Mandates are only as good as capacity to deliver Editors' Picks I’m going to argue that the claim made by a government that it has a mandate is just that but no more and that it
Premium Columnists It’s an election budget, but who is tuning in? March 29, 2022 By Tom Ravlic Editors' Picks Take a deep breath. Take a very long deep breath. What you are smelling right now is the waft of an election. The buzz is
PSsst! There’s no aphrodisiac like a public servant March 16, 2022 By The Mandarin Editors' Picks Phallic logo faux pas a red herring for department’s gender equality agenda Would a logo of any other shape cop as much flack as the
Premium Columnists Sir John Kerr no stranger to public service gossip July 23, 2020 By Verona Burgess Editors' Picks Long before the idea of dismissing Gough Whitlam was a twinkle in his eye, Sir John Kerr was briefing the Queen’s then private secretary, Sir
Editorial: let’s fix what needs fixing July 17, 2020 By Chris Johnson Editors' Picks Much has been discussed this week about the release of the Palace Letters and what they reveal about the dismissal of the Whitlam government. Yet,
Palace letters: ‘it was better for Her Majesty not to know’ about Whitlam dismissal July 14, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Federal Governor-General Sir John Kerr sacked Prime Minister Gough Whitlam without first informing the Queen because he believed it was better for her to not be
So long and thanks for all the fish: the oddly polite history of political farewells May 13, 2019 By Scott Hamilton & Stuart Kells Career Advice Something strange happens when politicians leave the political stage. The other side suddenly becomes much more civil – even affectionate. There is an outbreak of
Upmarket agitprop: Clive James on John Howard on Bob Menzies April 26, 2017 By Nicholas Gruen Features “In my view … the intellectual life of Australia since the Whitlam years has been increasingly weakened by the reluctance of almost the entire educated population
Mind the rise — and ever rise — of ministerial advisers February 24, 2016 By Graeme Dobell Features Minder (noun): Body guard; staffer working for a politician/minister. Derived from London West End slang for a muscle man who protects a criminal or shady
The breaking down of Australia's borrowed political conventions December 9, 2015 By The Mandarin Features Conventions are accepted practices that don’t have the authority of law but depend instead on the force of shared values and expectations. They are more
