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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
