Charles Richardson
Psephologist and writer
Charles Richardson has contributed to Crikey since 2002, and was a ministerial adviser in the Kennett government and a former editorial manager at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney.
German chancellor Angela Merkel is pro-immigration and pro-integration, but she heads a centre-right party with its fair share of scaremongers on the issue. So did she actually mean to say that multicultural policies have "utterly failed"? asks Charles Richardson.
I can't think of a single case in modern times when an Australian soldier or police officer has been convicted of murder for actions committed while on duty.
The Norwegian Nobel committee has waded into controversy again this year with the award of the peace prize to jailed Chinese human rights campaigner Liu Xiaobo. Charles Richardson takes a look at the history of this controversial award.
With the rise of the Greens and a state election looming in Victoria, it's time for more angst about preferences.
Fraud is fraud ... arrest some editors and producers, and send them to jail if need be. In other words, treat them like ordinary citizens.
The biggest general election of 2010 takes place on Sunday when Brazil, the world's fifth-largest country, elects its new president, congress, governors and state legislatures. Democracy works well in Brazil.
Australian troops could simply pack up and leave Afghanistan, as other countries have done, and no-one else will much notice or care. It's a better idea than escalating the military action.
Two months to go to the Victorian state election ... and the hard evidence all seems to point to a clear Labor win
The final election figures say some important things about how Australian democracy actually works.
If Labor were to de-escalate its war on the Greens it would be in a much better position to fight off the opposition challenge where it matters.
