Analysis

  • Equalise the age of consent

    Equalise the age of consent The NSW Wood Royal Commission recommendation that age of consent laws in the state be set at 16 years for both heterosexual and homosexual sex has flushed out many a conservative moralist and homophobe. Justice

  • Fight to preserve Jabiluka

    Fight to preserve Jabiluka As expected, the federal government has given Energy Resources of Australia the go-ahead to mine uranium at Jabiluka in Kakadu. It is a short-sighted, stupid and potentially dangerous decision. In making the

  • Chairman Wallop and Chairman Tim

    Chairman Wallop and Chairman Tim The federal government last week provided, not one, but two ministers to entertain the guests at a conference in Canberra dedicated to preventing any meaningful action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The

  • Nonsense about taxes

    Nonsense about taxes @box text intro = What do the following have in common: (a) the tax situation before the High Court's August 5 overturning of state taxes on petrol, tobacco and alcohol; (b) the tax situation after that ruling; (c) the

  • Media racism

    Editorial: Media racism Media racism @box text intro = "Korean gangs blamed for new city crime war" was the banner headline on the Sydney Morning Herald on July 28. What better way to spur newspaper sales on a slow news day than to publish

  • A 'cure' that must be resisted

    Editorial: A 'cure' that must be resisted A 'cure' that must be resisted @box text intro = John Howard has sharply escalated his blame-the-victim campaign — a predictable response to recent poll results showing that the Coalition is

  • A dishonest response

    Editorial: A dishonest response A dishonest response @box text intro = Prime Minister John Howard, speaking on Thursday Island on July 9, responded to criticism of his government's record on race issues by thumping the nationalist tub. "...

  • Getting real about jobs

    Getting real about jobs @box text intro = The federal government's decision to delay the gradual reduction of tariffs on cars was welcomed by the car companies with the claim that this would preserve jobs in the industry. But whether jobs will

  • Reconciliation requires justice

    Reconciliation requires justice @box text intro = Prime Minister John Howard's offensive performance at last week's Reconciliation Convention in Melbourne made it abundantly clear, if it wasn't already, that his government is determined to

  • Justice means compensation

    Justice means compensation @box text intro = The Howard government's response to the final report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families is further evidence, if any was

  • Savings rebate: a bigger swindle than first appears

    Savings rebate: a bigger swindle than first appears @box text intro = The Howard government has been badly embarrassed by the fiasco of its tax rebate for savings plan, announced in the budget on May 13. For somewhat different reasons, the ALP

  • A racist attack on native title

    Editorial: A racist attack on native title A racist attack on native title In his much-featured and analysed criticism of the blatantly racist lies being spread by Pauline Hanson on May 8, PM John Howard said that Hanson was "wrong" to