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…)
John Menadue
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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…)
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Donald Trump and his minions may yet do us a favour in ending AUKUS
The US must be told that we will not be involved in any way and at any time in a war with China over Taiwan. (more…)
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Our white man’s media shuns Asia
We talk glibly about our future in Asia, but we are stuck in a US and UK media cul de sac. (more…)
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The bamboo ceiling is still very much in place Down Under
Our business sector lacks the skills to do business in Asia. And instead of improving, the situation is getting markedly worse. (more…)
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PM Albanese promises to restore trust in democracy
But his record does not give grounds for confidence. In his National Press Club address, PM Albanese referred to the “trust deficit” in other democracies such as the US. The clear inference is that Australia does not have a “trust” deficit. (more…)
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Our retreat from Asia has become a rout
On almost every measure, Australia has gone backwards on engaging with our region, and particularly with China, and it is time to do something about it. (more…)
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Weaponisation of ‘antisemitism’ hides primitive savagery of Palestinian genocide
As expressed in the UN General Assembly, the vast majority of the world’s governments and peoples agree that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and now the West Bank. (more…)
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Message from the editor-in-chief: Genocide is not newsworthy in The Australian
Our mainstream media have manufactured public consent to the genocide.The Australian has become a parody of a newspaper. (more…)
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‘Never again’ not only for Jews, but for Palestinians and all humanity
Israel has no right of self-defence against resistance in lands that are illegally occupied. (more…)
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Medicare’s much-needed reform held hostage by vested interests: Michael Lester in conversation with John Menadue, AO
Access to affordable primary healthcare through GPs has collapsed, forcing more people to rely on overcrowded and understaffed public hospitals. These hospitals, meant to be a last resort, have instead become the costly default option. (more…)
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There is no way in which China is a threat to Australia or even the US
Pearls and Irritations editor-in-chief John Menadue talks to Pascal Lottez of Neutrality Studies about Western misconceptions of China and the narrative that has led to a very poor understanding of the biggest power in Asia. (more…)
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Dutton has little faith in Medicare. Like Trump, he prefers culture wars
Peter Dutton does not really believe in Medicare. He is more interested in Trump-type culture wars than the health of Australians. (more…)
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Palestinian speech and the trials of Mark Dreyfus
“The label Zionist is used, not in any way, accurately. When critics use that word, they actually mean Jew. They’re not really saying Zionist, they’re saying Jew because they know that they cannot say Jew, so they say Zionist or words [such as] Zeo or Zio.” –Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, October 2024 (more…)
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Catriona Jackson appointed editor of Pearls and Irritations
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Catriona Jackson as the editor of Pearls and Irritations from 17 March. (more…)
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The AUKUS chickens are coming home to roost, already
In its response to AUKUS with its objective of militarily confronting China in the South China Sea, we should not be surprised by Chinese naval vessels sailing around Australia to pick up some intelligence or at least showing us their growing naval power. (more…)
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The weaponising of ‘antisemitism’ is to hide the genocide
As expressed in the UN General Assembly, the vast majority of the world’s governments and peoples agree that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and now the West Bank. The main supporters of Israel — the US, Canada, Australia and NZ, the settler colonial states — have all expropriated their indigenous populations and find little disagreement with Israel doing the same. (more…)
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Editorial changes at Pearls and Irritations
At the end of this month we farewell Aran Martin, after over two years as our editor. (more…)
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Summing up
The world and its people are facing very serious local and global emergencies. Climate change, economic instability, limits to free speech, threats to independent media and increasing social inequality all signal the breakdown of democratic systems across the world. The genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine are ongoing. Our political institutions and leaders are failing us with increasingly conservative policies that favour big business. (more…)
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Joe Biden’s legacy? The Palestinian genocide
American presidents are big on talking about what they believe to be their legacy, even if there is no substance to the claims they make. With Joe Biden, it is crystal clear what he can claim as his legacy: the genocide that has resulted in close to 70,000 Palestinian lives being snuffed out.
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How Murdoch got a foothold in Foxtel (An updated post from 1 February 2014)
Rupert Murdoch relies on political threats for commercial benefit (more…)
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Summing up
The world and its people are facing very serious local and global emergencies. Climate change, economic instability, limits to free speech, threats to independent media and increasing social inequality all signal the breakdown of democratic systems across the world. The genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine are ongoing. Our political institutions and leaders are failing us with increasingly conservative policies that favour big business. (more…)
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In defence of free speech about genocide in Gaza
Early in the New Year, acclaimed journalist and former SBS news anchor Mary Kostakidis posted a statement on her X account in the hope it would bring to a close legal proceedings brought against her in the Australian Human Rights Commission by the CEO of the Zionist Federation of Australia, alleging that social media posts on Israel’s genocidal acts in Gaza allegedly violated the country’s Racial Discrimination Act. (more…)
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Will the Cocos Islands become like Diego Garcia, hijacked by the US?
The 2000 residents of Diego Garcia were forcibly removed to make way for a giant US military base. (more…)
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The US sees China through the dark mirror of its own unbridled aggression
As China grows and prospers many in the US want us to believe that China will follow the same path that the US itself pursued – global military aggression, the overthrow of numerous governments around the world and persecution of minorities at home. (A repost from February 2023.)
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White Man’s Media: The Washington consensus and legacy media frames and conditions our thinking and actions
In Gaza we have witnessed a litany of lies by Israel and America peddled by our media day after day.The lives of white Jews and Christians are clearly more valuable than the lives of brown Muslims. (more…)
