Wednesday, August 31, 2011

GILLARD'S FAILURE

A fortnight ago the parliament returned after the winter break. Labor backbenchers still hoped that the clear air might provide a chance for Gillard to turn things around. Two weeks later it's obvious she can't.

The transition, the switch, the 'transfer' will occur, it's simply a matter of time. . .

QANTAS 'THE AUSTRALIAN AIRLINE'?

This should have been posted on Saturday.

Most Australian's have a love/hate relationship with Qantas . . . as you do with relations you can't get rid of.

The time has again come to ask some serious questions about the airline, and what we expect from it . . .


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Vale Lockyer

Sometimes those who contribute most to our understanding of ourselves and the world around us aren't the biggest names or the most highly renumerated in the profession.

The Canberra Times printed this under the apposite heading: FROM BANGKOK TO THE BUSH, A REPORTER WITH INTEGRITY . . .


Saturday, August 13, 2011

STRATEGY & OPERATIONS

I'm afraid I'm a bit of a nurd.

I get very excited by things like the difference between strategy and operations, which is why I was tremendously interested in a presentation by Hew Strachan at the ASPI Global Forces conference last Thursday.

Here's my take on what was said . . .


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

FINDING A BASIS FOR DEBATE

This is not a plea for the centre ground. The 'middle' can be as wrong as the edge. But debate does need to be rational . . .


Monday, August 8, 2011

THE MAINSTAY OF DEFENCE

Incredibly, according to a new book by Ian McPhedran, the Air Force and our defence hierarchy were making decisions that could have left the country without a vital component of force structure.

This column appeared in the Canberra Times on Saturday . . .

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

POLITICAL PHYSICS

Ah, politics.

Have you been enjoying it lately?

This column erupted, fully and perfectly formed, after a pleasant lunch with my old university friend Dr Leon Le Leu at that marvellous Thai restaurant in Yarralumla, followed by a violin, piano and poetry recital at the Polish Embassy . . .