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Archived news for August 2009 | Recent news
The Rhetoric of Evidence-Based Policy
As many of you will know, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson were lovers of the outdoors, so come spring, it was hardly surprising that they should...
Some thoughts for a more liberal bill of rights
Let's call a spade a spade, and consider the debate over Australia's Bill of Rights for what it really is: a political debate on how government...
A clear majority of working journalists do tend to be of a centre-left disposition
John Howard thinks too many media types are lefties. True, says Tom Switzer, but there's never been such a thing as ‘objective...
A hard, tough and brutal tax debate is brewing
Tax is exciting - despite what they say. Last year the Rudd Government set up the Henry Tax Review and, for a while, shovelled all its problems on...
Consumerist kiddies? Come on, give them a little credit
There's a lot of rage directed at the advertising industry. The comedian Bill Hicks famously told his audience: "If anyone here is in marketing or...
Deficit failures condemn us to sluggish growth
The Federal Government is keen to triumphantly declare that it has conquered the recession. Germany and France -- but not other European Union...
Off target
The 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target (RET), passed in the Senate yesterday, represents a triumph for vested interests in creating negative...
Power play distorts reality
Apparently Australia has just got a brand new $28 billion industry. It's in renewable energy. Media outlets have breathlessly reported that...
Rudd's stimulus has nothing to do with the economy
The "go hard, go early, go households" advice given to government last year is starting to look a little sick. Serious doubts are being raised...
Never judge a book by its coverage in the press
‘Peter Costello is swanning around flogging a new version of his memoirs,' complained a letter to The Age last week. ‘As the last...