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Showing posts with label Australian Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australian Politics. Show all posts

Hold the PHON! One Nation is on the rise!

In an historically sgnificant move, One Nation is removing the founder's name from its branding.

The announced change in name from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (PHON) to simply ‘One Nation’ is significant. Political parties that include the founder’s name come and go, but no active political party that includes the founder’s name has existed as long as the party formed by Pauline Hanson in 1997.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Hold the PHON! One Nation is on the rise!

Albo’s wall-to-wall press coverage wants us to ‘Back Australia’

They are basically saying Albo will Make Australia Great Again but with different words.

In the tradition of Australian political theatre, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled his latest bid for relevance, the ‘Back Australia’ campaign.

Launched with nauseating levels of support from the mainstream media, the usual corporate titans have jumped on the government-funded bandwagon. Albo’s pitiful policy promises of a ‘new industrial era’ have been copied and pasted across Australia’s mastheads.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaAlbo’s wall-to-wall press coverage wants us to ‘Back Australia’.

Trump saves Albo from diplomatic disaster, but Rudd must go

Kevin Rudd's position is position is untenable in a Trump Administration. He must go. Now.

Throwing Rudd under the bus, or at least signalling his expendability, would have been a small price for Albo to pay for smoother relations. Yet, thanks to Trump’s grace, Albo might dodge that bullet too, at least for now.

But here’s my take. Kevin Rudd must be dismissed as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States. His position is untenable in a Trump Administration, and clinging to him risks further alienating our most crucial ally.

Australia deserves better than relying on luck and the goodwill of others, and we don’t need Rudd as a dead weight in Washington.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Trump saves Albo from diplomatic disaster, but Rudd must go.

Albo the ‘Man of Lead’ while Chalmers has no clue

Lead folds any way you want and it is malleable to the point of weakness.

According to a close mate in Gunning, Albo should henceforth be known as the ‘Man of Lead’. Here’s why the metallurgical metaphor is so apt.

In the annals of Australian political leadership, metallurgical metaphors have often captured the essence of a prime minister’s mettle.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaAlbo the ‘Man of Lead’ while Chalmers has no clue.

Australians all let us regret, for we were weak and blind

Senator James Paterson delivering the Tom Hughes Oration on Tuesday 14 October 2025.

James Paterson’s speech is a good start, but the Liberals need contemporary solutions, not old habits.

With Labor abusing power through slashed opposition resources and opaque governance, the Liberals have a moral duty to oppose effectively, lest Australia succumb to a ‘Victorianisation’ of entrenched left-wing dominance.

The culture wars, consisting of battles over identity politics, rewriting history, and developing idiotic societal norms, are no sideshow. The culture wars are central to the fray.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Michael de Percy weighs in on James Paterson’s rousing speech. ‘Paterson’s speech urged the Liberal Party to end its ‘apology tour’, resolve internal divisions, and recommit to its core values.’ But then Michael cautions, ‘We can pretend all we like that we can use ideas from the 1990s to fix 2020s problems, but such naïve thinking defies all sense of history.’

In the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes wrote:

Senior Liberal James Paterson – the federal parliamentary Liberals’ best and most consistent performer by a long chalk (not that I’ll get a Christmas card from him for saying so) has laid out a decent prescription for the beleaguered party to get its proverbial together. Michael de Percy, however, rejects the Paterson plan outright. He views Paterson’s prescription as anachronistic and unfit for purpose for the uncertain times of the 2020s, as the Liberal party itself remains anchored the mindsets of the 1980s to early 2000s. John Howard’s broad church is dead, says de Percy, whereas Paterson still assumes it is alive. I’d like to have a lively discussion on this with Michael over a few beers, for I think Paterson generally is right. What do you think?

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaAustralians all let us regret, for we were weak and blind.

Time for a rethink of car manufacturing in Australia

Andrew Hastie is right, we should build things again.

Amid the post-Cold War euphoria from the 1990s onward, globalisation’s architects like Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and even John Howard, preached the ‘commercial peace’ thesis. Open borders, supply chains snaking across continents, and WTO rules would bind nations in mutual prosperity, rendering war obsolete. Australia, ever the eager disciple, signed free trade pacts from Singapore to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), slashing tariffs and welcoming Chinese investment in our ports and mines.

It worked, economically. GDP boomed, jobs flowed, and our ‘mixed economy’, or the pragmatic blend of coordinated and competitive capitalism that Stilwell had so deftly mapped out, thrived.

But geopolitics has a rude habit of upending theory.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaTime for a rethink of car manufacturing in Australia.

Are we really that gullible?

The media is spinning narratives. When threats are made, it matters to the press who makes them.

If Britain is the harbinger, Australia is the echo chamber, amplifying elite delusions while the rest of us foot the bill.

But if rising cost of electricity is a slow-burn outrage, the media’s selective outrage on security threats is a full-throated farce. Consider the horror that unfolded in Manchester on October 2, during Yom Kippur no less.

Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old who was reported to be on bail after being arrested on suspicion of rape, allegedly rammed his car into worshippers outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, then stabbed a security guard to death.

Two Jewish lives snuffed out in minutes of terror.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaAre we really that gullible?

This isn’t progress, it’s punishment

Modern communism is destroying True Blue Australia.

In the shadow of our sunburnt country, an insidious force is at work, dismantling the very fabric of what it means to be Australian.

It’s not the bushfires or the floods that threaten our identity. Those are the battles we’ve always fought and won.

No, the real enemy is the creeping tide of modern communism, disguised as progressive virtue and unchecked mass immigration, that seeks to erase our unique cultural heritage in favour of a homogenised, globalist grey.

From the demolition of our Federation houses to the silencing of political opinion, and now the swamping of our suburbs with endless arrivals, this ideology doesn’t just hate Australia, it loathes the rugged individualism that built it.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaThis isn’t progress, it’s punishment.

Here comes Andrew Hastie!

Is this the calm before a leadership storm? Hastie calls it quits on Sussan Ley's Shadow Cabinet.

Andrew Hastie has made a move that will go down in the history books of the Liberal Party of Australia.

In the cutthroat arena of Australian politics, where ambition often masquerades as principle, Andrew Hastie’s resignation from the Coalition Shadow Cabinet stands out as a rare act of authenticity. In a candid email to his constituents this week, the MP from Western Australia detailed his early-morning call to Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, stepping down from the Shadow Home Affairs role because he could no longer stomach the gag order on immigration – a portfolio cornerstone he was barred from shaping or even discussing.

Hastie’s dilemma is painfully clear. Ley’s letter demanded Shadow Cabinet solidarity, binding him to party lines without a seat at the policy table.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Here I was, about to sign off for Friday evening, when Andrew Hastie came out with the mother of all jump scares. He has quit Shadow Cabinet – thrown shade at Sussan Ley’s migration position – and joined the serious conservative talented amassing on the backbench. The Moderates will spend the weekend freaking out about the imminent threat of a leadership challenge.

In the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes wrote:

On Friday evening, Andrew Hastie announced his resignation from Sussan Ley’s motley frontbench, creating excitement amongst conservatives who knows the Liberal party has badly lost its way, and is heading to irrelevance unless it changes. Hastie quit over his being shut out of immigration policy despite it being part of his Home Affairs portfolio, but he’s also made it clear he wants to speak out on net zero and other issues, and is unafraid to rock the Liberal boat to effect a changed direction. Michael de Percy and Alexandra Marshall in today’s selection are delighted with Hastie’s drawing lines in Ley’s Labor-lite sand, as does Minny Jackson.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaHere comes Andrew Hastie!

CPAC Australia 2025: A conservative awakening

Eliza and I with Senator Hanson in front of the One Nation ‘Please Explain’ pinball machine

In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah, CPAC Australia was held in Brisbane over the weekend of 20-21 September.

From standing ovations to fiery speeches, it was a gathering that reaffirmed the conservative movement’s pulse in Australia. But amid the stellar lineup of speakers, one figure stood out as the undeniable highlight: Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Her presence not only electrified the room but also signalled her potential as a future Prime Minister – a bold, unifying force for a nation weary of Woke policies and economic folly.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

CPAC went off without a hitch over the weekend, with the stand-out crowd winners being Jacinta Price and Pauline Hanson – the latter of which announced the beloved Please Explain! cartoon series will be released as a feature length movie on Australia Day.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaCPAC Australia 2025: A conservative awakening.

A Conservative Manifesto to rescue Australia from Albo

Now’s the time for conservative Australians to shake a leg.

The once-formidable Liberal Party, now a defunct shell of its former self, is ideologically adrift and electorally diminished, and appears content to nod along with Labor’s agenda, offering little more than token resistance.

Beneath the rhetoric of unity and fairness lies a stark reality. Our nation’s conservatives are fractured, leaderless, and in desperate need of a unifying force.

It is time to rally around a bold conservative manifesto, one that repurposes the remnants of the Liberal Party as a launchpad to challenge this creeping authoritarianism and restore Australia’s economic vitality.

Alexander Marshall wrote in the Unfiltered newsletter:

Maybe the Liberal Party should take Michael de Percy’s advice and embark on a Conservative Manifesto to re-establish the beliefs and principles which will lead the party forward.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaA Conservative Manifesto to rescue Australia from Albo.

It’s time to end union stranglehold on industry super funds

Paul Schroder at the National Press Club: Super funds are not a government 'piggy bank'.

Government interference in investment decisions would be a ‘disaster’ for members, he argued, and here Schroder hits the nail on the head. Super funds must remain independent, focused on delivering returns to everyday Australians rather than bending to Canberra’s whims. His vision of super as an ‘engine room’ for national prosperity – investing in housing, energy transitions, and infrastructure on a risk-adjusted basis – is at least workable, provided it’s not dictated from above.

Yet, for all his talk of modernisation and adapting to ‘changes in society’, Schroder’s address curiously sidestepped the most glaring anachronism in the room: AustralianSuper’s own governance structure.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, It’s time to end union stranglehold on industry super funds.

Malcolm Roberts calls for an inquiry into immigration policy

One Nation are the only party questioning the impact of immigration on our economy during the crisis. 

Senator Roberts has called for a straightforward parliamentary inquiry into the impacts of mass immigration on housing prices, rentals, wages, infrastructure (such as schools, roads, and hospitals), and social cohesion.

He has invited submissions from all sides, stating that if data shows immigration as a strength, Australians should see it.

Otherwise, our immigration policy needs re-evaluation.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaMalcolm Roberts calls for an inquiry into immigration policy.

King Albo of Multicultural Australia

With no credible opposition in sight, Albo struts around like he is the King of Multicultural Australia.

After failing to win The Voice to Parliament referendum, King Albo was forced to cancel the Assistant Minister for a Republic.

Multiculturalism, however, now has its very own Cabinet Minister.

In Question Time on September 1, Ashvini Ambihaipahar asked this Dorothy Dixer of Labor’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Dr Anne Aly:

How is the Albanese Labor government strengthening and building upon the success that is multicultural Australia.

In response, Dr Aly could not hold back her excitement:

For the first time, Australia has a standalone Minister for Multicultural Affairs.

Aly is also the Minister for Small Business. It’s a pity that small businesses are standing alone as their hopes and dreams are dashed on Labor’s socialist beachhead.

For a beachhead it is.

Alexandra Marshall wrote in the Unfiltered newsletter:

The narrative of Multicultural Australia is coming under intense scrutiny, including in the Senate where One Nation has pushed for an inquiry to get to the bottom of whether or not diversity really is our strength, economically speaking. Well, according to Michael de Percy, Anthony Albanese appears to see himself as the King of this ideological movement. ‘In the presence of his court jesters and an Opposition scared of its own shadow, King Albo presides over Conflation Nation.’

Terry Barnes wrote in the Morning Double Shot newsletter:

Michael de Percy tells us why the Prime Minister is ‘king’ of exploiting multiculturalism for political gain better than your scribe ever could. As his article’s subtitle says: Australians deserve better; Middle Australians demand it.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaKing Albo of Multicultural Australia.

What a crock. Treasurer’s talkfest forgets to cut spending

Treasurer Jim Chalmers claimed this gabfest would forge consensus on bold reforms.

Productivity isn’t some esoteric puzzle requiring endless panels and PowerPoints. It’s the driver of our standard of living, but it’s been stalled by Labor’s bureaucratic bloat and fiscal profligacy. Chalmers’ roundtable, with its leaked Treasury advice hinting at timid outcomes like freezing certain expenditures, reeks of the same old Labor playbook: consult, delay, and deflect.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Anyone else suspect ‘productivity’ might be Jim Chalmers’ code word for ‘raising taxes’? We’re hearing a lot of whispers leaking out of the roundtable about grave robbing (inheritance tax), raising the GST, a 2 per cent wealth tax, and other hikes. Tax is a punishment. Tax is meant to deter us naughty citizens from a bad activity. That’s the reason the government gives us for taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, and petrol. How does taxing productivity encourage productivity? What sort of magical money trees is the Treasurer planting in Canberra?

My latest in The Spectator Australia, What a crock. Treasurer’s talkfest forgets to cut spending.

Albo breaches social contract with Palestinian recognition

Albanese’s recognition of Palestine smacks of Burkean folly.

Australia’s longstanding alliance with Israel, rooted in shared democratic values and strategic interests, has been a pillar of our foreign policy. Recognising Palestine prematurely, amid ongoing conflicts and without ironclad commitments to peace, will strain ties with key partners like the United States, which has historically opposed such moves without bilateral agreements.

The US is the only other ally in history who spilt blood defending us against an eternal aggressor. Anyone who doesn’t understand this is an ungrateful recipient of history.

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

Michael de Percy adds that Albanese has breached his social contract with the Australian people be doing so, saying that the move by the Prime Minister ‘reeks of ideological posturing over prudent statecraft to ensure our national security’. He also adds that it ‘smacks of Burkean folly’.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaAlbo breaches social contract with Palestinian recognition.

Speakman silent while renewables wreck regions

Wendy Tuckerman has actively engaged with regional Australians impacted by reckless renewables.  

Blindsided by the resignation of frontbencher Wendy Tuckerman over the party’s limp support for Labor’s controversial renewable energy laws, NSW Liberals leader Mark Speakman has presided over a fiasco that exposes the deep fissures within the Liberals.

The crisis erupted when Tuckerman, the MP for Goulburn, sensationally quit the opposition frontbench in protest over her party’s handling of Labor’s rushed electricity bill. This legislation, aimed at accelerating the transition to renewables, has been slated for its lack of consultation and its blatant disregard for the impacts on rural landowners.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Speakman silent while renewables wreck regions.

Is it time we elected judges in Australia?

Ordinary Australians are being held to ransom by activist groups that do not represent the mainstream.

The Palestinian Action Group’s win in the Supreme Court of NSW is not a victory for freedom of speech. It demonstrates that unelected judges are able to stymy the ability of NSW Police to put a stop to a protest that endangers peace and public order.

It begs the question: Who holds judges to account?

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaIs it time we elected judges in Australia?

Albo’s TikTok dilemma

Imagine if Albo has to overturn the social media ban because of his communist masters

Chinese social media giant TikTok is set to launch a constitutional challenge to Australia’s controversial social media ban for under 16-year-olds. This comes amid calls to decrease the voting age to 16, an exercise that I recently demonstrated will force children to become adults too soon.

Opposition to Labor’s social media ban for under 16-year-olds, an abhorrent exercise in government overreach led by eKaren, has had little practical effect. God knows Australia’s Uniparty isn’t interested in defending liberal democracy.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

The problem deepens with TikTok considering legal action against Albanese’s government – Google too. Albanese is snapping back, attempting to throw his weight around against Silicon Valley without realising that Australia does not own the digital realm. It did not create it. And it has no replacement. What happens if Google and Bing blacklist Australia? What happens to the business world if social media is shut off? Labor likes to talk about existential threats – I assure you, Silicon Valley shutting Australia off is the end of the economy. Labor does not have the ability to pull rank, especially not when Silicon Valley sits inside America – our major defence ally. What’s Albanese’s plan, asking China to run our search engines and social media? Seriously. Labor’s desire to censor free speech is overshadowing all rational thought.

My latest in The Spectator AustraliaAlbo’s TikTok dilemma.

Two Against One with Rowan Dean and Michael Danby

On The World ccording to Rowan Dean, 25 July 2025 

Discussing the demise of green hydrogen in Australia and French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognise a Palestinian state on "The World According to Rowan Dean" tonight.

I'm on from 41:23 minutes in: Two Against One with Rowan Dean and Michael Danby.

© 2025 Dr Michael de Percy
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