Harvard Repatriations and the Responsibility of Guilt
Harvard University is the latest of America’s elite colleges to establish a fund to redress the burden of guilt it says …
Culture & Society Commentaries
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Postcolonial guilt-trippers are doing more harm than good
Two years ago, the Australian winter was marred by vandalism of statues commemorating notable figures in the country’s history. Statues …
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The Subtle Forms of Antisemitism in Australia
Many Australians assume that antisemitism—the hatred of Jews—is a cloud seldom casting a shadow over our landscape. And we can be thankful that in this country, attacks on synagogues, assaults on Jewish people, or vandalised Jewish cemeteries are rare occurrences. But the spectre of antisemitism still stalks the land.
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Ukrainian Refugees and the Multiculturalism of Displacement
As war intensifies in Ukraine, the toll of human misery and suffering is rising. Civilians hurrying to flee the fighting are once again crossing European land borders, taking with them any possessions they can carry, in search of a respite from conflict.
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Religious discrimination bill’s failure sits firmly with the government
The Morrison government has pulled its religious discrimination bill after it was clear that senate amendments would fundamentally change the nature of the protection being offered. The process of this legislation, which stems from the 2018 Ruddock Review, has now been completely derailed.
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Balancing Rights and Freedom, Secular and Traditional Values
Declared a fundamental human right in international treaties to which Australia is a signatory, the exercise of the right to religious freedom has nonetheless been sorely tested in recent days.
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Dark times ahead as Australia faces crisis on crisis
I used to be an optimist about the world but now I am depressed. When I was born in the early 1970s, the popular wisdom warned that, unless prompt and drastic action was taken to limit population and industrial growth and to end nuclear weapons, the world would face disaster by the end of the 20th century.
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Fringe Politics Threatens More Harm Than Good to Australia’s Democracy
Buffeted by the stormy blasts of COVID-19, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government rolled and rocked at times like the Manly ferry in a tempest. And now as he prepares to go to the polls in the first half of 2022, Morrison will be hoping that voters will reward him for his efforts by sending him back to the Lodge for another term.
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Omicron: A New Variant and New Hope for Australia
As we approach the end of 2021, COVID-19 adds another component in the Greek alphabet for us to learn—the 15th letter, Omicron.
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Religious Believers in Australia Get Protections, Not Freedom
Time appeared to be running out for the Australian government to deliver on its 2019 election pledge to legislate protections …