Perspectives

To Critique, Inform, Challenge and Entertain

Category: CURRENT ISSUES

BRIEFLY / CURRENT ISSUES / International Order / OPINION / Our unfamiliar World and the Need to Re-examine and Revise

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Our unfamiliar World and the Need to Re-examine and Revise

Reading Time: 6 minutesIn the absence of a certain and predictable world, individually, as a group, and as a nation we need to re-examine, reconsider and redefine not merely the international order but also our own values, beliefs and institutions.

CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION / UKRAINE WAR / United States

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Two Letters: Context and Harsh Reality of Trump’s Foreign Policy

Reading Time: 4 minutesThis week two letters to President Trump are worthy of particular attention. one from Ukraine’s President Zelensky, seeking to mend fences in spite of being sold out to Russia. The other from former Polish President Walesa. The former illustrates the harsh impact of Trumps foreig policy, while the latter underlines how far the US is moving away from leading and protecting the free world.

CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION / UKRAINE WAR / United States

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(US) Americans, have you really allowed it to come to this?

Reading Time: 3 minutesPresident Trump has abandoned Ukraine and sided with Russia. Why is there no mass outrage at America’s abandonment of Europe’s defence against Russia? These recent developmehts are much more significant than Trump forcing money out of a war weakened democratic country.

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS / CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION / RELIGION

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Anglican/Christian Prayers in the Parliaments of an Increasingly Secular and Religiously Diverse Australia

Reading Time: 11 minutesParliamentary sittings begin with Anglican/Christian prayer in Australia, a racially and ethnically diverse nation with associated diversity of religion. In this context it would be inappropriate to continue this tradition.

CURRENT ISSUES / LEGAL MATTERS / OPINION

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Court Proceedings Need To Be Seen To Be Understood

Reading Time: 6 minutes By its very nature, defamation attracts public attention. Recognising public interest in the high profile defamation proceedings brought against Chanel 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, and the desirability of the public being able to observe and judge for themselves whether justice has been done, the Federal Court has directed the proceedings to be streamed live. Viewing the proceedings streamed by the Court not only provides a first hand insight into the defamation case but also reveals many actual and potential benefits of live streaming court proceedings.

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS / CURRENT ISSUES / LEGAL MATTERS / OPINION / Uncategorized

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‘No will leave us nowhere. No recognition. No way forward’ says the PM – I beg to differ.

Reading Time: < 1 minuteA No vote victory on the Voice to Parliament proposal would not leave Indigenous affairs ‘nowhere’. Contrary to what the Yes camp wants us to believe, making the Voice permanent would not necessarily be a step forward. While governments have repeatedly appointed and Indigenous advisory bodies that governments appointed and abolished, the wording of the proposed constitutional amendment would allow Parliament to alter at will literally everything about the Voice apart from its existence.

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS / CURRENT ISSUES

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Referendum 2023 – Indigenous Voice to Parliament and Government

Reading Time: 7 minutesThe looming 2023 referendum asks us to answer a single question about two distinct issues – the constitutional recognition of Australia’s Indigenous peoples as our nation’s First Peoples, and the constitutionally entrenched setting up of a Voice to Parliament (and Government).
By presenting the Voice as a means of recognising Indigenous people as our First Peoples, the referendum risks creating the impression that the majority of Australians reject the constitutional recognition of the status of our Indigenous peoples. At best, a narrowly victorious Yes vote would create the impression that we are divided on the issue of recognition. Such an outcome would also constitutionally entrench the perception that Indigenous people are disadvantaged and unlike other Australians experiencing similar disadvantage, will require specific and ongoing governmental assistance as recommended by a body called, the Voice to Parliament.