WHAT NATIONHOOD SHOULD BE ABOUT

This column is, again, critical of Julia Gillard. I've attempted to use rhetorical devices to make it interesting to readers. But the key point is located three-quarters of the way down.

A nation state needs to look after its workers. I don't believe the move to get foreign workers to mining projects is in this country's best interests. As a result I'm critical of any PM who allows this to happen . . . 

THOMSON FEVER

It's impossible to ignore the Thomson affair any longer.

Naturally I have no knowledge about the alleged illegalities themselves. This column refers merely to the fact that the government - and Julia Gillard - has already been 'convicted' by most Australians.

It needed have been this way . . .

MATCHING DEFENCE POLICY TO SPENDING

There's been a sudden, dramatic change to Australia's defence policy. 

In the past we've focussed on objectives first, and then insisted we'll find the money to fund these. Next years Defence White Paper will make it clear that that formulation has changed.

The number one priority is to keep defence spending constrained to less than two percent of GDP. This means abandoning the objective of acting as an "independent middle-power", as this column seeks to explain . . .