What’s notable about the ABC’s communications department (headed by Nick Leys and Sally Jackson) is that it does not do much in the way of communicating. This has been a constant complaint of The Australian’s media writer Sophie Elsworth among others (myself included) who have found it difficult to obtain information from the taxpayer-funded public [...]
German sociologist Max Weber once described democratic politics as slow boring of hard boards. Even so, some significant changes can be achieved within a decade or so – as Katharine Birbalsingh has demonstrated. In 2011, the Sydney Institute invited the British educationalist and author to Australia. That year Birbalsingh had written the best-selling novel To [...]
Robert Menzies, who founded the Liberal Party of Australia in late 1944, was born in 1894. He retired from politics in January 1966, having been prime minister since December 1949. Menzies also was prime minister between April 1939 and August 1941 as the leader of the governing United Australia Party (whose name was appropriated in [...]
Until early this week there was substantial support in the Australian community for the view that Anthony Albanese and his Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong had performed very well in the area of foreign affairs. Australia has not made any concessions with respect to China and the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, while trying [...]
As the saying goes, it’s invariably unwise to make predictions – especially about the future. Today the Liberal Party, but not its Coalition colleague the Nationals, is in a dreadful shape. But the same was true of the Liberals under Robert Menzies’ leadership, following the loss to the Ben Chifley-led Labor Party at the 1946 [...]
Most successful journalists are aware types. Not all, alas, are into self-awareness. Last Saturday, ABC television investigative reporter Louise Milligan (who currently works on Four Corners) was interviewed by Jamila Rizvi for The Briefing news podcast. It was a soft discussion of the kind to be expected when one journalist interviews another about journalism. But [...]
On Wednesday night I received this email from a trade unionist friend: “I assume you know by now that you got a mention in Sally McManus’s National Press Club address today. You don’t get blamed for everything, just for starting it all.” As it turned out, I didn’t watch the ACTU secretary’s talk to the [...]
Graham Norton, the Irish writer and comedian who is best known for his BBC talk show, is conflicted. As an entertainer, he is conscious of the fact unanimity is invariably boring. However, all his guests come from the arts, of whom 90 per cent are left wing – while the British public broadcaster is supposed [...]
The British Empire is long gone. However, watching the procession of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall late on Wednesday, it was evident that the United Kingdom can still put on a fine military parade. The occasion served as a reminder of what English critic George Orwell wrote in the New [...]
It is sometimes said that being opposition leader is the toughest political job in Australia. Sure, the person who holds this position does not have to make difficult decisions that befall prime ministers. But the likes of Anthony Albanese have highs whereas the likes of Peter Dutton are primarily involved in managing their parties and convincing [...]