Forty years ago, Medicare as we know it today was born. It was the reincarnation of the Whitlam government’s Medibank, introduced in 1975 but dismantled in stages by the Fraser Liberal government. Medibank was developed in the 1960s by health economists Dick Scotton and John Deeble,, when disease prevalence was different and the politics of Continue reading »
Government
By 2021 it was apparent that we were witnessing the accelerating but creeping collapse of the American Empire. That collapse has passed an inflection point – the Empire is now in free fall. Thomas Homer-Dixon, in his brilliant book The Upside of Down, noted that the Roman empire eventually reached the point where “the empire Continue reading »
Despite its $160 million package to better manage asylum seekers, time is running out for the Albanese Government to get on top of the asylum seeker issue prior to the 2025 election. Asylum applications at both the primary and AAT stages fell in December 2023 but the number of applications processed also fell leading to Continue reading »
The Albanese Government was right to change its previous position on the already legislated Stage 3 tax cuts and to seek a fairer and more equitable taxation system for all Australians. However, its proposed changes fail to deal sufficiently with the increasing tax bites into the incomes of low paid working Australians. The focus on Continue reading »
For some years Asian Americans have strongly favoured the Democratic Party with their votes. The main reasons for this were that when they came to America, they settled mostly in large cities run by the Democratic Party in Democrat states. The Democratic Party claimed them as minority people that were part of the Democratic coalition Continue reading »
Albanese government must apply lessons from UK post office scandal to save Australia Post and licensees. The scandal that has rocked United Kingdom politics following ITV broadcasting the four-part drama Mr Bates vs. the Post Office on 1-4 January should concern Australian parliamentarians, as it has a parallel in Australia Post’s treatment of small business Continue reading »
One of the sure bets this year is for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to win a third term in federal elections which are scheduled to take place in the first half of 2024. Last year, his Bharatiya Janata Party won most of the state elections that took place and India also became the most Continue reading »
January 26 poses more than the usual challenges in 2024. Barely 100 days since the failed referendum there is the real prospect of the respective advocates and supporters reigniting a process, the only real outcome of which was community division. There is the risk of stirring more pain for some and a sense of triumphalism Continue reading »
The Productivity Commission has released a damning report on Australia’s worsening public and community housing disaster. Needs have increased, supply has not and the various announced policies stretching out in the distance aren’t enough to make a significant difference. However bad you think the Australian public and community housing crisis is, it worsened over the Continue reading »
The ideologies of capitalism and socialism are perceived to be irreconcilable. Individual freedom and the desire to accumulate wealth without government hinderance is pitted against the recognition of the necessity of the State to provide a humane, fair and sustainable society; one in which we all can flourish. But are they diametrically opposed? Without a Continue reading »