Can do canal - should Colin Barnett blame Campbell Newman? - posted by Graham

I've been wondering about Colin Barnett's canal. Could it be that he elevated the idea from Campbell Newman's campaign for Lord Mayor of Brisbane. Afterall, the last time anyone beat Labor anywhere significant apart from Canberra, was the Brisbane City... More

A perfect score - posted by Graham

World, when are you going to start paying attention to the On Line Opinion election coverage? Name me one commentator(s) who's correctly called the general result of all elections they've covered since 2001? Can't? Well look no further than the... More

We are family - posted by Graham

An interview on ABC radio this morning said it all (no audio that I can find, so no link) - we all belong to families, apparently. Minister responsible for Family Impact Statements, Kay Patterson, was asked to define exactly what... More

Charles finally makes one right decision, now for the really big one! - posted by Jeff Wall

IT is surely appropriate that Charles, Prince of Wales, and Mrs Camilla Parker-Bowles, are to be married in what is effectively the local registry office. His performance as Prince of Wales, and heir to the throne has been pedestrian, and... More

Bolt Blooper on Greenhouse - posted by Graham

People in greenhouses shouldn't throw stones - if you're going to criticise it helps to get your facts right. Which is a problem for Andrew Bolt. In this piece on Global Warming Bolt analyses ten things The Age claims should... More

Lawrence get your shotgun? - posted by Graham

Budding match-maker Lawrence Springborg has been trying to force a shot-gun wedding on his shy bride, the Queensland Libs. I had always assumed he was the groom, or at least had an enduring power of attorney on the groom's behalf.... More

What's the right amount of CO2 in the atmosphere? - posted by Graham

Today the Kyoto protocol comes into effect. As a result the media has been deluged with a tsunami of pro and anti-Kyoto voices, but I have yet to hear anyone ask, or answer, the most pertinent issue of all: What... More

Charles and Camilla - substance over form - posted by Graham

Valentine's Day made me think about Charles and "the Rotweiller", as Camilla was apparently nicknamed by Diana, Princess of Wales. "So, how did you define love?" my beloved asked, as we were sitting on my not-at-all-royal balcony. "I didn't," I... More

I am one of Wayne Sawyer's 'failures' - posted by Graham

Associate Professor of English Wayne Sawyer appears to believe that English teachers have failed because some of their students voted for this Liberal government. If that is the case, then I must be one of the most spectacular illustrations of... More

Another use for the 'Invisible Hand' - posted by Graham

It might not be quite what he was intending to say, but Keith Suter appears to have found another use for Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand". The invisible hand is Smith's description of the phenomenon where, by pursuing self-interest, individuals actually... More

Curse of Crikey - Libs move on Queensland expulsions - posted by Graham

The Queensland Liberal Party has scanned the horizon, decided there are no elections in prospect for a year or two, and now they are moving on their long awaited expulsions. Well, at least one of them. This evening Margaret Krause... More

Difference between degree and direction - posted by Graham

In this postmodern world one human being's lie is another's truth. Knew it wouldn't take some blow-hard long to claim that John Howard promised in the last election that interest rates would not rise under him. Of course, the claim... More

Sentencing and due process - posted by Graham

They say that you should never forgive, and never forget. Ken Jarrett and Robert Lacey might be forgiven for adhering to that litany, and adding another of their own - never confess. Who are Ken Jarrett and Robert Lacey? They... More

Lessons from the tsunami: a global intelligence test - posted by Ronda Jambe

The waters have receded, and the long term work of rebuilding lives and towns is underway. The willingness of the world to help in a sustained and unselfish way is a test of our common humanity. But the tsunami is... More

Crikey, Beecher leaves us out in the surf alone - posted by Graham

Eric Beecher, publisher of The Reader has skinned Stephen Mayne, publisher of www.crikey.com.au by buying effective control of the zine for $200,000 paid in instalments over the course of 2005. This would appear to bring to an end one of... More

'Rotten Romans' could teach ALP, and all of us, some lessons - posted by Graham

My older daughter, Libby, has been reading Rotten Romans one book in a series of Horrible Histories. It explains that the Romans beat the Britons because while both the Romans and the Britons made military mistakes, the Romans learnt from... More