Crikey

Professor Biff Bondarchuk writes: Having been asked by joke news website Crikey and its fauxtrarian political typist “Bernard Keane” (note the sad attempt to purloin traditions of authentic Celtic transgressiveness) to cover the alleged Craig Thomson statement to Australia’s alleged parliament, I was ushered into the oddly-named “House of Representatives Press Gallery” today to witness [...]

A push to obtain a pardon for Breaker Morant, the Anglo-Australian war criminal executed during the Boer War, has foundered after Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, on advice from her department, declined to pursue the issue. Morant, who was serving in a South Australian unit under British command, was court-martialled and convicted in 1902 for the murder [...]

Virgin Atlantic, the airline that stopped Australian human rights lawyer Jen Robinson last Thursday and told her she was on an “inhibited list” that required approval from the Australian High Commission to return home, has told Crikey that “security services” were responsible for the incident and directed further questions to the British Home Office. The [...]

The most significant question in tomorrow’s leadership ballot is the margin of Julia Gillard’s expected victory. On that bears whether Kevin Rudd will be the next Prime Minister or a third contender, later in the year. A substantial showing for Kevin Rudd, in the high thirties for example, would leave him as the clear candidate [...]

At last Kevin Rudd – who admittedly has been fairly vocal about the need to get rid of the vile butcher Bashar Al-Assad — has issued a statement about the overnight failure of the Security Council (after China and Russia blocked action) and Assad’s mass murder in Homs.   MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Hon. [...]