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There is no such thing as a “free lunch”. To continue the food metaphor, Canadian PM Mark Carney’s comment that if you are “not at the table, you are on the menu” is prophetic. By now, Australians should realise that “Make America Great Again” can only be achieved at the expense of the independence of … Read more

The “Resource Curse” is the economic equivalent of alcoholism … where our society becomes dependent on wealth generated through others taking our raw materials and leaving us just sufficient payment for subsistence and complacency. I have travelled widely in Papua New Guinea and can affirm that this modern version of the “Cargo Cult” can sap … Read more

While we still have our climate sceptics, and those with tunnel vision (who complain about short-term power prices), the increasing majority of Australians are slowly embracing the new reality … that the future of our planet and the prosperity of our country are both inextricably linked to embracing renewable energy sources, particularly solar and (in … Read more

Australians should learn from Norway … bold taxes coupled with equity (joint ownership). “… Norway leads the field … It levies a massive 78 per cent effective tax rate against the energy giants, partly through joint ownership of the projects, amongst the highest on the planet. That has helped it build a $US2.2 trillion sovereign … Read more

An insightful ABC Big Ideas discussion between Professor Michael Wesley (University of Melbourne and Lowy Institute +) and Geoff Raby (former Australian ambassador to China and author) explored how Australia is being drawn by the United States alliance into North Asian conflicts (with China) rather than concentrating on building strong relationships with Sout-East Asian neighbours … Read more

AS 4678 is modern limit-state design standard, that employs partial load (action) factors and partial resistance factors (rather than global factors of safety). This approach allows for greater flexibility and better understanding of the behaviour of retaining structures and their design for factored loads from supported structures. When considering the relevant limit states (aka failure … Read more

Reviewed by Keith Mbuya – Review Rating: 4 Stars Following an explosion at the Torres Strait gas pipeline terminal in Australia, veteran news anchor Jane Aurora interviews the Prime Minister. He not only appears shifty but also downplays the incident, despite reports of massive blasts. Aurora believes the Prime Minister is hiding something, and so … Read more

“… Donald Trump has again accused Australia of refusing to help the US in the Strait of Hormuz, but the Australian government maintains there has been no formal request for help from the US…. “I’m not happy with Australia because they were not there when we asked them to be there,” Mr Trump said. … … Read more

Partner Housing Australasia applauds the establishment of the Western Solomons University of Technology, as an important step in lifting the living standards of the Solomon Islands Western Province. Since 2007, PHA has been providing vital water and sanitation in Western Province (mostly centred in Ranongga villages), and we can now offer practical professional assistance and … Read more

“… in geopolitics, unlike poker, the players you are not watching are frequently the ones who determine the outcome.” This is the conclusion of an insightful article on the All-In strategy currently being advanced in the Middle East As the superpowers raise the stakes in this global poker game. Australia must avoid becoming part of … Read more