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John Menadue
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Working with PM Fraser – parting words – Part 5 – Malcolm Fraser
John Menadue stayed on as the most senior public servant in the land, after the trauma of the Dismissal. In this five-part series he details what life was like working with PM Fraser. Given his closeness to Whitlam, some of his conclusions are surprising. (more…) -
Working with PM Fraser – burying White Australia – Part 4
John Menadue stayed on as the most senior public servant in the land, after the trauma of the Dismissal. In this 5-part series he details what life was like working with PM Fraser. Given his closeness to Whitlam, some of his conclusions are surprising. -
Working with PM Fraser – a country divided – Part 3
John Menadue stayed on as the most senior public servant in the land, after the trauma of the Dismissal. In this 5-part series he details what life was like working with PM Fraser. Given his closeness to Whitlam, some of his conclusions are surprising. -
Working with PM Fraser – the business view – Part 2
John Menadue stayed on as the most senior public servant in the land, after the trauma of the Dismissal. In this 5-part series he details what life was like working with PM Fraser. Given his closeness to Whitlam, some of his conclusions are surprising. -
Nurturing the next generation of voices
One of the things that sets P&I apart is the seniority and deep experience of many of our authors. And that will not change, facts and historical understanding of issues are essential if we are to tackle the huge issues confronting us all. But the other essential element is fresh thinking and the kind of sparkling hope and action that young Australians bring to the table. (more…)
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Working with PM Fraser – the changeover – Part 1
John Menadue stayed on as the most senior public servant in the land, after the trauma of the Dismissal. In this 5-part series he details what life was like working with PM Fraser. Given his closeness to Whitlam, some of his conclusions are surprising. -
The integrity of our media matters – please support Pearls and Irritations
We continue to see powerful interests shape the headlines and spread misinformation faster than facts in current times. That’s why your support of what we do matters. (more…)
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The Dismissal, the role of the CIA, MI6 and Austral Americans
I was familiar with many of the events leading to the Dismissal on 11 November 1975. That knowledge was greatly increased by Professor Jenny Hocking with her long and successful campaign to have the Palace letters released. (more…)
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Murdoch, the Dismissal and my job in Japan
Rupert Murdoch played a critical role in the Dismissal. He knew how to bring pressure on Kerr and provided strong support for Malcolm Fraser. (more…)
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The Prince and the Dismissal
Anthony Albanese recently told us with bated breath from Balmoral Castle that Charles “is someone who is very interested in Australia”. “Interested “would be an understatement. (more…)
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The Queen’s implausible denial
It beggars belief that the Queen did not know that John Kerr was planning to sack Gough Whitlam. She may not have known the detail of the coup in progress, but she knew the substance. But like Lord Nelson she pretended she did not see anything. Nonsense. (more…)
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The second Dismissal – the loans affair and meetings with Kerr
The second part in a series of first-hand accounts of the Dismissal, from the man who was there: John Menadue. (more…)
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What would Whitlam think of the Albanese Government?
Gough Whitlam’s head mandarin and Pearls & Irritations founder & editor-in-chief John Menadue shares what he sees as the lessons of the Whitlam years, one of which is that the powerful can never be trusted. (more…)
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Ambush and deceit
The first in a series of first-hand accounts of the Dismissal, from the man who was there: John Menadue. (more…)
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Albo, Trump and China: No one likes a loser
The first obvious takeaway is that our prime minister has been wise not to heed the Austral Americans urging him to get to Washington as soon as possible. (more…)
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No justice or peace for Palestinians in Trump’s Plan
The Trump Plan is designed to reframe the issues in favour of Israel. Palestinians have been betrayed again. (more…)
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Two rights experts to address Press Club on Palestine recognition
Two globally renowned figures in the field of human rights will address the National Press Club in Canberra on 1 October on the topic “Palestine recognition: necessary but insufficient”. (more…)
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Australia needs to diplomatically disengage from our ‘dangerous ally’
It seems likely that our prime minister will meet Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly later this month. (more…)
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Climate change, not China, is the real threat in the South Pacific
Countries of the South Pacific have good reason to encourage China and other countries to assist them with infrastructure. And there is nothing that Australia should, or could, do about it. (more…)
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The real death toll in Gaza
The widely “accepted” figure for Palestinian deaths in Gaza is more than 63,000. That is horrific enough , but the number is more likely nearer 300,000. And our media don’t care. (more…)
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For 35 years after Vietnam, we had a self-reliant defence policy. We need it again
The US is almost always at war, not in defence of values and democracy but in its “manifest destiny” as the world hegemon. (more…)
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John Menadue in conversation with David Marr
In a wide-ranging discussion, P&I editor-in-chief John Menadue discusses a life full of achievement driven by conviction, and nominates seeing off the White Australia policy and establishing P&I as highlights. He is speaking with David Marr on ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live. (more…)
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The occupation and ethnic cleansing of Gaza was always Netanyahu’s intention
On 19 December 2023, in Pearls and Irritations I wrote: “Hamas is the excuse for the Israeli attack on Gaza. It is not the reason. The real Israeli reason and objective in Gaza is to drive out the population and destroy infrastructure as part of a long-term plan to expel Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere. This settler colonisation has been ongoing since 1948, starting with the Nakba.” (more…)
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Did the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945 end the war?
The widely accepted moral justification for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was that they brought a quick end to the war which if continued would result in more widespread deaths and destruction. (more…)
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Our media refuse to call out genocide in Gaza
Through its love affair with Israel and intimidated by the Zionist lobby, our legacy media has enabled the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, Israel’s apartheid regime and the illegal occupation of Palestinian land over the past century. (more…)
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Menadue on the dulling of the Australian conscience
Speaking with the Victorian Branch of Australian Fabians, P&I publisher, founder and editor-in-chief, John Menadue, reflects on the his life and work, the state of national leadership and public institutions including a debased mainstream media. (more…)
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Vale John Deeble – an architect of Medicare
Following John Menadue’s refection on 50 years of Medicare this week, many have raised the contribution of John Deeble. Below is an edited version of a 2018 tribute to the man without whom the scheme would not have been possible. (more…)
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Fifty years since that little green card came into being
Gough Whitlam had to do plenty of hard yakka to introduce an universal healthcare system. Today, it is central part of Australia life, and one of our great policy achievements.
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The Tasmanian election on 19 July won’t fix the mess
A Joint Commonwealth/State Health Commission could help address health failure. (more…)