Gerard Henderson’s Weekly Column | The Sydney Institute

Whoever started it, the US embrace has turned into a group hug

22 November 2011 by Gerard Henderson

Like many successful entities, the Australian-American alliance has numerous parents. Interviewed on The Bolt Report this month, the ALP operative John Della Bosca declared: ”The Labor Party created the US alliance.” … Read More

The media are picking up good vibrations but can’t shake off the facts

15 November 2011 by Gerard Henderson

Talk about a serious case of “the vibe”. Australians returning from a period overseas who turned on Insiders last Sunday might have got the impression that Labor and Julia Gillard were … Read More

Survival the key for media, not to be broken on the rack of regulation

8 November 2011 by Gerard Henderson

On Thursday I received an email from the Independent Inquiry into Media and Media Regulation. The organisation’s secretariat advised that Ray Finkelstein, QC, and Matthew Ricketson had asked about my … Read More

Qantas workers must face global facts of life

1 November 2011 by Gerard Henderson

In all the commentary on the Qantas dispute, perhaps the most salient point was raised by journalist Claire Harvey. She was on the Meet the Press panel on Channel Ten, where … Read More

Placards aplenty at protest but it’s hard to see the good for the pleas

25 October 2011 by Gerard Henderson

Visiting the Occupy Sydney demonstration outside the Reserve Bank in Martin Place on Friday was something of a surreal experience. Despite the placard quoting Marxist Che Guevara (“a true revolutionary … Read More

In times of uncertainty, these hereditary celebrities reign

18 October 2011 by Gerard Henderson

If you are an Australian in London and seeking to hang out with a group of expatriate republicans, it would be worth checking out the guests’ entrance to Buckingham Palace. … Read More

Unions choose masters over members in carbon tax debate

11 October 2011 by Gerard Henderson

Now, here’s a test. Name one leading trade union figure in the US or Canada who is calling for a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme (including the cap-and-trade … Read More

Sectarian rant against Abbott is full of holes, despite QC’s excitement

4 October 2011 by Gerard Henderson

The designations QC and SC invariably suggest a barrister who is considered and skilful in cross-examination. Court reporters usually take note when, in answers to tough-minded questioning from a QC … Read More

Australia has always had its own opinion on Israel policy

27 September 2011 by Gerard Henderson

A few years ago I met a group of Arab journalists, whose visit to Australia was sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Discussion soon turned to the … Read More

Comedy or not, the producers are green

20 September 2011 by Gerard Henderson

It was not so long ago that anyone who proclaimed that “the end of the world is nigh” was regarded as a suitable target for laughter, even ridicule. Not any … Read More

Explanation required when a judge’s verdict gives rise to disquiet

13 September 2011 by Gerard Henderson

According to Tom Bathurst, recently appointed Chief Justice of NSW, judges should speak out more. Chief Justice Bathurst was reported yesterday as saying that judges should explain to the public … Read More

Activist judges give mixed signals

6 September 2011 by Gerard Henderson

Julia Gillard has received considerable criticism for her comments on Chief Justice Robert French and the High Court’s decision in the Malaysian offshore processing case. On Friday, Justice Philip McMurdo, … Read More

Literary festivals and prizes champion politics over quality

30 August 2011 by Gerard Henderson

Premiers come and premiers go. But premiers’ literary prizes, like state government-funded writers’ festivals, do not change much at all. Last week it was announced that David Hicks’s Guantanamo: My Journey … Read More

Road to ruin for traditional Labor

23 August 2011 by Gerard Henderson

Julia Gillard and her senior colleagues are confident that Labor’s political fortunes will begin to improve when the carbon tax kicks in on July 1 next year. They believe much … Read More

Ex-blacksmith may be needed to hammer out Senate deals

16 August 2011 by Gerard Henderson

The resumption of Parliament after the winter recess will see the Democratic Labor Party’s Senator John Madigan give his first speech. He has already asked a question – on defence. … Read More

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