Employers have a duty to protect their workers, and every employee has the right to feel safe at work. But when the threat comes from outside the workplace, tackling it takes a coordinated, national effort. Australia is in the midst of a retail crime crisis. From theft and aggression to organised criminal activity, the problem […]

It’s 8pm on Wednesday 22 October and I’m onboard my flight from Berlin to London. I’ve already taken my seat when a group of English teenage school students board. One of the boys looks at me, spots my Brisbane Broncos cap, and remarks in a posh Hugh Grant-style London accent, “Oh, the Broncos, Reece Walsh […]

Let’s talk about the political outsider who defeated an established political dynasty. No, not Trump.  Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor, has emerged victorious, defeating establishment favourite Andrew Cuomo, taking City Hall. In the lead-up to election night, think pieces flooded the press dissecting his Democratic Socialist credentials, ambitious reform agenda, […]

The year was 2008. I’d been a junior television reporter for four years. I was on the precipice of finally cracking the ‘big league’ by doing my first live cross on national television. I was based in Parliament House, Canberra. The topic was the Global Financial Crisis. With sweaty palms and debilitating nerves, I paced […]

Midway through its first term, the Crisafulli Government will face its first electoral test. The Hinchinbrook by-election will take place on November 29, following the resignation of Katter MP Nick Dametto, who is to run for the Townsville mayoralty. By-elections are almost always unwanted events for any incumbent – even if it’s a seat, as […]

Australia’s political system is different to the rest of the world, as distinctive as our landscape and people – something we can all be proud of, and something we should all work hard to preserve. Just as our native flora and fauna have adapted to thrive in a unique and diverse environment, our democracy has […]

A good policy or reform is often backed by an evidence-based, holistic approach, but when the policy settings aren’t right, it’s important that governments adjust them: Explain the change. Have confidence in the decision. Move on. A good example of this – playing out right now – is Queensland’s coal royalty settings, a policy change […]

You’re no doubt familiar with the saying, “All publicity is good publicity.” It was coined by a 19th-century showman called P.T. Barnum, who owned and a ran a circus. You may know him as The Greatest Showman. I beg to differ with Mr Barnum and, I suspect in more recent times, several football stars and major […]

Thirty years ago, I entered Parliament in the 1996 Howard election landslide. Under Paul Keating, Labor had been reduced to a rump, and one of the few ALP members to enter Parliament was the member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese. Ironically, the Howard victory delivered a 94-seat majority — the same number as the ALP majority […]