Upmarket agitprop: Clive James on John Howard on Bob Menzies by Nicholas Gruen | 2 comments Nicholas Gruen reviews a book review by Clive James and ponders the decline of serious debate. He says James joined the culture wars and attacked weaker, dumbed-down versions of opposing views, as expressed by ideological fringe-dwellers.
Mind the rise — and ever rise — of ministerial advisers by Graeme Dobell | 0 comments Gough Whitlam created them. Malcolm Fraser cemented them. And the move to new Parliament House multiplied them — exponentially ever since. Charting the rise and rise of the ministerial minder.
The breaking down of Australia’s borrowed political conventions by Richard Mulgan | 0 comments Westminster may have started them, but Australia's conventions also reflect our values and expectations. Their dependency on political sanction makes transparency essential, argues Richard Mulgan.
