Dean Jaensch
Dean Jaensch is a political scientist and election analyst. He is an adjunct professor of politics at Flinders University, South Australia. He has been one of Australia’s foremost political commentators for several decades.
Articles by Dean Jaensch
Referendum debate just constitutes the preamble
During the negotiation stage after the 2010 election, one demand from the Greens was a referendum to incorporate indigenous people…... Read more
Chaplaincy challenge exposes Constitutional cracks
A common response to any suggestion that the Constitution needs reform is “if it aint broke, don’t fix it”. But…... Read more
Money (That’s What The States Still Want)
It used to be called the Premiers’ Conference, and it was all about money. The Premiers attended, determined to screw…... Read more
This isn’t the first time that Labor has blown up
Over its 122-year history, the Labor party has suffered three major internal cataclysms. In 1917, the issue of conscription saw…... Read more
Donations have no place in the political race
Over the past few years, the rivers of private donations to political parties have grown into a flood of Queensland…... Read more
Is it really worth propping up the ailing car industry?
Australian governments have a long history of offering taxpayers’ money to private businesses in an effort to get them to…... Read more
A well deserved payrise for these upstanding citizens
Just when we thought that politics had started its summer holidays, and the “big questions” were put aside for a…... Read more
Time for our morning constitutional change
It is likely that the 2013 federal election will be accompanied by three referendum questions. The last 110 years have…... Read more
Qantas standoff has cleared the air for real reform
An industrial dispute has two sides – employer and employee. The Qantas dispute had a very important third side –…... Read more
In politics it’s all just a little bit of history repeating
For SA Premier Mike Rann, “school” ends today, and from 9am tomorrow, he is on holidays. This is earlier than…... Read more
Keep the Upper House until they fix the Lower House
In his personal review of his legacy to South Australia, Premier Rann had two main regrets. The first was his…... Read more
Disrespecting pollies is as Aussie as flies at a barbie
A small minority of people have expressed some concern with the ABC top-rating satire, At Home With Julia. The main…... Read more
Gillard is up the creek in dire need of a paddle
A straightforward decision by the High Court: the government’s “Malaysian solution” was illegal. But that simple decision is surrounded by…... Read more
Shut the hell up and get back to running the nation
Australia, which includes the national government and parliament, faces a number of crucial issues. A short list: the carbon tax;…... Read more
Push for toughened privacy is supreme hypocrisy
The Gillard government, in concert with the Greens, is planning to toughen up privacy laws. The immediate spark for this…... Read more
Moving forward, let me say this on working families…
Australia is one of the most multi-ethnic societies on earth. As a result, we are living in a kaleidoscope of…... Read more
Thou shalt separate Church and State
Politics. Religion. Combine the two and the result can be very nasty indeed. Think about a short list: the Crusades,…... Read more
Has Gillard (finally) struck on a winning policy?
Prime Minister Julia Gillard faces a number of unresolved problems in 2011. These include the continuing backwash of the school…... Read more
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The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
