The ALP – Arguing for a Minimum Program
The ALP has long been characterised by internal ideological divisions between self-identifying social democrats and self-identifying socialists. This division has always problematic because there are […]
Articles by Dr Tristan Ewins
Does ‘Radicalisation’ have to be a Problem?
Often we hear in discussions of Islamic/clerical Terrorism and the far right that the problem is ‘radicalisation’. This now has an integral place in how […]
State Power and the Left today
The other day I saw another post by a Conservative trashing Marxism and arguing that Marxism had never succeeded in practice. In response I argued […]
The Legacy of Daniel Andrews: Recognising the Good with the Bad
Today the impending retirement of Daniel Andrews – Labor Premier of Victoria – has been announced. For many of us this came as a surprise; […]
Labor’s First Budget pitched as “Modest and Responsible’ – But more Ambition needed
Labor’s first Budget has been pitched as ‘modest and responsible’, with limited new spending; and the intent of not fuelling inflationary pressures. That said, there […]
Social Justice doesn’t need to be ‘put on hold’ to fight inflation
In Australia the Labor Government is being warned not to spend too much for fear of exacerbating inflation. At the same time workers are urged […]
Remembering Mikhail Gorbachev and his Legacy
Mikhail Gorbachev has passed away at the age of 91. In the West Gorbachev is still held in high esteem for ‘ending the Cold War’. […]
Labor in government provides opportunities that should not be wasted
In the run-up to the Federal Election, many progressives tried to justify Labor’s small target strategy by arguing that Labor would get things done once […]
Wage Justice can be delivered while also containing inflation
Anthony Albanese stands besieged for suggesting a minimum wage increase which keeps pace with inflation. Specifically, that is 5.1%. This would raise full time wages […]
Short-term relief in Budget; but no long-term plan
If Labor delivered a Budget like we’re seeing portrayed from the Coalition Government in Australia the media would proclaim they were ‘irresponsibly’ ‘spending like drunken sailors’. But […]
Albanese needs to ‘Step up to the Plate’ and not avoid debate on Aged Care, Health and Welfare Reform
Labor Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has come under fire from the Conservative Coalition Government for suggesting on the ABC’s ‘Insiders’ program that extra funding may […]
Rejecting the Cashless Welfare Card a Good Start for Labor; but further cultural change necessary
It is now approaching a decade since Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest was approached by then Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, to advise on the creation of a […]
Labor Retreats on the Principle of Progressive Taxation
Last month Anthony Albanese announced that not only was Labor backing away from contentious reform of Negative Gearing and Capital Gains tax; it was also […]
Disability Pensions in Australia: Where entering into a Relationship can be a Poverty Sentence
It is generally quite difficult to obtain a Disability Support Pension (DSP) in Australia. There are job capacity and impairment tests; and many who are […]
Government does not go far enough on Aged Care reform, while Labor is too-light on the details
The recent Budget announcements are a mixed bag for Aged Care. They represent a step in the right direction; but much is still left to be done. […]