Hasn't Rudd heard of a grudge? - posted by Graham

When it comes to government inquiries, Terence Cole QC has to be the current heavyweight. He inquired into the building industry and then into AWB. In the process he was criticised heavily by prominent ALP members. Now the Rudd government... More

Spence beats Caris - more bad news for Nelson - posted by Graham

Gary Spence is the new president of the Queensland Liberal Party beating John Caris by 23 votes to 20, and demonstrating just how entrenched the factions still are. Spence was the Santoro faction candidate, and Caris the candidate of the... More

Why bang our heads about baseload? - posted by Ronda Jambe

On a sunny autumn day in Canberra, it is gratifying to see that our solar panels have already produced 5.56 KW. Working out exactly what that means in terms of light bulbs, computing power and our 20 year old electric... More

Parer resignation means Santoro short on numbers - posted by Graham

Warwick Parer's premature resignation as Queensland Liberal Party President is a sure sign that the Santoro forces don't have the numbers at State Convention. Parer is reported by the ABC: Mr Parer says he had intended to retire last year,... More

National Party over - posted by Graham

It's more or less official - the National Party is over. Queensland National Party Leader Lawrence Springborg is launching a serious of advertisements this evening promoting him as the alternative state premier, according to AAP, but without mentioning the National... More

Bring out your dead - posted by Graham

Here's another reason I could never be a Roman Catholic. A press release from the World Youth Day Sydney, the religious extravaganza being staged by the Catholic Church in July this year, alerted me to the fact that Blessed Pier... More

Herbert voters call it right - posted by Graham

The weekend's revelation that Labor will seek to cut $10B from the defence budget means that voters in Herbert probably called the consequences of a Rudd Labor government correctly. Herbert is home to Lavarack Barracks and saw a relatively small... More

How can plastic bag consumption be up 21%? - posted by Graham

That's the claim from the leaked report in this (and related) news story. I can't believe it. Perhaps a couple of months' consumption got counted in the wrong year. For bags used to have jumped by that you would need... More

Under the Moruya Moon (3) - posted by Ronda Jambe

After years of yearning, I got to visit Paronella Park, near Innisfail, Queensland. It is a ruin of great beauty, with stories of dynastic collapse and perseverance. The motto for the new owners is 'the dream continues'. And so does... More

Newman's victory one for Campbell - posted by Graham

Joe Hockey reckons that Campbell Newman's win is the first step on the comeback for the Liberal Party. "In many ways this may become the emblematic moment that indicates that the Liberal Party has reconnected with the community and has... More

The only pub in the only town - posted by Ronda Jambe

Walking to the shops in my Canberra suburb this afternoon, I wished I could communicate the sadness that greets every dry crunch under my feet. Supposedly it was a moist spring and summer, but here we are in autumn, experiencing... More

Alcohol campaign should sober razor gang - posted by Graham

The government is set to spend $53 M on the unsubstantiated binge drinking problem. It will be partly funded by clipping the amount of money available to members and senators for printing. That still leaves the other half to be... More

A.N.U. - Australia's Nastiest University? - posted by Ronda Jambe

Almost by accident, I discovered I had been underpaid as a tutor last semester in the business faculty. When I heard about an overseas tutor with a PhD complaining about this and being told 'it is not our policy to... More

Are closing hours the issue? - posted by Graham

Seems that they're worried about binge drinking in the UK, but unlike Australia, they are actually looking at reliable statistics and coming to some different conclusions. That doesn't stop the Austrlalian media trying to spin the issue, and this report... More

Obama and Clinton, Smoot and Hawley - posted by Graham

Many of my friends have been swept up by Obamamania. I've been listening to his speeches. They sound disturbingly isolationist and protectionist. Clinton is singing some of the same tune. So far both are being carried by celebrity rather than... More

WWF panda puts paw on emissions problem - posted by Graham

One of the problems with the Kyoto approach to carbon emissions is that they are to be addressed on a country by country basis, and most of the world isn't actively participating in the scheme. This is such an obviously... More

You've got to feel sorry for Harry - posted by Graham

I always thought that one of the best arguments for a republic was that the monarchy is cruel to monarchs, or at least their families. Common law forbids slavery, but if you're born a Windsor, short of abdicating, you're tied... More