Giving Up Territory Is Not Peace. It Is Surrender.
the way to end the war in Ukraine is for Ukraine to hand over a chunk of itself to Moscow and call it peace. Sorry, but that is not peace. That is surrender
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Pauline Hanson, the Burqa, and the Hypocrisy We Pretend Not to See
A sharp look at Pauline Hanson’s burqa stunt, the history of the burqa, and the hypocrisy around a garment that erases women’s identities.
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A Golden anniversay
It has been 50 years since The Dismissal, that climactic day the Governor General sacked the Whitlam government. Since it’s a golden anniversary, the press has been full of it, telling stories from (elderly) people who were there. Our Dear Leader, current PM Anthony Albanese, has had much to say about that sacked prime minister…
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The Race That Still Stops a Nation
The 2025 Melbourne Cup made history once again when Half Yours crossed the line first, ridden by jockey Jamie Melham. Her victory was a landmark moment — only the second time a woman has ever won the Cup. The first, of course, was Michelle Payne on Prince of Penzance in 2015, and Australia cheered just…
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How Halloween Crossed the Globe
It’s 5am on Halloween day. The sun’s up somewhere behind all that cloud, the road outside is wet and the distant rumblings might mean the rain is out over the Bay – or that more is approaching. According to BOM, it’s a bit of both. It hasn’t been a good night. In a way. You…
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A short break from writing
Life’s peaceful at Hervey Bay. The weather is warming and we’re at that stage where we’d like some rain, please. Not like earlier in the year when the remains of a cyclone dumped hundreds of millimetres upon the town. Just – I dunno. 25mm? The garden is enjoying the sunshine. We have walking iris, which…
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The Hostages Are Home—but the War Is Far From Over
I’ll be honest. I didn’t think that Hamas would give up the remaining hostages. I thought they’d hang on as long as they could, buying themselves time to regroup, rearm, and consolidate. Yes, Trump deserves credit. Perhaps the real reason Hamas has agreed is because of pressure from other Arab countries. Maybe, also, a recognition…
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The Dawn That Changed Everything
It has been two years now. Two years since unspeakable horror poured over the Gaza-Israeli border. First, it was just the sound of rockets. Then the sirens. Then the chaos. The attacks started just before dawn when ordinary people were asleep in their beds. Communities near the Gaza border—small kibbutzim where people lived ordinary lives—were…
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A noise in the night
It’s an hour after midnight. The town slumbers under clear skies, nothing stirring except the occasional possum or a couple of fruit bats squabbling in the trees. An elderly couple is fast asleep in their bed – and is suddenly jolted awake by an insistent beeping. It took us (yes, it was us) a while…
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The United Nations: From Idealism to Impotence
It’s not often that I agree with the odious current occupant of the White House, but I do agree with him about the uselessness of the United Nations. The United Nations was born out of the ashes of the Second World War. Its founders dreamed of an institution that could prevent another global catastrophe, foster…
