As another Australia Day approaches, it’s worth touching on the things to be thankful for, and worth celebrating, since Australia’s very humbled beginnings. Far from a time of historical lament, I’ve always seen the late 1700s and the pre-federation era as the growing foundations for a continuously democratic, tolerant and prosperous nation. While self-criticism has its place, Australia’s story of growth is something I feel that all Australians can overwhelmingly be proud of, regardless of complexion or heritage. Here are my 11 reasons to celebrate, and be thankful, on Australia Day. 1. Standard of living Today we tend to speak […]

This piece is also published on The Spectator’s Flat White blog Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s announcement to step back as “senior royals” has predictably drawn fierce speculation – former palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter has called it “unprecedented” and a “breakdown in the royal family”, while another source notes the Queen is supposedly “upset” and “incandescent with rage.” While speculation brews, however, it’s hard to deny the past 12 months haven’t been a more than eventful at the intersection of royal life and relentless media pressure – Westminster log jam around Brexit, Prince Andrew, Phillip’s car crash and, of […]

My take on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to take a step back as ‘senior royals’. The Queen says it’ll “take time to work through” and I couldn’t agree more. Did I get it right? Have a listen and let me know your thoughts.   Want to know more about the monarchy vs republic debate? Here’s a recent post I wrote, which I hope provides some much needed context to this important discussion. Image source: Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images

A recent opinion piece by Glen Norris (‘Brexit likely to revive republican movement’) underlines how elastic republican claims are becoming. According to Norris, Brexit will now trigger Scottish independence and the unification between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  But closer to home Brexit has supposedly re-animated the republican cause – Britain is “a shadow of its former self”, he notes, while Australia’s future is exclusively in Asia and we are not truly independent until we un-tether ourselves from a shaky and unstable Crown. “Britain’s Brexit debacle has put an end to the only good argument Australian monarchists used […]

I was slightly stumped when recently asked by a close friend, who’s definitely not a conservative, why so many centre-right governments were winning elections across the Western world. Trump, Boris, ScoMo and even Trudeau’s razor-thin Canadian victory reveal that centre-left politics is, to say the least, failing to connect at the ballot box. But surely, I thought, the reasons for this are obvious? Progressive politics, once the domain of the working class, is losing badly because of a commitment to identity politics, stifling correctness and a detachment from bread and butter issues like jobs, sound borders and economic growth. ‘Get […]

55 years ago this month Ronald Reagan delivered one of the most famous speeches of the century – A Time for Choosing. Here are some thoughts I put together on the speech’s relevance today. As Ronald Reagan said, it’s a time for choosing

LEARNING FROM VICTORY A Liberal Party in the 21st Century Principles, politics and the big issues of our time   “Unless we have ideas to offer we cannot develop a real sense of conviction, a real instinct of political faith, and this election will be just one more election on top of those which have gone. Just one more election will never do.”  Robert Menzies, Founder of the Australian Liberal Party, 1894-1978     The battle for ideas A sensible political party should be as contemplative in victory as in defeat. The 2019 expectation-defying coalition victory offers optimism for a party that […]