Readers may be familiar with the massive disappointments associated with Australia’s higher education system. In describing and then analysing the breadth and depth of the crisis in higher education, the main problem is, where to start? Recent takes on the problem have focused on two specific matters. First, the de-platforming culture of our campuses,…
The author of this paper, Professor Allan C. Carlson, is one of the United States’ leading commentators on the natural family in society. He delivered this paper to a gathering of the oldest cultural-scientific institution of Serbia, Matica Srpska (founded in 1826), on September 18, 2018. Professor Carlson reveals fascinating details about the role of the…
“Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, It’s with O’Leary in the grave. Was it for this the wild greese spread The grey wing upon every tide?” William Butler Yeats, 1913 When the late afternoon light bathes the farmland of County Kerry with a warm autumn glow, one can truly understand why Ireland is known as…
It is bin day in our street and I am prompted to write this little reflection by the recent sight of grossly overloaded recycling bins full of Christmas wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, beer and wine bottles, and other such indicators of our annual binge – both monetary and the other kind. I’m sure the garbos…
Robin Hood is one of the most provocative characters in the Western imagination – a rogue, a rebel, a robber and a rascal; an opponent of the state out of loyalty to the state and a hero of justice who breaks the law. There have been many “Robin Hoods”, many takes on the tale,…
The current approach to managing the water resources of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) seems to be a classic case of “straining out gnats while swallowing camels”. The Federal Government plans to return an additional 450 gigalitres of water “to the environment” as part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) via $1.4…
Donald Trump, it will be recalled, made trade policy a large part of his push for the U.S. presidency. In particular, he announced he would not sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which had been negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama. The Australian Government was party to those negotiations and a strong supporter of the TPP.…
It is often said, quite correctly, that Taiwan is one of the most socially liberal societies in Asia, but this ignores the genuine alarm that the rapid advance of the homosexual agenda is causing in the country. For instance, the referendum on Saturday November 24 last confirmed the status quo that, under the Civil Code,…
The WA Labor Government is determined to ram a bill legalising euthanasia through State Parliament. Labor has an overwhelming majority in the Legislative Assembly but it may have problems in the Legislative Council, where the votes of small parties, including One Nation, may be critical. The Liberal Party is expected to oppose it, but…
CHASING AFTER THE WIND by Kerryn Redpath The Mickie Dalton Foundation, Coffs Harbour Paperback: 286 pages Price: AUD$24.99 Reviewed by Jacqueline Gwynne The title of Kerryn Redpath’s book published last year describes the experience of a drug addict: chasing a feeling that is unattainable. Her story details the…
The most important decision for Britain in a generation will be the vote in the British Parliament on December 12 to accept or reject British Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal on withdrawal from the European Union (EU). Withdrawal from the EU is scheduled to take effect next February. After many…
THE WEAVER’S SON: Odyssey of an Australian Surgeon by Donald Hossack Melbourne UP, Carlton Paperback: 422 pages Price: AUD$29.99 Reviewed by Julia Patrick Donald Hossack’s story is both a personal memoir for his family and a social history of the time. His life in medicine is the backdrop…
Taiwan, a country of 23 million people and one of Australia’s largest trading partners, recently conducted a series of referenda on questions of vital importance to the future of the country, and of great interest to Australia, including same-sex marriage, nuclear power and the future of coal-fired power generation. The outcome of the referenda…
Readers may be familiar with the massive disappointments associated with Australia’s higher education system. In describing and then analysing the breadth and depth of the crisis in higher education, the main problem is, where to start? A close-up of the bottom right-hand corner of theMarch 25, 2.37pm, Bachelor in Rolling Your Eyesgraduating…
Pessimism is pervasive inside the Morrison Government following the Victorian election, with political commentators already “calling” the coming federal election and recalcitrant MPs adding to the black mood. Perhaps the indefatigable Scott Morrison is the only person left who believes he can turn the show around by selling the improving news on the economy…