Australia’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, launched Paul Gray’s new title, The Nightmare of the Prophet (Freedom Publishing), at a gathering of 100 guests at the Thomas More Centre in Melbourne on July 28. The book argues that militant Islamism threatens to become the communism of the 21st century, and that international terrorism is not simply…
The Federal and State governments recently agreed, through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), to a national water strategy. Neil Eagle, a long-time water activist and citrus-grower on the Murray River, evaluates the proposal. The COAG agreement, which only Western Australia and Tasmania refused to sign, does provide a degree of security to the water…
As News Weekly goes to press, the NZ Labour Government has rushed legislation into Parliament which will effectively legislate for gay marriage, through what are called “civil unions”. The bill was tabled in Parliament on June 21, and MPs were expected to vote on it on July 23 or July 24. The bill creates a…
Amidst the more pressing events of the war in Iraq, the oil price spiral and forthcoming American and Australian elections, the death of Ronald Reagan on June 4 is an occasion to reflect on how one man can change the course of history. Ronald Reagan, who as Republican candidate was widely derided as a B-grade…
Nobody yet seems to know quite what will happen next with the Mitsubishi motor vehicle manufacturing plant in South Australia, but the signs are not good. In any case the company’s future seems out of local hands – unless, that is, the government decides to step in. And therein lies a tale. So far the…
The merits of having a so-called free trade agreement with the United States (AUSFTA) have been well-debated in strictly trade advantage terms. And as far as these advantages are concerned, the arguments in favour of AUSFTA are by no means compelling. Nevertheless, we can assume that the Government majority in the House of Representatives will…