The Australian prime minister has a go at telling Scotland which way it should vote in next month's independence referendum. Scots are unlikely to be impressed.
Category: Political issues
Coalition with a conscience?
It looks as if the Liberal Party is likely to get a conscience vote on introducing same-sex marriage in Australia. The interesting question is what it will do with it.
Some thoughts about “terrorism”
Terrorism everywhere, it seems: Ukraine, Iraq, Gaza. Or are we using the label as a substitute for serious thought?
Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy
Hong Kong looks like getting the universal suffrage that Beijing promised, but how democratic it will really be remains to be seen.
Juncker gets the job
Luxembourgish Christian Democrat Jean-Claude Juncker will be the next head of the European Commission. At best it's a small step towards democratic accountability.
How not to address political corruption
Thirty years on, public funding of Australian election campaigns has recorded a striking lack of success at stopping corruption. As should have been expected all along.
Blood and iron in Ukraine
Progress towards a resolution in eastern Ukraine has been made not by negotiation but by military action. Sad as it may be, that's how the world often works.
Notes on a new Senate
With any luck, Australia's latest contingent of new senators will be the last to be elected with automatic ticket voting. The debate shows minor parties to be just as much captives to self-interest as anyone.
Kurds move closer still to statehood
With continued chaos in Iraq, the country's Kurds find that independence may now be within their grasp.
Howard Baker, RIP
Howard Baker, who died on Thursday aged 88, led the first Republican Senate majority for a generation. His leadership style would be unwelcome among today's Republicans.
The World is Not Enough 