Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke - like most public figures - always likes to get his picture in the paper.
But there was one time when I beat him at his own game.
It was the annual cricket match between the ACTU XI and the Press XI in Port Melbourne in the mid-70s.
Continue reading "Yes I love Bob Hawke and long may he reign" »
I think that we in the ALP are better than our opponents in celebrating our history and honouring our own.
Whereas Malcolm Fraser is reviled by modern Liberals and the Democrats cannibalise their leadership, we revere our former Prime Ministers.
Past differences, old feuds and factional rivalries are forgotten as we celebrate success, and forget failures. I’ve seen, for instance, left-wing delegates cheer and give standing ovations to Paul Keating, their former nemesis. For us, Labor’s history is part of our present, and our future.
Continue reading "Honouring the greatest architect of consensus" »
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Razor says:
Funny how Whitlamesque is still a description the ALP Spin meisters will do anything to avoid. Read more »
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Steve says:
I would argue that the central philosophies of the ALP, as a labour-backed party rest on the cornerstone of a belief in structure, class and hierarchy. Having a view of a society broken down in to these so-called structures makes it easier for them to put forward their policies which… Read more »
It is 20 years to the day that the student protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square were put down with brutal force by the Chinese Government.
This calculated act of state-sponsored violence was the most audacious expression of the Chinese dictatorship’s disregard for human rights. In full view of the world, with the above video still standing as a defining moment in history, China cemented its standing as a rogue state.
The face of modern Australia was also changed by Tiananmen. Our then prime minister Bob Hawke famously broke down on television, announcing that all 20,000 Chinese students then resident in our country could stay permanently. Today, Bob Hawke is a lobbyist with an office in Shanghai, and has spent much of the past week ducking requests for interviews.
Continue reading "Tiananmen: Never forget, unless you’re Bob Hawke" »
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Lived There For Years says:
That Chinese people have more freedom is arguable given that the Party has deliberately blocked information on the massacre for two decades, dissidents are reportedly removed against their will, widespread blocking of internet information occurs and the subject, when it is raised by the Chinese in China, is done so… Read more »
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Casey Whale says:
They probably wouldn’t arrest him, but he may run into some umbrella-related problems. As an Aussie journo living and working in Shanghai I’m used to censorship, but this is ridiculous. http://shanghaiist.com/2009/06/03/photo_of_the_day_cnn_anchor_blocked.php Read more »
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