Along with many Australians I winced at all the Nolan Ned Kellies stepping out of their dunnies at the opening of the Olympics, but I am a Camelotian minority in this country which sings Waltzing Matilda, a story about an itinerant thief, as its unofficial anthem.

Well, if the Libs decide to start expulsion proceedings against me tomorrow at their State Council, as threatened, maybe I should run as an independent!

The first thing to say about ‘reality TV’ is that most of the time it could hardly be further from ‘reality’. If you stick a camera there, most people behave very differently (even on Jerry Springer!). As I argue in my next OLO essay, I think western culture, let alone OZ culture, is in deep […]

But am I the only one to have noted the irony that the man selected to be an “idol” is a practising Christian who thanked God in his victory outburst

If ever there was an appropriate contrast to the whole Oz Idol contrived celebrity thing, it’s Michael Jackson’s fall from stardom into what looks like big trouble. Jackson is more talented than all the Oz Idol contestants put together, but he is clearly a complete mess as a human being. Underneath it all is the […]

According to the Financial Review today John Howard is being an “interest rate dove”. In other words he is pressing the argument that there is no need to raise interest rates any further, just as I suggested he should (don’t you love people who blow their own trumpet?).

We are going through a little debate here in Perth about cars, speed and young men. It started with debate about how much speed does actually contribute to the accident rate. Obviously it does, but one problem is that the police place their multinovas in locations that maximise revenue, not safety. And if the police […]

Just as there is only one Bradman, there is only one Menzies, and Howard understands that he will never be number one, but he can hope to be the Border or Waugh of his generation.

This week the CMC began an inquiry into the trials and tribulations of Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge, but it is the wrong body. Hanson and Ettridge deserve a judicial inquiry.

George Bush, who is facing a well organised protest in London when he visits soon, has a simple and effective response to such activity. As he did in Canberra when Bob Brown expressed dissent, Bush just says how much he likes free speech. So it is somewhat ironic that many Americans are begining to wonder […]