Australian Politics
Australian Politics. We focus on issues, not political parties, and try to play the ball, not the man. Proudly independent without fear or favour.
Rupert Murdoch: From a 22-year-old ‘zealous Laborite’ into a tabloid tsar
In September 1953, Rupert Murdoch arrived in sleepy Adelaide to take up his inheritance of News Limited. He was only 22 and had little...
Uluru Statement from the heart & Paul Keating’s 1992 Redfern Speech
We, gathered at the 2017 National Constitutional Convention, coming from all points of the southern sky, make this statement from the heart: Our Aboriginal and...
NSW Nationals motion on the Forestry Industry, 31 May 2023
Here are the speeches in reply to a motion in NSW Legislative Council as recorded in Hansard – 31 May 2023 – Proof FORESTRY INDUSTRY The Hon. SARAH MITCHELL (21:21): I...
Tasmania should end native forest logging
Federal MPs, an Olympic champion and acclaimed authors are among dozens of high-profile names urging the Tasmanian government to end to native forest logging...
First Nations perspective on what should happen to native forests when logging ends
The end of native forest logging in Victoria announced last week was met with joy from conservationists and shock from timber industry workers. To date, this has...
Mark McGowan retires as Western Australia premier
29 May 2023 - Word by Mark McGowan Today, I am announcing that I will be stepping down as Premier and as the Member for...
Rex Patrick says Parliament needs to fix broken FOI system
On Friday 26 May at 2.15pm, the Federal Court in Melbourne handed down its decision on the Rex Patrick v Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) case, the...
A burnt &Â logged nature reserve is not a nature reserve
Many Immediate Protection Areas were established in forests already burned, logged, or both, meaning their value as habitat was limited. Some areas even appeared to have been chosen because they were no longer needed for logging, rather than for their conservation value. As we accelerate plans to protect more Australian habitat, we must watch for problems like this. Land with high conservation value must be prioritised for protection.
Logging burns conceal industrial pollution in the name of ‘community safety’
In 2018, Melbourne and large areas of Central Victoria, experienced days of smoke haze and poor air quality warnings as a result of planned burns. It’s...
Logged native forests mostly end up in landfill
The first myth we want to address is logging native forests is beneficial because the carbon is stored in wood products. This argument depends on the proportion of forest biomass ending up in wood products, and how long they last before ending up in landfill.