If the Queensland government is interested in privatising anything, they could do worse than running their ruler over WorkCover. They  must be sensitive about their latest price hike – I’ve never before had a phone call from WorkCover to inform me that my premiums are about to rise. Perhaps they are super sensitive in that [...]

I’m on Steve Austin’s ABC radio program tomorrow along with former Queensland Labor A-G Cameron Dick. Not sure what we are going to talk about, but there’s a good chance public service cuts will be on the list. I’ve been wondering how Campbell Newman has reached the conclusion that 20,000 public servants have to go, [...]

Tonight’s federal budget is make or break for the Gillard/Swan government. They are close to written-off, but not quite. Ten years ago John Howard seemed headed for certain defeat, but dramatically changed direction during the Ryan by-election, taking a tax off beer and indexation off fuel excise. At the time the pundits criticised him for [...]

With her rebadged Resource Super Profits Tax Julia Gillard confirms she has no vision for Australia and that big business cannot and should not be relied upon to look after the common interest. It is a pea and thimble trick that appears to have fooled the mining companies, but should fool no-one else. The original [...]