Stringing them along
Tuesday, 22 April 2008 The Australian state Comments Off
The republican side always contained an uneasy coalition between these two differing reasons for supporting the republican model – a national identity one and a broader democratic one. The two may want to get rid of the monarchy but there is a conflict between them over who was to have the final say.
Funeral oration for the political class
Monday, 21 April 2008 State of the parties Comments Off
If the apology was a body blow to Australia’s political class, the 2020 Summit was its funeral – and it was as celebratory as an Irish wake.
The Mandarin’s anti-politics jamboree
Friday, 18 April 2008 State of the parties Comments Off
With Gillard having argued for the end of politics inside the ALP, the new leader of it now wants to extend it to the national stage.
Listening very carefully
Monday, 7 April 2008 International relations Comments Off
At the bottom of this conundrum is Labor still trying to make an economic argument when it has already admitted that an economic policy is no longer possible, something Rudd has confirmed by motivating his world tour as an alternative to watching the economic crisis unfold on CNN.
What Clyde did
Saturday, 22 March 2008 Key posts, Political figures Comments Off
Given it was written by a political reporter who has spent so long cheering the ALP, Alan Ramsay’s latest article shows a remarkable naivety of how that party works and, indeed, of politics in general.
Rudd’s new political class – an update
Thursday, 28 February 2008 Media analysis Comments Off
There seems to be a very confused reaction developing to Rudd’s 2020 Summit in Canberra.
The Liberals: Australia’s last political party
Saturday, 9 February 2008 State of the parties Comments Off
It is one thing to write before the election about the coming crisis of the Liberals and the coming anti-politics coup by Rudd but to see it in action is something else.
Rudd’s new political class
Monday, 4 February 2008 State of the parties Comments Off
There will be those who will dismiss this as a stunt. But the stunt element will lie in the fact that the 1,000 chosen will represent nothing more than themselves, and so have no social weight to push their agenda through. However, it certainly sends a message to the political parties who like to think that they do.
