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October, 2009
The boat people budget bonanza
Our economy benefits extraordinarily from immigration, often to the detriment of the countries from which the arrivals come. So why are the broader economic issues surrounding boat people ignored? asks Tom Elliott.
Online pay battle: there’s no such thing a such a free …
News Limited have returned fire to Mark Scott’s speech last week about the future of paywalls. How will Rupert Murdoch’s paywall system work?
Doctors on global warming: it’s about health and security
One of the world’s most influential medical journals says that the biggest global health threat of the 21st Century comes from greenhouse emissions, fossil fuels and climate change, writes Dr David Shearman.
When it comes to asylum seekers, Australia is no Malta
Where exactly does Australia rank in the world in terms of generosity towards displaced persons? Probably lower than we should, says Sean Carmody.
Political snippets: Equal and opposite reactions
A smart man that Newton. He might have been dealing with motion but his third law regularly has a broader application: limiting binge drinking has created a cheap illegal drugs boom.
The CPRS: what the Liberals want
So Malcolm Turnbull has convinced the Coalition to push amendments on the Government’s CPRS. But what is it that the Liberals want?
If the boat people did not exist, it would be necessary to invent them
Maybe Australia’s propensity to beat up on small numbers of helpless refugees has nothing to do with the refugees themselves, but is simply the result of any more significant target for nationalist anger.
Turnbull’s execution was all in the mind
Yesterday’s special coalition party room meeting about whether or not Malcolm Turnbull could get the Coalition to agree to make ETS amendments wasn’t so much a damp squib as sopping wet.
Cookbooks get heavier while their content gets lighter
Every year, cookbooks grow bigger, while the number of actual recipes inside them shrinks. Chefs: please cram the commentary, and make with the cooking, says Hilary Osborne.
My Cup Of Tea: Things looking up at Pacific Film and Television Commission
Like the upheavals in the broader Australian film industry, Queensland’s Pacific Film and Television Commission has had a turbulent recent history — but industry insiders are cautiously optimistic.
Why we’re all to blame for Balloon Boy
It’s now well-established that the whole “Balloon Boy” saga was a big con by father Richard Heene. But we’re all to blame for giving this story, and stories like this, oxygen, says Foster Kamer.
revealed The real lost city of Atlantis
Archaeologists have been exploring an underwater city off the coast of Greece, said to be inspiration for the Atlantis myth. Underwater since 1000BC, the city includes buildings, courtyards, main streets, tombs and religious structures.
How Australia dodged the GFC bullet
Pat on the bank everyone, Australia was the only developed country to miss a technical recession in the GFC. Major shout outs go to China, the banks and our growing population. But will other nations copy our recovery?
Dick Gross: Why I love the hijab
My godless heart leaps with joy when I see brave, veiled Muslim women walking in Australian streets, says Dick Gross. But what’s an atheistic, pro-feminist Jew doing praising the Islamic veil?
White House vs. Fox News: Fox is “not really news”, says Axelrod and Emanuel
The White House war (or retaliation, depending on how you see it) on Fox News continues, with both White House senior adviser David Axelrod and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel declaring on Sunday talkshows that the network is “not really a news station” and its content is “not really news.”
How to stop houses being so damn expensive
Australia needs a solution to its rising house prices, which have jumped dramatically thanks to the laws of supply and demand, writes Tom Elliot. Is reducing immigration the answer?
Petro Georgiou: Stop kicking them while they’re down
Mandatory detention, temporary protection visas and asylum seeker debt don’t deter asylum seekers. A very corrosive debate about refugees could occur in Australia. Let’s not return to the dark days, writes Petro Georgiou.
Video of the Day: How politics works
The Three Stooges explore the nature of global political discourse.
Asylum seeker experiences around the world
Amidst all the local coverage of Tamil asylum seekers in Indonesia, Andrew Bartlett looks at the experiences other asylum seekers are going through elsewhere on the globe.
NYT reporter tells: Seven months as a Taliban prisoner
NYT reporter David Rohde spent seven months as a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan before making a daring escape in June. In a six-part series, he tells the entire story.
Hartcher: Howard animates the dead corpse of the Coalition
The ghost of John Howard remains the leader of the Liberal Party in spirit, with the Coalition mimicking his ambiguity on climate change and immigration, writes Peter Hartcher. Can Turnbull come up with new ideas?
Bono: How the world can learn to love America
Americans are like singers, says Bono: they just want to be loved. But before that can happen, the country is in need of a serious image makeover. The man who wears sunglasses indoors, at night, has some ideas.
Oakes: Tough talking Rudd misses the real baddies
Rather than “beating the anti-asylum seeker drum’, Kevin Rudd should criticise the Sri Lankan government for their treatment of Tamils. That might improve conditions and decrease refugees, argues Laurie Oakes.
