Fun fact: Preferential voting was introduced to federal parliament in 1918 — not to make elections fairer, but to stop Labor from winning power. Back then, Australia used first-past-the-post (FPTP): whoever got the most votes won, even without a majority. But when Labor looked like …
Reading some of the hagiography from the bobbleheads, you’d be forgiven for thinking Peter Dutton has become some modern-day Disraeli — a master strategist with rhetorical flair and an instinct for power. “Look how he defeated the Voice to Parliament referendum,” they proclaim. “Marvel at …
Give a Canberran a long weekend during the warmer parts of the year, and chances are they’ll make a beeline for the South Coast of New South Wales. Like the British Raj upping sticks and shifting out of Delhi for the cooler climes of Shimla, …
You hear talk occasionally of the ACT’s “democratic deficit”. Actually, you really only hear it in the wonkier parts of the city (and in a city defined by its wonkiness, that’s saying something). However, the issue does occasionally get an airing in public and has …
It was early August and the weather forecast was good: a cloudy day that would clear into a crisp Canberra night. Perfect for stargazing on Mt Stromlo. We’d been warned that the single road to the observatory could get packed from 6.45 to 7.30, but …
Back in the early oughts, my wife was working as a reporter for SBS. I was doing my master’s in international relations at the time and sometimes our discussions about a lecture would prompt a story idea for her. One was “peak oil”, the rather …
Election timing speculation (aka Political Onanism Season)
It’s that time of the electoral cycle, when a pundit’s fancy turns to thoughts of election timing. Yes, if Christmas is the silly season, the fag end of a parliament is circle-jerk season for the political commentariat, who shall henceforth be known as the “bobbleheads” …