ politics
Every time a politician does something stupid I’m reminded of the Yes Minister episode in which Sir Humphrey advises Jim Hacker the proposed course of action would be courageous. Translated from bureaucratic language that means political death. It’s very hard to fathom why Malcolm Turnbull wants to delay millions of Australians receiving a timely handout from... »
Peter Costello’s memoirs
The cartoon by Peter Broelman in today’s Border Watch says it all. »
The Victorian abortion debate
The Victorian Parliament is currently debating a bill to legalise abortion in that state. It is technically illegal now, I believe, but has been allowed for many years through a Supreme Court ruling. There are some sensitive politicians in Victoria, it seems, and some journalists at The Age who struggle to understand English. The headline... »
WA election result
Western Australia voted last weekend and the result is still unknown. I’ve avoided commenting until now, even though I have much to say. I voted for Tony Crook (Nationals) in Kalgoorlie. He lost on preferences, but the state Nationals are almost certain to hold the balance of power and decide the next government. I have no... »