CHINA & CANBERRA

We've got to understand China - any way we can.

The cover of 

Steve Lewis & Chris Ulhmann's book 

And doing so sometimes requires desperate measures . . . like reading fiction. 

This column in today's Canberra Times is a shameless plug for my friends' book . . . 

THE LIBERAL SOUL

The real problem Tony Abbott's having is that this isn't a truly liberal government.

There's no underlying, unifying philosophy knitting his policies together.

Puzzled? Yes. 

Is it all a bit too much for him? Probably. 

This column for the Canberra Times examines the grab bag of policies that was the budget . . . and why it doesn't compute.

Buying Into War

Nobody should want to pick a fight. Least of all us.

Yet this is, it seems, exactly what Australia is doing.

This Canberra Times column asks if Tony Abbott is acting in Australia's interests or being cleverly manipulated by Shinzo Abe . . .

WINDING INTO DYSFUNCTION

Things are getting pretty dysfunctional in Canberra. 

Our Clive, courtesy of the AFR

The attention's been focussed on Clive Palmer . . . but that's a problem for Tony Abbott. 

It's becoming obvious that power no longer resides with the PM, an issue explored in this column for the Canberra Times . . . 

THE ANSWER TO OUR SECURITY

Soon we'll have a bright new Defence White Paper.

But it's this man who'll probably have most to say about our security.

Prabowo looking Presidential

Prabowo looking Commanding

This column for the Canberra Times considered the link between the two issues . . . 

CONFORMITY IN ORGANISATIONS

It's only natural for people in organisations to try and conform with the boss. After all, everyone knows that's the way to get ahead.

David Morrison providing some media training

(Naturally that's not the case in the media. By the way, did I mention my editor's great?)

So how does a leader create a 'learning organisation'?

I had to fit a lot into this column and didn't really get the chance to suggest that the Army still has a lot of work to do and doesn't cope with challenges particularly well.

Nevertheless, this is the piece that appeared in the Canberra Times . . .

Defence

Spending. It's most bizarre.

Can you spot the Gold-plated taps?

Cuts everywhere . . . except the military.

This column for the Canberra Times asked, 'why'?