Address by Hon PJ Keating Australian War Memorial Canberra 11 November 2013 Nine months from now, one hundred years ago, the horror of all ages came together to open the curtain on mankind’s greatest century of violence – the twentieth century. What distinguished the First World War from all wars before it was the massive […]
Prominent writer and ethicist Leslie Cannold has resigned from her position as a WikiLeaks Senate candidate, citing concerns about the party’s decisions relating to preferences and other matters. Her resignation letter is here.
With the speed and ease of tooth-pulling, the Attorney-General’s Department continues to reveal information about its pursuit of a data retention régime. Late today it provided a summation of industry views on a régime from its consultations with telecommunications and internet service providers in 2009. The information was provided as part of an answer to […]
In a significant admission, the Attorney-General’s Department has corrected its evidence to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to reveal two provisions for a data retention régime were drafted at the Department’s request. As Crikey reported in May, Greens senator Scott Ludlam asked the Department at Estimates to provide details of its consultation with industry […]
The revelations over the last 48 hours of the near-complete extent of the Obama Administration’s surveillance of US citizens via phone records and internet traffic prompted a response from the amusingly named James R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence. Accusing The Guardian of “omitting” key information — though he doesn’t say what — Clapper makes […]
The finance industry regulator admits that its new internet blocking campaign has caused some collateral damage.
Tonight, I want to directly address you, the Australian people. While it’s easy, and understandable, that you should be pessimistic about this government, everyone should be optimistic about our country. Our health researchers have saved hundreds of millions of lives through breakthroughs in everything from infectious diseases to cancer vaccines to ulcer treatments. Our military […]
A speech I delivered this week in Hobart at the invitation of CEO Tasmania on the economy and the forthcoming election. Thanks for the invitation this evening. Tonight I thought I’d talk about the coming federal election, and of course it may come sooner than previously expected, through the prism of policy, by looking at […]
There’s been a lot of hype this week from News Ltd and the Coalition about the purported threat to a free press from Stephen Conroy’s plan to require the print and online media’s self-regulatory bodies to show they can self-regulate. Conroy has been compared to the vilest dictators in history for this outrage. Well, if […]
This week I found myself the target of some vituperation from anti-fluoride, erm, “campaigners” after my attention was drawn to an appalling picture of Tanya Plibersek posted to the Facebook page of South Australian independent Legislative Councillor Ann Bressington. I contacted Bressington asking why a commenter’s suggestion that the Health Minister be “lynched” was allowed […]
