Brands are critical to Prime Ministers and Julia Gillard’s brand is very likely terminally damaged. There’s only one viable brand in Labor ranks.
Stephen Smith
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of Stephen Smith. Crikey’s Stephen Smith coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
Defence: no longer untouchable, the ADF got mugged
For nearly two decades, Australia’s annual budget has been a bit of a ho-hum experience for Defence. But last night it got raided for the first time in years, says Graeme Dobell.
Defence reform already losing momentum
Prospects are vanishing for serious reform of the Australian Defence Force culture of bullying, brutality and degradation. Little, if anything, seems likely to change substantially following two weeks of grubby disclosures, writes Geoffrey Barker.
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Stephen Smith’s week not one out of the Wayne Bennett playbook
Stephen Smith and the ADFA scandal totally dominated broadcast coverage of politics this week.
Down Mexico way with Shanahan’s ADFA coverage
It’s stand-offs and resignations everywhere as The Australian deals with the ADFA scandal.
Political snippets: Put the civilian boss back on top of Defence
The time has surely come to return to the days when senior military brass were clearly under civilian control.
Crikey Says: Smith goes in to battle
With Anzac Day looming, it seems a fitting time to re-examine our attitude towards and within the Australian Defence Force in light of the ADFA scandal.
ADF into the heat of battle
Stephen Smith could be described as a brave man — even a hero — in the real sense of the words rather than the debased usage much of the media and many militaristic politicos have adopted.
Why the force is with Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith has cleverly seized on the crisis of confidence in the ADF engendered by the ADFA scandal to push through a reform the military wants.
Women on the front line
Crikey media wrap: A sex scandal in the Defence Force has led to Australian women finally being allowed to fight on the front line and opened a conversation on misogyny and the culture of Australia’s defence force academies.
Cadet film case: lessons to be learnt in the way it was reported
The biggest lesson in this case is that the whole matter could have been resolved in much more detail, much swifter and in a much more effective manner if the Commandant of ADFA had been allowed to explain the facts from the beginning, writes Neil James, executive director, Australia Defence Association
Political snippets: Another death and more political lies
There are more brave soldiers, I read somewhere recently, than there are brave politicians.
Defence procurement bungles: we’re without amphibious capability
Australia now has almost no amphibious capability to respond to emergencies in our region, writes James Brown, former military commander and Lowy Institute Military Associate.
A new type of Commonwealth
Crikey media wrap: Top-level meetings between Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, Defence Minister Stephen Smith and their UK contemporaries, were declared “the most substantial British visit to Australia in many decades.”
Political snippets: Richard Farmer’s chunky bits: we’re feelin’ good again about financial prospects
In today’s chunky bits: tourists covered with oil, a beautiful straight bat, how confident consumers vote and more.
Who will Rudd replace if Labor wins?
In an entirely minimalist pre-election reshuffle, Julia Gillard has shifted Trade Minister Simon Crean to her former portfolio, with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith picking up Crean’s workload, reports Bernard Keane.
Australia vs. Israel: round one
Daily Media Wrap: The Government has booted an Israeli diplomat out of Australia over the use of fake Australian passports. A bold act of diplomatic bravery, or just bowing down to the Arab world? This one’s just heating up.
New tensions for Australia and Israel
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Australia are under new pressure, with news that three Australian passports were used in the Mossad assassination of a Hamas official. What now for Australia and Israel?
Australia rolls out the welcome mat for war criminal retirees
If Canberra fails to take its global responsibilities seriously, another chapter will be added to the already dismal history Australia has of allowing sanctuary to killers, brutes and generals.
Stephen Smith & Julia Gillard: 2009′s sexiest politicians
The winning team of our Foreign Affairs Minister and his substantial pelt have taken out the trophy two years in a row. And Prom Queen? Everyone’s favourite redhead wins the twin set of tiara and sash for 2009’s Sexiest Female Politican,
Guy Rundle: Politicians try to patch up a leaky boat of their own making
The government’s current problems with the Oceanic Viking stem entirely from its being too-clever-by-half – it’s of a piece with Ruddism, the idea that a series of brilliant technical decisions can serve as policy.
Coorey: The Rudd government’s quiet achiever
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is one of the success stories of the Rudd government, first carefully manoeuvring China and Australia tensions and now balancing the asylum seeker issue, writes Phillip Coorey.
