February 1, 2015
Year of the dog
Abbott government
Tony Abbott and the Coalition government face a tough 2015
Nick Feik
By this author
November 24, 2014
The political stupidity of the ABC cuts
ABC
We hardly need to be reminded of it, but the ABC funding cut demonstrates the utter political ineptitude of the Abbott government. It’s not just that it’s an obvious broken promise (one that Coalition members compound foolishly by denying). Nor …
December 10, 2014
Breaking ranks
blog
What senior government “sources” really think of each other
December 1, 2014
Editor’s Note December 2014 – January 2015
blog
Summer is upon us, and for many it heralds a hard-earnt break. For some, like those in our federal government, this will come as sweet relief after a torrid year. The Coalition leaders probably feel a little like the figure in the beautiful Brett Whiteley …
November 1, 2014
Editor’s Note November 2014
blog
The prime minister thinks we should have a mature debate about tax reform, the treasurer says we need to crack down on corporate tax evasion, and Rupert Murdoch has warned Western governments that their policies that benefit the super-rich have caused …
October 1, 2014
Editor’s Note October 2014
blog
It’s no simple task to mount a survey of the arts in Australia. By what criteria do we judge success and worth? Increasingly, the critical and popular response to artistic works is governed by financial considerations and other basic metrics. What was …
September 1, 2014
The year of ruling dangerously
nation_reviewed
The Abbott government has achieved only chaos in its first year
September 1, 2014
Editor’s Note September 2014
blog
In September, the Abbott government will celebrate its first birthday. Perhaps “celebrate” isn’t the right word. Most government MPs would give quiet thanks that the year is over, and concede it hasn’t been the one they expected. Voters are more …
August 1, 2014
Editor’s Note August 2014
blog
Malcolm Knox’s essay this month explores an issue that affects almost every Australian: the unchecked power of the country’s two biggest supermarket chains. Coles and Woolworths together have become an unstoppable retail juggernaut. Their behaviour …
July 1, 2014
Editor’s Note July 2014
blog
When the Monthly published Richard Flanagan’s magisterial essay on Gunns in May 2007, the logging behemoth seemed as powerful in Tasmania as a company could get. Flanagan’s essay was a catalyst for much broader discussion of the company and …
May 27, 2014
Editor’s Note June 2014
blog
Have Australians ever felt so shunned by politicians as they do today? The recent budget may have brazenly disregarded common voters, but the blame doesn’t all belong to the Abbott government. In his essay ‘A Class of Their Own’, Richard …
May 1, 2014
FRAMING THE BUDGET CRISIS
politicoz
The federal government's Commission of Audit report will at last be released this afternoon. Dubbed Fightback Mk II by some in the Coalition (after the huge and politically unpalatable document John Hewson took to the "unloseable" …
April 30, 2014
’GILLARD MOMENT’ HIGHLIGHTS BACKBENCH FEARS
politicoz
Prime Minister Tony Abbott appears to be facing a backbench revolt over some of his government's big-ticket items. The proposal for a 'deficit levy' has been described as 'electoral suicide' by at least one senior Liberal …