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Section: Australia

  • AUSTRALIA

    Dialogue with the enemy

    • Peter Kirkwood
    • 18 March 2009
    3 Comments

    When asked if America was winning the war in Afghanistan, Obama answered: 'No'. His call for dialogue with the Taliban reflects a form of inter-religious dialogue that goes beyond a lovey-dovey, 'underneath we're all the same' approach.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Irish, prisoners of a sacred past

    • Frank O'Shea
    • 17 March 2009
    5 Comments

    St Patrick holds the Irish in a powerful emotional thrall. Parades all over the world honour the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. This week in Northern Ireland, saintly ghosts of the past have been called upon to bless murder.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Towards a carbon dictatorship

    • Michael Mullins
    • 16 March 2009
    17 Comments

    A business-friendly carbon emissions reduction scheme is an oxymoron. The draconian action which the Government must take will lead to further unemployment and short-term damage to the fabric of society. But there is no choice.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    How G-G weakened monarchists' case

    • John Warhurst
    • 13 March 2009
    9 Comments

    Governors-General are appointed under a system that freezes out the Parliament, the Opposition and the people. The controversy over Quentin Bryce's trip to Africa has again revealed the office's vulnerability to partisan politics.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    ICC's dubious Darfur justice

    • Kimberley Layton
    • 11 March 2009
    2 Comments

    President Omar al-Bashir stands accused of two counts of war crimes and five of crimes against humanity. But prosecuting him will not deliver justice to the people of Darfur. What seems like the beginning of the end of the tragedy may be the end of the beginning.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    What price our sporting soul

    • Edwina Byrne
    • 10 March 2009
    7 Comments

    Members Equity Stadium, ACER Arena, Suncorp Stadium, Etihad Stadium; corporations think they own a lot of our stuff. These buildings, and the events they house, constitute our cultural and urban landscapes. They should be sources of community pride.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Gain from pain

    • Michael Mullins
    • 09 March 2009

    The Victorian bushfires occurred during a time of financial uncertainty, but Australians gave their money generously. It was as if they were consciously and calculatingly investing their funds in the solidarity of the community.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Burger buggers' price hike spin

    • Michael Mullins
    • 02 March 2009
    3 Comments

    McDonald's is increasing prices for those in lower socio-economic areas, and claiming the moral high ground at the same time. But it's rising star food chain Aldi that is showing the way with its uniform pricing policy.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Against the waning of bushfire grief

    • Gillian Bouras
    • 25 February 2009
    3 Comments

    My brother, who has been working with the SES, tells me of the eerie silence in the burnt-out bush: there are no birds. He also tells me of quirks of fate: some chooks had a miraculous escape, as did their owners, who later collected 40 eggs.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Corruption may undermine Khmer Rouge justice

    • Sebastian Strangio
    • 23 February 2009
    1 Comment

    It was a momentous event: a senior leader of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime standing trial in a court of law. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia has set itself a mandate that goes far beyond rendering impartial verdicts.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Coalition lone dreamers fuel Rudd dictatorship

    • Michael Mullins
    • 23 February 2009
    3 Comments

    The largely ignored United Nations World Day of Social Justice, and the task of the crumbling Federal Opposition, are not entirely unrelated. For both, holding governments accountable is the name of the game, or perhaps dream.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Why we forgot the Apology

    • Myrna Tonkinson
    • 19 February 2009
    9 Comments

    The muted recognition of the anniversary of the National Apology was partly due to the bushfires in Victoria, which continue, understandably, to monopolise attention and emotion. But the momentous event of February 2008 has not been followed up by significant developments in Indigenous affairs.

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