August 9, 2009 – 10:50 pm
In some ways, the many people who feel environmental issues should get far greater political and media attention should enjoy this coming week in federal Parliament. Climate change, including the debate on legislative measures specifically aimed at ensuring a reduction in greenhouse emissions, is likely to be front and centre this week. (Of course, climate [...]
That Tony Abbott certainly is a curious chap. I usually have some respect for people who are generally willing to say what they think, even when I disagree with them. Yesterday, he was reported calling for the age pension age to be lifted to 70, rather than the government’s current plan to lift it just to [...]
If you are only going to read one thing about how Australia’s federal Parliament works – and more importantly how it doesn’t work – read this fabulous piece by the long-standing Clerk of the Senate, Harry Evans.
Among many things, he highlights the fact that the supposed ‘Westminster system’ we are repeatedly told Australia has, is [...]
I had an article published in the main Crikey e-newsletter today, outlining some of the trends, facts and government responses to the well over 40 million refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced and stateless people around the world.
It seems likely the issue of asylum seeker boat arrivals will once again be moving closer to the political [...]
I don’t dispute that there are some interesting twists and turns in the utegate/fake email saga. But it always infuriates me that politicians and political commentators will devote endless hours to such things, thus excluding any real examination being given to issues, policies and legislation that directly effect peoples’ lives.
There has been some small attention [...]
The Senate is moving into its final sitting week until mid-August. As is usually the case, the government has a large pile of legislation it is insisting absolutely must be dealt by the end of the week. As is also often the case, this includes one highly contentious piece of legislation – the Carbon Pollution [...]
This comment by Climate Change Minister Penny Wong is a clear and simple example of why the views of the major parties and most environment groups are so far apart on how best to respond to the threat of climate change.
Commenting on the National Climate Emergency Rallies held around Australia over the weekend, Senator Wong [...]
It looks like another case of proper policy losing out to the politics of perception and positioning is unfolding, with the Coalition set to oppose legislation that will scrap the iniquitous, inefficient and counter-productive system of charging people for the cost of putting them in immigration detention.
The injustices of this system have been raised in [...]
I recently got the chance to have a look around the new Museum of Australian Democracy, which is at Old Parliament House in Canberra. The Museum uses a lot of new technology and designs in an attempt to make the experience more engaging for people, including children.
The Museum complements the building it’s housed in, with many [...]
One of the things you hear often in political circles is a proposal being acknowledged as a good policy, followed immediately by an assertion that it couldn’t be done because the public wouldn’t wear it.
Broken election commitments are a variation on this, where governments rule out any intention to do something unpopular or controversial, but [...]
