PUNCHING ABOVE OUR WEIGHT

The big statement back in the 1980's was always that we (Australia) were "punching above our weight". It was true then and is probably still true now.

The only difference is that the past thirty years have seen us relegated down a couple of divisions.

Back then we were a medium/heavyweight. Today we're very much one in one of the lighter competitions.

That's fine. The point is to recognise it, as our ASEAN friends do. So when China occupies and creates islands in the South China Sea, we may be very unhappy about it; we may choose to protest verbally; but sending airplanes and ships? Really?

What's the point, as I asked in this piece in today's Canberra Times . . .

courtesy, CSIS

HAS MALCOLM LOST THE PLOT?

No, actually. 

Despite some of the headlines about "Chaos in the Government" and the latest Morgan Poll (Morgan - does this normally wildly inaccurate poll still have credibility for precision?) marking the government down by less than the polls margin of error, I reckon Turnbull's just not operating the way we in the media are used to. 

My wife, Cath McGrath, had a go at this in a column for SBS yesterday . . . 

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/02/10/comment-australian-political-journos-and-junkies-are-addicted-drama 

My own take is slightly different . . . 

THE FUTURE OF WORK

This piece begins anchored in the current domestic debate about the Budget, but that's not what it's about.

This man doesn't even know what's coming

courtesy SMH

It's about this.

outback australia image

The new wave of computerisation of work will change everything,

As I wrote in the Canberra Times, not even journos are safe . . .

I've been terrible in not keeping the blog up-to-date, I'm afraid. 

This is Tuesday's piece for the Canberra Times. 

Reuters image

This is about Gallipoli - or today. 

Or this column is about today - and the past . . . 

ONE QUESTION

Journalists are paid to make stories. We write new ones every day.

Danger -journalist at work

But sometimes people don't want the stuff that we serve up daily - they just want to skip to the punch-line at the end.

You instinctively 'know' what this is when you pause to think about it for a second or two. You 'know' how things will work out in the long run.

I harnessed that knowledge to write about this year in politics.

We'll hear a lot, this year, about Tony Abbott, but you know how it will end up.

Badly.

As I wrote in today's Canberra Times . . .

THINKING, THINKING . . .

End of the holidays.

Time to sit down and start working again. How better to begin than by thinking about thinking?

A slightly younger looking Melissa at the AIIA

The Lander Institute kicks the new year off with its annual survey of think-tanks, and so this column begins there.

But what about other organisations? Unfortunately, the government has slashed funding for them over the past year.

As I wrote in the Canberra Times, It makes one wonder if we really are a knowledge nation . . .

JE NE SUIS PAS CHARLIE

Very often there are no easy answers, but perhaps the worst response of all is a hashtag "like". 

I believe in free speech, but I don't believe in insulting people intentionally. 

This was an attempt to explain my feelings in the Canberra Times . . . 

A NEW SUBMARINE

We want to buy a new submarine.

The only question is; which one?

A French nuclear submarine - one we won't be getting

The problem is the government won't share any of its thinking about the project.

And this is not the only area where the government's failed to explain its thinking, as this column for todays Canberra Times pointed out . . .

IRAQ

The big question is how to help create a stable future for Iraq. 

We're trying to do it with troops. 

Mentoring Afghanis

Is that the right way? I examined some of the issues involved in this article for the Canberra Times . . . 

COSGROVE'S TRAVEL

What class are you?

And shouldn't an Australian Governor General be flying Qantas?

A Singapore Bed - I could cope!

On his recent trip to Dubai Cosgrove travelled business.

It's very different to the way things happened under Labor, as I wrote in the Canberra Times . . .

WILL AIRPOWER BE ENOUGH?

From close up the airpower in the Middle East is very impressive.

A terrific photo taken by some brilliant RAAF photographers last night

But, as I ask in my Tuesday column for the Canberra Times, is that going to be enough?

CRAIG ORME

Craig Orme's last job was in charge of the Defence College.

The new one's in charge of the forces in the MEAO.

Craig Orme in AMAB

More importantly, he's been here on four occasions in the last four decades.

I did this profile for Tuesday's Canberra Times . . .

BOOKS AS WEAPONS

Normally no one cares less about a book. Publish and be dammed. 

But sometimes books are weapons . . . political weapons. 

Even if they appear to be driven by personal motives, they can have a very political effect. 

That's probably the case with these two, recently published books (one of which Rudd described as a "work of fiction"), as I wrote in the Canberra Times . . . 

QUESTIONS ARE THE ANSWER

The best answers come from continual questioning, rather than answers.

That's my conclusion, anyway, after reading some books; as I wrote in the Canberra Times today:

LOOKOUT! ASIO'S WORRIED.

The lovely thing about living in a secure democracy is that I can have a go at the retiring head of ASIO. This wouldn't be wise in much of the world. 

The official photo

I had another think about what I wrote the other day and realise I was far too harsh on David Irvine. 

He was trapped with nowhere to go when he said things that were then taken out of context by the journo's. 

I really wasn't intending to impugn him. And it's great he's spoken to the media. May Duncan Lewis do the same, more often. 

Anyway, this was my take on the issues raised in his retiring interview last week, as it appeared in the Canberra Times. . . 

TRIUMPH & DEMISE

Has growth come to a stop? 

Is this the real problem behind our current political dysfunction? 

Did this ever look plausible? 

So why is this any more credible today?

The single-most critical question in Australia is if our political system really is broken. 

I believe it is. 

However, as I suggest in this article in today's Canberra Times I believe it's more than just this. I think the economic system's broken as well . . .

FLYING THE AUSTRALIAN WAY

Flying  is marvellous . . . I love it. 

That moment of sheer delight as you fly over Sydney Harbour or walk into the airline lounge with the anticipation of the flight ahead. 

flying - wonder

It means a lot to me and that's why Qantas means a lot to me too, as this column for the Canberra Times points out . . . 

SOME ADVICE

I often provide advice. It's not always taken.

Tony Abbott needs to listen

Nevertheless, I keep trying and today I used my soapbox on the Canberra Times to offer a bit of helpful advice to the PM . . .

STILL DOING THE HOCKEY POKEY

Hockey's absolutely right, but for the wrong reason.

Hockey wins the prize

courtesy News Ltd

At least a fuel tax, like any consumption tax, forces people to pay. Deductions for negative gearing and investing allow them to escape paying tax on income while halving the rate of tax on capital gains is just a lurk. 

This column for the Canberra Times attempts some analysis . . . 

HOCKEY'S THE PROBLEM

And not the solution.

The brilliant photo that caught 

the Treasurer

Enjoy a cigar by all means - but make certain you've done the work first.

Hockey hasn't - as this column for the Canberra Times made clear . . .