3 July 2018
Current Australian Tax Cut Debate A Tale Of Two Populisms
Since 2007-8 – the last time Australia enjoyed a budget surplus and zero net public debt – government spending has increased by 78 per cent. Spending now makes up 25.4 per cent of GDP. By contrast, government revenue has increased by 61 per cent and makes up 24.9 per cent of GDP. For those of us who thought John Howard
19 June 2018
Comfortable and Relaxed with Conservative Populism
The last time identity played such an outsized role in Australian politics, then opposition leader John Howard famously stated his ambition for a country in which people should feel ‘comfortable and relaxed’ about the past, present and future. Howard’s phrase has been remembered because, for detractors and supporters, it captures something deep and resonant in the conservative idea of government.
6 October 2017
Tim’s Tawdry Trick
As the saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So naturally, when the Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, decided last week to share his view of Trump, Brexit, and conservative populism, he described it as ‘xenophobic and racist’. In the name of ‘equality and non-discrimination’ and ‘rationality and civility’, the populism that has
1 September 2017
Why Politicians Are Going Nowhere
The refusal to celebrate Australia Day by a handful out of the more than 500 local councils around the country represents more than just another example of “political correctness” apparently run amok. The symbolism of local councils holding citizenship ceremonies on the day devoted to celebrating the country of which immigrants have just become citizens is powerful. No less powerful is
