A snapshot of Australia in 2023 This week has given us a bit of a snapshot of Australia in 2023.  And what does that snapshot show?  We might be a lucky country - but we're not a serious country. (Although I should qualify the word 'lucky'.  'Luck' implies [...]

You need to know you're not alone In Nineteen Eighty-Four there's scene in which Winston Smith ponders the purpose of his job which is to rewrite historical documents.  He asks 'I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY. He wondered, as he had many times wondered before, whether [...]

Tucker Carlson said something you don't often hear. You've probably already watched or heard about Tucker Carlson's video that went up on Twitter yesterday.  He announced he'll be starting a new program on the platform.  As I'm writing this the video has been watched 119 million times. I [...]

We don't trust the media - and we don't trust each other. Today, 3 May is 'World Press Freedom Day'.  I won't spend time contemplating the irony of the United Nations in 1993 creating such a day, other than note that the member countries of the United Nations [...]

Australia and the purpose of ANZAC Day ANZAC Day is almost all we've got left to share with each other. National Days are necessary to countries that are more than just geographical expressions.  People living in a community need something in common and beliefs and experiences that are shared in some [...]

...and polls on the Voice and lessons in Australian history Thank you for your support and thank you for your interest in my One & Free newsletter.  After just a fortnight One & Free already has more than 2,000 subscribers from across Australia - including quite a few [...]

Supporters of the Voice struggle to come to terms with democracy I've written this post after the news this morning that Julian Leeser has resigned from the Liberals' frontbench to campaign for a Yes vote at the Voice referendum. I know Julian and I provided him a reference when [...]

I spent Saturday afternoon and early evening at Knox Gardens Primary in Melbourne. I was handing out How To Vote cards for the Liberal Party in the Aston by-election until the polling booth shut at 6pm and then followed two hours of as 'scrutineer' watching officials from the Australian [...]