Kim Wingerei blog posts
“Without idealists, the pragmatists would have nothing to do…”
Ambulance chasers Slater & Gordon win a shiny takeover bid. What’s the scam?
Long-suffering shareholders of law firm Slater & Gordon may soon be out of their misery, with private equity vultures honing in for a buy-out. What’s the scam? The scam is private equity ain’t there for the justice Your Honour; there is profit to be had exploiting...
$1.6b handout to Telstra’s Andy Penn to head off the Chinese
Why was Telstra slotted $1.6b by the Morrison government to buy Digicel, and how is it Telstra shares slumped by one-third during the bull market? It’s corporate welfare on steroids. Another bizarre intervention in what Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg like to...
Crossword clues and bullying: the almighty power of the Australian pro-Israel lobby
The influence of Colin Rubenstein and his lobby group does not just limit what mainstream media outlets dare publish, it forces self-censorship on editors and journalists alike, writes John Lyons in his latest book. In 2019, Fairfax’s Sydney and Melbourne...
The voices of independents being heard and aiming high
There is a strong feeling of change in many electorates around Australia. The “Voices Of” movement is gathering steam as more than 30 such groups are looking to field candidates at the next federal election. The recent announcement of Kylea Tink as an independent...
The Norwegian election was fought and won on climate policy. Are there lessons for Australia?
Despite its lowest polling in 20 years, the Norwegian Labour Party will form a coalition government after a campaign largely focussed on the environment and renewable energy. Is this a sign of things to come for our federal election? Norway is in a unique position. It...
Pandemic paranoia – the penal colony strikes back at those pesky Australians who left
Ever since the pandemic started, Australia has restricted the ability of its citizens to travel overseas in ways few other countries outside of North Korea have done. It is now using the biosecurity laws to also deter those who live overseas from coming back. On...
The world is in a crisis of our own making – is it sowing the seeds of change?
The world is in a crisis. And many of our leaders are failing us. People are despondent, angry and sad, many unable to see their loved ones, many more not knowing how to cope. There is no end in sight, unless we look beyond the concreted corridors of power....
The digital media farce continues as nothing changes
Nine Entertainment is the latest of the old media companies to announce deals with Google and Facebook. For a fraction of what they once thought they deserved, and without any of the benefits to consumers which the Digital Bargaining Code bill purported to provide. In...
My week with Malcolm and the hypocrisy of our democracy
Otto von Bismarck (in)famously said: “Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable - the art of the next best”. It is a sentiment I abhor. And Malcolm Turnbull’s tome of atonement - “A Bigger Picture” - unwittingly demonstrates with abundant clarity that the...
Latest Podcast – talking #auspol with Denise Shrivell
Always a pleasure talking to Denise Shrivell – the ‘founder’ of the #auspol tag on Twitter and a daily voice of reason and compassion. We cover everything from bushfires to Facebook and the changing media landscape.
Clever Politics is Rarely Visionary – the Particracy Rules
We live in a particracy, not a democracy. Clever politicians rule the roost, devoid of vision, focused on the short term and sheltered by a complicit media. There is only one way to change it.
The curious case of a merger opposed
The ACCC is trying to stop TPG and Vodafone from merging – if they succeed, they are bound to fail on appeal. Clver strategy or over reach?