Robert Merkel
Two marriage equality bills in the House
Not one, but two private members bills that would end the prohibition of gay marriage were introduced to the House of Representatives yesterday. The first is co-sponsored by Adam Bandt of the Greens, and Andrew Wilkie, the second introduced by [...]
The poetic stylings of Gina Rinehart
This is almost too good to be true, but it appears to be very much real.
Gina Rinehart has composed a poem extolling the virtues of Special Economic Zones and guest workers, and had it engraved on a boulder placed outside a new market in Perth’s suburbs.
Directing cancer research
Medical research, and cancer research in particular, is the recipient of charitable funding in a way that few other areas of research are.
Quick link: Cattle out of Alpine National Park for good
The Victorian government’s “scientific trial” of cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park has been stopped permanently by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke under the National Heritage Act. Here’s the Ministerial press release, and here’s the formal notice of the [...]
Australia’s intelligence agencies reviewed
If you can find anything substantive – anything at all – in the unclassified summary report of the Independent Review of Australia’s intelligence community, perhaps you should apply for a job at one of the agencies reviewed.
Old-school police culture strikes back
After the controversy surrounding the two past Victorian police commissioners, it seems that traditionalists are going to like Ken Lay just fine. One of his first acts as commissioner was a new dress code that bans officers from having ponytails, [...]
The Tour (of the Adelaide burbs) Down Under
While he certainly drew in the crowds, I’m not in the least sad that Lance Armstrong is safely tucked up in Texas, possibly in conference with his lawyers, and well away from the Tour Down Under this year. But it’s [...]
Defence and security links post
The reaction to Barack Obama’s announcement of the Defence Strategic Guidance document is as good an opportunity as any to open a thread to discuss defence-related matters. The document puts a little bit more meat on the bones on some [...]
Disease eradication: polio and guinea worm
The world continues to inch towards the eradication of two more diseases. The number of Guinea worm cases continues to decline. According to the latest WHO bulletin, in January through September 2011, there were 1,008 cases of dracunculasis reported, compared [...]
Cricket’s secret rule book
For anybody in any doubt that India now runs world cricket, the fact that the “Decision Review System” is not being used in the current Test series against Australia is instructive. Alone amongst the cricketing nations, India objects to the [...]
“Frontline staff” need backroom support
OK, so that’s what the Victorian government’s been up to. In the middle of the pre-Christmas rush, in a bid to preserve the Almighty Surplus the Victorian government has announced it’s going to shrink the Victorian public service by a [...]
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