I noticed an article in the press the other day where the university research community is lobbying the new Labor government not to interfere in the disbursement of ARC grants.  They resented the fact the previous government had intervened and refused to fund 6 out of the recommended 587 proposed for funding on the basis […]

We are constantly bombarded and consequently confused by superficial stuff. The media thrive on it. Most news bulletins spend inordinate time on the marital tribulations of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the latest gossip about the Royals and what the Kardashians have been up to. It is surprising how we are titillated by such inconsequential […]

Before I lay out my concerns about the pursuit of net zero I need to reiterate my own position on renewable energy. In my capacity as CEO of an electricity generator, I was a strong advocate for renewable energy and commissioned quite a number of renewable projects. However my vision was for an orderly transition […]

A human being is part of the whole…….a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few […]

Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.   The […]

My father, who was both a loyal unionist and a staunch supporter of the Labor Party (and for a time a Labor Alderman in the local council), was quick to point out to me that the “Tories” (as he called the Liberal and the, then, Country Parties) were only interested in lining the pockets of […]

Many social commentators are keen to remind us we live in an uncertain world. They are quick to point to our parlous geopolitical situation with the rising influence of antidemocratic forces in China and Russia; the threat to our health and wellbeing of the Covid epidemic and unpredictable outcomes of climate change. Most would have […]

I have explained in previous essays that humankind (because of our consciousness) has unique needs not shared, as far as we know, by other animals. These unique needs are our spiritual needs which compel us to strive to have a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives. Elsewhere I have written that humans are […]

Forgive me for my self-indulgence. But just a week or two ago I lost my younger brother, Bruce, to cancer. Although I tried to talk to him every day his end was difficult and I felt inadequate dealing with his pain. I feel I owe him a little more in trying to celebrate his life […]

We live in troubling times. First we’ve had to contend with the coronavirus pandemic. Just as we seemed to be emerging from this threat we have been beset with major flooding in Queensland and New South Wales. But now, the final straw, Russia has invaded Ukraine with the real prospect that Vladimir Putin could trigger […]