John Laws, Richo, and the end of an era

John Laws not only commanded Australia’s airwaves for over seven decades, but our kitchen.

Laws’ voice bridged the gap between our kitchen and the world. When I heard the news that he was gone, I teared up and rang Alexandra to ask if we could do something that focused on the great man.

His departure leaves a void in the media landscape he helped define. For me, it stirs memories of a pivotal moment in my own career.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Michael de Percy has shared his personal story with John Laws and describes his passing as an ‘end of an era’. ‘Laws wasn’t just a broadcaster. He was a cultural institution. Laws’ voice bridged the gap between our kitchen and the world … his voice echoed across generations, and in no small way, it helped shaped mine.’

My latest in The Spectator Australia, John Laws, Richo, and the end of an era.

MICHAEL DE PERCY | "John Laws wasn’t just a broadcaster. He was a cultural institution."

Laws’ style was direct, probing, and unapologetically opinionated, yet he gave space for informed debate. That interview wasn’t just a platform, it was a milestone in my academic… pic.twitter.com/L55MaFy4Wr

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) November 10, 2025

Pauline Hanson speaks at Mar-a-Lago as Sussan Ley flounders

Hanson has announced plans for a greater nationwide push, supported by a proposed name change.

Pauline Hanson was invited to speak at the prestigious CPAC Circle Retreat and Gala at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, rubbing shoulders with conservative heavyweights. Hanson even attended Donald Trump’s Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate, signalling her rising stature on the world stage.

To put Pauline Hanson’s international presence into perspective, she was in good company with Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei’s libertarian reforms and anti-establishment rhetoric mirror Hanson’s own chainsaw approach to bureaucracy, and it’s working.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Speaking of… Michael de Percy reports on Pauline Hanson’s breakthrough speech at Mar-a-Lago while over 200 Liberal members have defected. So many people are trying to help the Liberals – people who have been loyal for decades and poured time and money into the cause. No one can understand their path of self-destruction.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Pauline Hanson speaks at Mar-a-Lago as Sussan Ley flounders.

Pauline Hanson’s party, long dismissed by the political elite as a fringe element, is now capitalising on voter disillusionment with the mainstream right.

Issues like immigration, cost-of-living pressures, climate hysteria, and national identity are resonating louder than ever.… pic.twitter.com/hyy5OAKgFG

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) November 7, 2025

NSW Nanny State makes regional roads more dangerous

I'm afraid without an intervention, I am B-Double fodder on the Hume Highway at 90km/h!

I challenge John Graham, NSW Minister for Transport, and Jenny Aitchison, the NSW Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport, to ride on a LAMS-approved motorcycle on the Hume Highway between Goulburn and Yass. I challenge them to maintain the required speed limit of 90km/h for motorcyclists on the learner and P1 licences. I challenge them to tell me how safe they feel as they are overtaken by a B-double semi-trailer in full swing.

My point is that slower speeds are not necessarily safer.

Not only is NSW subjecting novice motorcyclists to demanding conditions in the name of safety, but these same ministers are now considering reducing speed limits on rural and regional NSW roads to 70 to 90km/h down from 100km/h.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, NSW Nanny State makes regional roads more dangerous.

I challenge John Graham, NSW Minister for Transport, and Jenny Aitchison, the NSW Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport, to ride on a LAMS-approved motorcycle on the Hume Highway between Goulburn and Yass.

I challenge them to maintain the required speed limit of… pic.twitter.com/RLejaYqlgN

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) October 31, 2025