It was former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating who supposedly said to ‘Never get between a Premier and a bag of cash’. And Australians have learnt to get out of the way. Federalism is, to say the least, messy. Even well before responding to COVID-19, it had become synonymous with overlap, duplication, waste and blame between state and federal governments. Kevin Rudd, to his credit, aimed to improve things through performance measures and a sea of commonwealth-state agreements. And Tony Abbott, commendably, tried to invigorate change through a white and green paper. While both efforts either stalled or fell short […]

This week the Queen provided comfort to millions worldwide. Her address, only the fifth of its kind, spoke of gratitude, reflection and unity in our constrained and difficult times. In addition to politicians and medical experts, notes the British writer Douglas Murray, many of us also “wanted to hear from the Queen, who remains the person best placed in our national life — or any nation’s life — to put in context what will hopefully soon recede in the national memory into one of those ugly things that just sometimes happens (italics mine).” Her speech, drawing from her other sparing […]

I was due to be married in Australia on May 9. But, even six weeks away, it is not to be. I understand this consideration is small compared to the looming economic collapse, joblessness and the weight of a global pandemic.  But it is a case study for all of us tethered to, and at the complete mercy, of governments — something that, at least in the West, we’ve worked so hard to avoid. Currently based in New Zealand, we woke to the Australian government travel advice mid-last week to get home “as soon as possible”.  Hopping on flights within […]

This week I was fortunate to be the guest speaker at Otago Polytechnic’s Bachelor for Leadership Change Programme. We talked about the importance of learning from mistakes, carving out a sphere of influence (controlling what you can), seeing setbacks as growth and a range of other topics at the intersection between leadership and public policy. A great discussion that brought together two keen interests of mine – personal development and public policy.  

Heavyweight boxing is not typically associated with Queen Elizabeth II or even the British monarchy.  But Anthony Joshua’s recent Commonwealth Day speech is a refreshing example of these two unlikely – but actually quite similar – worlds coming together.  Joshua, the current unified heavyweight champion, is Watford-born but of Nigerian descent. “I come from the Yoruba people,” he said in front of the Queen, “who are the largest and some might say the loudest ethnic group in all of Africa. I am proudly Nigerian and I am proudly British.”  His unifying remarks are refreshing at a time of jarring identity […]

Peter Kirstein – the man who helped Queen Elizabeth hit ‘send’ on her first email in 1976 – has died. His passing, the result of a brain tumour, symbolises not only a life of great leaps forward but also great change. In 1953, when Elizabeth took the throne at just 25, world figures included Churchill, Stalin and Eisenhower. Now it is Bojo, Putin and Trump. In 1949, just eight nations created the Commonwealth. Today membership comprises 53 states and 2.4 billion people. Summarising these sweeping changes, and how our attitudes have changed, the Archbishop of York John Sentamu neatly observes: […]

The end of the month marks 55 years since Winston Churchill’s death. With an estimated 10,000 books on the great man, one clearly needs to be careful in adding yet more layers of legend or biography. But this reservoir is too good not to tap, especially for young people that can learn practical lessons from someone who, at twenty-six, “had done enough to fill several lives”.[1] Far from existing only for his time “at the very gates of destiny”, in the eulogising words of Robert Menzies, millennials can draw from Churchill in everyday terms – from persisting in the face […]

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 […]