How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up?

Want to know how pulling down statues will reduce Australia’s heritage to nothing but a giant purse? Then watch the IPA’s new video starring Dr Bella d’Abrera on a politically correct walking tour of Ballarat:

Last month the IPA’s Georgina Downer said removing statues is eradicating our history. In the same vein in The Herald Sun on Friday, Evan Mulholland said Moreland Council’s decision to withdraw recognition of Australia Day “divides, rather than unites Australians.”

On Tuesday, the IPA’s Simon Breheny said that the government’s emergency plebiscite vilification law is “warning Australians against speaking their mind in case their personal views offend others.” But don’t worry, the legislation means George Brandis is in charge of what we can say, so we should be fine.

Unbelievably, the Bureau of Meteorology has concluded that of their 695 automatic weather stations the only two that were incorrectly warming temperatures were the two that the IPA’s Dr Jennifer Marohasy happened to stumble across. What are the chances? Well, 1-in-120,000 to be exact. On Monday, John Roskam called for an independent inquiry into the BoM. For the full story, read Jennifer’s  piece in The Spectator Australia from Monday.

Hillary Clinton released her autobiography this week. I haven’t read the book, but I already know what the best bit is – when Clinton says the lesson of 1984 is to trust your leaders:

John Podhoretz had an excellent review of the book in Commentary on Tuesday.

PETA have ruined the best thing that ever happened. In 2011 a monkey called Naruto stole a photographer’s camera and took a hilarious selfie. On Monday, the photographer settled with PETA after being sued by them for violating the monkey’s copyright of the image.

This the most Conversation piece of all time – why do Australians laugh at public art?(Surprisingly, I couldn’t find anything in the piece about how we shouldn’t deface public monuments).

NBA championship winner Andrew Bogut says he could never play in the AFL because he is too politically outspoken (that must be why I never made it, too). Find out what Andrew thinks about political correctness, Australia Day and why Australians are succeeding in the NBA by listening to our interview with him on The Young IPA Podcast last Friday.

John Podhoretz had an excellent review of the book in Commentary on Tuesday.

PETA have ruined the best thing that ever happened. In 2011 a monkey called Naruto stole a photographer’s camera and took a hilarious selfie. On Monday, the photographer settled with PETA after being sued by them for violating the monkey’s copyright of the image.

This the most Conversation piece of all time – why do Australians laugh at public art?(Surprisingly, I couldn’t find anything in the piece about how we shouldn’t deface public monuments).

NBA championship winner Andrew Bogut says he could never play in the AFL because he is too politically outspoken (that must be why I never made it, too). Find out what Andrew thinks about political correctness, Australia Day and why Australians are succeeding in the NBA by listening to our interview with him on The Young IPA Podcast last Friday.

Article of the week:

The death rate from droughts, floods and storms is 98% lower than it was a century ago showing that economic progress is the best way of dealing with natural disasters, wrote former IPA guest Matt Ridley in this very informative piece in The Times on Monday.

IPA Staff Pick: