The introduction of HECS by the Hawke Labor Government saw University education become a user pays system, though it must be said it was somewhat more equitable a system under Labor. This is a worrying trend for Australian society. I want my doctors to be the best available. I want them to be smart people. I want the same of my scientists and my politicians and everyone who goes to Uni. They all contribute to the greatness of our society. I don’t want money to be determining who gets a Uni de...

“I love Brendan Nelson’s big quote in the Nelson Report on the abolition of compulsory student union fees. He said students should not have to pay for something they do not use and I was like “that’s f**kin’ sweet. I’m not paying for my degree. Thanks for that Brendan.” - comedian Wil Anderson A student friend told me recently how she hates that she has to pay for the Uni student union when she doesn’t use any of its services. I said nothing but I am highly critical of this attitude. I do...

For eight long years, Johnny Howard has complained about the Senate, where the ALP, Dems and Greens have had a combined majority, not passing Liberal Party legislation. He has gone on and on about him having a mandate as the Government. On Sunday, we saw Johnny's last whinge about this and so now my last chance to whinge about his whinge: http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/political_transcripts/article_1684.asp "LAURIE OAKES: Now, do you think the Labor Party should take account of the...

I commended Darryl Hare when he called Muttiah Muralitharan for chucking. I believed he was protecting cricket from turning into baseball. As a bowler, I thought it was important to preserve straight-armed bowling and that it was unfair on me and other straight-armed bowlers to let Murali under the radar. I still think what Hare did was right, given the rules of the day, but since my childhood I have gotten to know my cricket history a lot better. Rules about acceptable bowling have gone ...

So apparently, a few days after the US and Australia have finished having those pesky elections, there are now talks of the USA testing smart bombs in Australia. Funny how no one mentioned this idea before October 9. I suppose the idea sprung out of nowhere in a post-election whim and they were so inspired they immediately laid out all the plans, and then, in a fit of creativity came up with ideas like anti-abortion laws and the abolition of compulsory student unions. If only they'd thought o...

We've been having our own little debate about gay marriage and abortion in Australia. A supposedly Christian Party, calling themselves Family First (the name seems about as appropriate as the name Liberal Party is for John Howard's Liberals Party) have weighed in, arguing for the tightening of abortion laws and definitely no gay marriage. In fact one of their former candidates stated his support for burning lesbians at the stake. And you thought America was right wing conservative! And I have...

So now that the Coalition of the Killing's been reelected (let's face it, Blair's got nothing to worry about), it's time to take your bets on where the next warzone will be. North Korea is favourite at 2-1. Australia is at 30-1 because Bush is likely to think he's launching war on Austria. Japan is at 50-1 for old time's sake. Germany is at 22-1 because "this is the country that tried to kill my Granddad". Russia is at 36-1 because ... they're the Russians duh! France is at...

A shortage of right-wing political books was the subject of a big whingefest on the weekend from The Weekend Australian’s foreign editor Greg Sheridan. “On a two-party preferred basis, 53 per cent of the people have just endorsed the Howard Government for its fourth term. Surely they are entitled to, say, 15 or 20 per cent of the shelf space?” Sheridan seems to have created some regime of censorship of the Right by Australian publishers in his article, where Right wingers are seeming...

Normally we fight wars against another country, an evil dictatorship that is going about killing Jews and the like. As Toblerone once pointed out to me, the War on Terror is the first war ever waged against an abstract noun. The Bush administration has fostered a lot of fear about terrorism in the wake of the horrific WTC attacks. But does this fear justify Dubya’s war efforts? Who is Bush really trying to fight anyway? And what does he think he’s going to achieve? Terrorists have been aro...

To the tune of Bananas In Pyjamas: Osama bin Laden, we can't find him nowhere Osama bin Laden, oh where oh where's his lair? Osama bin Laden, escapin' Bush and Blair Osama and Saddam, they make such a great pair But we'll cut their beards off if we catch them unawares!

I've been accused all sorts of things by the Right in the past few days. Many of these acussations have been amusing. One of the accusations (less amusing, simply interesting) has been that I simply believe what I am told about Bush's stupidity, not endeavouring to think for myself. Naturally I refute this. I mean, I haven't been in Bush's mind testing his neurological processes, I have to rely on what I see of him and what the media reports, but I make my own judgments. I think I have develo...

Dubya Bush: Making sure the American Dream remains Just A Dream . A 1971 study found that when governments negotiate with terrorists the hostage is killed 4 in 10 times. When the government makes no concessions the hostage is killed 7 in 10 times.

I had this letter published prior to Gulf War 2: ‘I am as concerned as the next person about the prospect of Saddam Hussein having access to nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, I’m just as worried about the prospect of George W. Bush having access to nuclear weapons.’ I just don’t trust such dangerous weapons in the hands of such a trigger-happy idiot. Dubya Bush has now shown his willingness to use violence whenever he wants against thousands of Iraqis. Iraq was posing no threat to the US....

I think it was Draginol who was saying that although Kerry had won the debates, that he finds the Republican arguments more convincing. Fair enough, but what I don’t understand about the Republicans at the moment is, why on Earth would they choose such an idiot for their leadership? There are smarter people in the Republican party. There are more likeable people in their Party. Wouldn’t they be better off choosing someone else? Wouldn’t it be better for their own cause to have someone who act...

One of the funniest remarks made by FishHead was: “man, that attack was directed at us. We have to make it clear we aren't intimidated" It’s not just the way FishHead always talks about foreign relations with the preface of “man” or "dude". Or the image of Alexander Downer being on Lateline and saying in that snobby voice of his “Dude, we can’t let terrorists intimidate us. They’re like totally spastic and they could do some serious shit to us if we don’t blast the shit through them like A...