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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...
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...
No nudging, please
Despite what politicians and senior bureaucrats may let on, governments are highly susceptible to the allure of policy fads. Federal Finance and...
Conservative Meltdown: Right in the grip of a growing malaise
It's no understatement to say the Coalition is in the doldrums in Canberra and across much of the nation. But the crisis of conservatism is hardly...
A Treasury trove of errors
We now have the OzCar scheme to add to the list of Labor's failed grand designs. But OzCar won't be remembered as another of the federal...