Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is an interesting political character. He has demonstrated great skill in the art of election campaigning and his victory over Bill Shorten and the Labor party in the 2019 election was proof of this ability. Morrison does a good job as coming across as anRead More →
Since his stunning federal election victory towards the end of 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has had a very difficult summer. Well before Bridget McKenzie’s sports funding issue arose, it started with the rather unfortunate coincidence of him taking an overseas family holiday just at the moment that the veryRead More →
by Nick Economou Throughout Australian colonial and post-colonial history, China has loomed large in the national consciousness. During the gold rushes and in to federation, fear of Chinese migration became the catalyst for some quite dramatic, racially oriented legislation. The newly created colony of Victoria, for instance, passed colonial lawsRead More →
There are few Australian politicians who receive as much critical commentary scrutiny as the One Nation senator from Queensland, Ms Pauline Hanson. A case could certainly be made that media obsession with Ms Hanson tends to be way out of proportion to the share of the vote her party wonRead More →
Banking Inquiry – Presumably the political link between the corporate giants and the political party that advocates on behalf of “business’ is nowhere near as direct as that which exists between the ALP and the affiliated trade unions. Still, it is interesting to ponder what the political consequences of theRead More →
The upper house cross-bench for Turnbull is larger, more diverse and lot more ideological than that which confronted Tony Abbott after the 2013 election; but a major qualitative difference between the two Coalition governments indicate a greater scope for pragmatism and momentum in 2017, in the Turnbull government, writes DrRead More →
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to dissolve both houses of the Australian parliament and thus precipitate a full Senate election is coming back to haunt his government, writes Dr Nick Economou. In addition to all his other self-inflicted wounds, the sense of crisis enveloping the composition of the Senate followingRead More →
With changes made to local government by Jeff Kennett, the local government framework has moved from being representational democracy – of annual elections, many councillors representing smaller wards and dominating the running of the municipality or shire. Based on increasing notion that local government elections are an irritation to theRead More →
Australia’s political history has lessons on the consequences of Plebiscites, writes Dr Economou. Thanks to the awful reality that very few people study either Australian history or Australian politics any more, the lessons that the past might teach today’s politicians about the consequences of their actions are just not beingRead More →
The Senate is a bit distant for Turnbull’s preoccupations right now. Of more immediate concern is how he seeks to assert his authority in the Liberal party room writes Dr Nick Economou Melbourne, August 3: With the allocation of surplus and preferences being finalised for the Senate count in threeRead More →