Judging from what I’ve read, it seems I am more open than most in thinking there is a credible possibility that the Prime Minister might call an early double dissolution election – assuming the political environment at the time suits it (and assuming he gets a trigger).  A chance to strengthen their Lower House majority [...]

The Queensland government has tried their best for a quite a few years to ignore the calls to change the state’s laws on abortion. However, whatever your views are on abortion, the issue in Queensland can no longer be avoided by the Queensland Parliament. The situation for individual women seeking an abortion and for doctors [...]

A public and political outcry in November last year, regarding a Doctor being  denied Australian permanent residency because his son had Down Syndrome, led to the Immigration Minister, Chris Evans, announcing a Parliamentary inquiry into the health requirements in the Migration Act. Nearly six months later, on May 15 this year, the terms of reference [...]

In amongst the current epidemic of articles about swine flu, some have been examining the likely role of factory farming in generating harmful strains of flu virus. This article on New Scientist’s site – “Is Swine Flu a bioterrorist virus?” – is another example.  Having used the headline to pique your interest, the writer waves [...]

April 2 is Close the Gap Day – an annual reminder of the commitment to eliminate the massive difference in average life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. A sign of the initial success of this campaign is the growing number of governments and political leaders who have signed on to it, making a public [...]

I in no way cast aspersions on the genuineness of Family First Senator Steve Fielding’s concern about alcohol abuse. But he certainly has a very strange idea of what constitutes a good outcome when it comes to reducing it.  His vote in the Senate resulted directly in alcoholic soda pops being made substantially cheaper, while [...]