Turned to writing at 60, reckon that'll do for the next 30 years, then I'll become a musician - after that, who knows, maybe a wizard...
After 27 months of secrecy, the ‘Jobs-for-Mates’ report lobs. What’s the scam?
After sitting on Lynelle Briggs’ No Favourites report for 27 months, the Government finally decides to release. What’s the scam? The scam is that the report‘s recommendations are largely ignored, as the Government instead opts for a new Australian Government...
Surely the NBN Co writedown is nigh
The debate over the value of NBN Co is back in the headlines. This was triggered by NBN Co’s offer in its latest Special Access Undertaking variation to cap its ability to recover losses it has made on its investment in building and operating the network. These losses...
Sustainable Investment in Regional Broadband – submission to Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is inquiring into Australia’s Data and Digitial Dividend. I have made a submission on ‘Investing in Regional Digital Infrastructure’ and below are my introductory remarks to the commission’s public hearing held on 7 November 2022. The...
TPG and Optus fight just the latest drama over Australia’s bush telegraph
The ‘bush telegraph’ is the colloquial term for how information is informally transmitted around the rural and outback regions of Australia. It is also an appropriate description of how Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure has not kept up to date with the...
ACCC highlights that the Lib-Nat Coalition did not fix the NBN
This post was first published in the Australian Financial Review on 30 May 2020. Immediately after the election had been put behind us the ACCC released NBN Co’s proposed new Special Access Undertaking which, if accepted, would govern the prices of fixed...
$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...