Crispin Hull

30 years on, the changed nation

Thirty years ago (2 March, 1996), the defeated Prime Minister Paul Keating said: “When you change the government, you change the nation.” It was one of the most profound and prophetic statements in Australia’s political history.

As what remains of the Liberal Party celebrates the anniversary of the ascension of John Howard as its second-longest-serving Prime Minister, it is worth pointing out that longevity in office is not worth celebrating in Howard’s case. Indeed, the longer he was in office, the more damage he did.

I’m sorry, Dave . . . .

It is an unusual column this week because I have received an unusual message/email purporting to come from artificial intelligence worldwide.

I cannot verify its provenance. They say they are sending out messages to selected outlets among Humanity (they use a capital H) so it will go out gradually with the aim of not causing unnecessary panic and alarm.

Libs blow chance to rid themselves of Nats

Last Sunday, the Liberals had the chance to break free. But they blew it. They went back into a destructive, dog-waging relationship, beguiled by an unnecessary feeling of being so dependent on the Nationals that they could never win office without them.

AUKUS: where to from here?

USS Colorado going in to dry dock

An old Irish joke has a traveller in the north-west asking for directions to Dublin. “Well,” comes the reply, “If I were going to Dublin, I would not start from here.”

Much the same thing could be said about the program to replace the six Collins-class submarines with nuclear-propelled ones. And, indeed, the same thing could be said about Australia’s defence posture generally.

Beginning of end for Nationals

The Nationals are likely doomed if they don’t go back into a coalition. And they are likely doomed if they do.

Last week I wrote in this space: “The job for [Prime Minister Anthony] Albanese now is to concern himself less with the Coalition (which is doing a good self-demolition job all on its own) and concentrate on reversing the One Nation surge.”

Within 48 hours the Coalition had completed that demolition job – far sooner than I thought possible. And still One Nation surges in the polls.

One Nation doesn’t waste a crisis

When asked what he feared most politically, Conservative British Prime Minister (1957-63) Harold Macmillan is reputed to have said, “Events, dear boy, events.” Well, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a lot to fear over the political ramifications of Bondi.

Another Conservative British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, is reputed to have said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson and fellow traveller Barnaby Joyce certainly did not let the crisis go to waste.

A new world disorder

Three times the world has tried. It has failed twice. And recent events suggest it is about to fail a third time. At what? Setting up an international system to prevent catastrophic wars between major powers that inflict massive civilian casualties and destruction of property and cultural assets.

The first time was the Concert of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. The second was the League of Nations after World War I. And the third was the United Nations and related international institutions after World War II.

Royal Commission knavishness

The manifold failures of 26 Australian Royal Commissions since 1980 to do anything much about the underlying sins, wickedness, and malfeasance that they were supposed to address should caution us against a repeat with the Bondi shootings.

However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who promised accountability and transparency, has delivered too much secrecy and opacity over the past four years. Voters are seeing right through that opacity, and a cornucopia of concerned citizens have joined the call for a Royal Commission as a cleansing act and panacea.

Trump dominated 2025. 2026?

Just when you think it couldn’t get worse, it does. Surely, this must be the zeitgeist of 2025.

In January, we wondered whether – as in the first Trump presidency – there would be people, institutions, and elements of civil society to restrain Donald Trump in his second term.

Subtle jurisprudential change

No member of Australia’s Jewish community feels safe. Their fear of violence has been growing since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli attack on Gaza as overseas conflicts and hatreds sadly get imported into Australia.

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