A clean, technology driven dystopia. A representation of our techno future. These were the introductory descriptions to a piece by science fiction author William Gibson on Singapore for Wired in 1993. “Imagine an Asian version of Zurich operating as an offshore capsule at the foot of Malaysia; an affluent microcosm whose citizens inhabit something that…
By 2353NM It’s all very well for us to say how much we deplore the arrogance of our Prime Minister, but as Aussies who live under his ‘rule’ we can’t avoid the awkward fact that those who live elsewhere may see us as tarred with the same brush! How easy would it be for them…
‘McLachlan said he was frustrated that despite being “100 per cent acquitted” and “an innocent man”, he was not believed. He added that he hadn’t worked for three years because he had been cruelly targeted. “The crucifixion was so brutal,” he said. “In this post-Weinstein hashtag #MeToo world, I can’t win,” he said in the…
Two photographs taken by Alex Ellinghausen last week pretty much sum up Liberal Member for Goldstein, Tim Wilson. The first shows Tim joining the Parliamentary Friends of Running (yes, there is such a thing) and the Indigenous Marathon Foundation members as they head off together on a four-kilometre jog to promote active lifestyles in Indigenous…
The recent Budget announcements are a mixed bag for Aged Care. They represent a step in the right direction; but much is still left to be done. Specifically, the Budget outlines an extra $17.7 billion over five years in new funding; but with an upwards trajectory. This is intended to provide an additional 80,000 home care packages over two…
By Andrew Friedman and Khaled Elomar It would be hard to think of a more painful way to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the lead up to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot than the senseless clashes that have battered the holy city of Jerusalem, and especially the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif,…
Before I even begin to comment on this year’s budget, I must point out that I am not an economist. In reality, I have no training in finance whatsoever. I have read that this is an economics by assumptions budget. Or an internal one. I have, however, picked up over many years of more than…
With the babble about Cold War paranoia becoming a routine matter in Canberra, the treacherous ground for war with China is being bedded down and readied. The Yellow Peril image never truly dissipated from Australia’s politics. It was crucial in framing the first act of the newly born Commonwealth in 1901: The Immigration Restriction Act.…
Scott Morrison’s 2019 election campaign speech: “To run a stronger economy requires a government that knows how to manage money. If you can’t manage money, you can’t run the country. Have you ever noticed this? How those who can’t manage money always end up spending more of it, and never spend it well? What they…
By Mark Thompson While the rate will be raised, the Morrison government has promised to be tougher on those who need welfare in order to survive. In handing down the Federal Budget, the government offered welfare recipients both the carrot and the stick. In the same breath where they promised an increase to JobSeeker (by…