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Author: Tony Smith

  • AUSTRALIA

    Kristina Keneally's rational Catholic conscience

    • Tony Smith
    • 15 October 2010
    39 Comments

    Traditionally, Catholic-Labor links have been so strong that wits described the Church as 'the Labor Party at prayer'. NSW Labor Premier Kristina Keneally represents a growingly assertive Catholicism which might be described as progressive, rational and independent.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    All MPs have Independents envy

    • Tony Smith
    • 26 August 2010
    10 Comments

    Since both major parties wasted their chance to secure a clear mandate, the Independents have been treated by the media as opportunists and vengeful egotists. By making Parliament complex, the rise of Independents complicates the lives of political hacks.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Moving forward with Gillard

    • Tony Smith
    • 25 June 2010
    4 Comments

    If there is any vestige of democratic socialism left in Labor, the Gillard Government needs to raise taxes without apology, knowing its social welfare policies are just and necessary. It also needs to remain committed to redistributing wealth to eliminate huge discrepancies in living standards.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Phony Tony and the Liar's Paradox

    • Tony Smith
    • 21 May 2010
    26 Comments

    It is not Abbott's prerogative to tell people how they should react to the truth. The electorate can now never know when he is attempting to be honest. Apparently, he would happily accept electoral support even while knowing he has deceived the people.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Why 'welcome to country' is more than formality

    • Tony Smith
    • 31 March 2010
    9 Comments

    Christian prayer at public meetings cannot have the same importance as an acknowledgement of country. Indigenous peoples have a genuine spiritual association with the land. By recognising this, all Australians can be united in a non-denominational spirituality.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Fresh female face of fatigued NSW politics

    • Tony Smith
    • 08 December 2009
    5 Comments

    Some cynics say female leaders are the housewives and mothers of politics, expected to clean the mess left by the men who preceded them. Male premiers have been shaping NSW for over 150 years now, so Kristina Keneally must clean up after 41 predecessors.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    NSW political blood spilled

    • Tony Smith
    • 19 November 2009
    3 Comments

    Premier Nathan Rees asked two ministers for their resignations, effectively sacking them. He will have to hope that he has not thrown away Labor’s last chance to retain government.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    John Della Bosca and the 'aphrodisiac of power'

    • Tony Smith
    • 02 September 2009
    7 Comments

    Many middle aged males are susceptible to having their egos flattered when women appear to find them attractive. But in the case of politicians, it is possible that the dangers involved make such affairs irresistible.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Holistic history of early Sydney

    • Tony Smith
    • 21 August 2009

    Sydney's history has traditionally been interpreted through the artefacts of a people who are literate and industrial: through documents and buildings. The Colony acknowledges the equal importance of the sparse traditions of the Indigenous peoples.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Bird stories for a dry country

    • Tony Smith
    • 26 June 2009
    1 Comment

    Australia leads the world in mammalian extinction and in threatened species. The rag-tag group of contributors to Boom & Bust provide a timely scientific reminder that the fate of birds is inextricably tied to our own.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    An end to rugby's unethical code

    • Tony Smith
    • 19 May 2009
    25 Comments

    It is time we stopped allowing football administrators, advertisers and television stations to set the standards for ethical behaviour. The only way that the current unethical rugby league culture can be removed is for the code itself to disappear.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The questionable ethics of Australia's defence

    • Tony Smith
    • 05 May 2009
    6 Comments

    It is enouraging that the Government's Defence White Paper de-emphasises the US alliance in favour of self-reliance. However, we still desperately need community debate about the ways in which a military force can be used morally.

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