Amidst the spat with Beijing over safety of its troops on Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal, the Philippines is becoming increasingly stretched. Pooling all available resources to deal with one of the worst oil spills in many years in Manila Bay could mean playing down conflict with Beijing. The dispute over the Second Continue reading »
Government
The media and politicians are inevitably arguing Albanese’s decision to move Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles and replace them with Tony Burke at Home Affairs reflects their failure to fix our immigration system. The reality is much more complex as few Australians would be aware of the mess they inherited, particularly following the mis-management of Continue reading »
New analysis by the Productivity Commission of donations to school building and other funds highlights how antithetical private school funding is to the concept of needs-based funding. A new report by the Productivity Commission on Philanthropy has highlighted defects in the funding of private schools. The report shows that private schools receive millions of dollars Continue reading »
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland’s warning that the ballot box is ‘not a guide to Middle East policy’ (The Australian, 26 July 2024), coupled with her concerns about social cohesion, highlights federal Labor’s naivete and how out of touch it is with the electorate. Continue reading »
“(I)f pressed on legality … our position is that it is for competent judicial bodies to determine whether crimes against humanity have been committed” – (DFAT, 2022, FOI release). What then are DFAT and Australia’s obligations following the finding by the International Court of Justice that Israel has established an apartheid system in the Occupied Continue reading »
Cabinet reshuffle – policy and outcomes matter, not who is in charge, say refugees. Here is the pressing to do list for the incoming immigration minister: Close offshore. Bring them here. Permanent visas for fast track victims Recognise refugee contribution and industry Increase humanitarian intake Permanent visas for Medevac refugees on and offshore Refugees who Continue reading »
In August, Dan Duggan makes his final submission to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who will decide whether Duggan is extradited to the United States for training Chinese pilots in 2012. All Australians should be extremely concerned about whether it’s even possible for our fellow citizen Dan Duggan, and his wife Saffrine and six children, to receive Continue reading »
What is social cohesion and who is responsible for achieving it? The Scanlon Monash Index of Social Cohesion identifies five indicators : Belonging and the importance of maintaining pride in the Australian way of life Worth and satisfaction with financial situation and happiness Social justice, equity and trust in the Australian government Participation as a Continue reading »
We write to express our extreme concern that Senator Payman has resigned from the Labor Government. Letter sent to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the end of the Parliamentary session in June requesting urgent Australian Leadership to end the War on Gaza Dear Prime Minister, We write to express our extreme concern that Senator Payman Continue reading »
Albanese’s advisers must have been smoking something when they decided that Australia should have envoys against antisemitism and Islamophobia. The British elections showed the impact of disenchantment over Gaza among Muslim voters. Sir Keir Starmer, the new British Labour prime minister is totally on the side of Israel, and various Muslim lobbies made it clear Continue reading »