Laura Tingle has been criticised because she dared to suggest that a country that has a history of Frontier Wars/massacres, a White Australia Policy until 1973 and voted overwhelmingly “no" in the recent Voice referendum is racist. If you don’t think Australia has a racism problem, you’re probably an Anglo-Australian…
Sarah RussellMay 28, 2024
Those of us interested in literature, climate action, democracy, and reconciliation are very grateful to have the yearly Sorrento Writers Festival on our doorstep. As someone who has attended numerous writers festivals over the years, I agree with facilitators who describe the Sorrento Writers Festival as the “best writers festival…
Sarah RussellMay 7, 2024
In the past year, 195 men and 86 women died on our roads. Does the disproportionate number of men killed indicate they are worse drivers than women? Should all men be regularly tested? According to the Transport Accident Commission, 52 people over 70 years of age died on our roads…
Sarah RussellApril 30, 2024
Politicians and journalists have drunk the Grand Prix Kool-Aid. They continue to spruik the economic benefits of hosting the Grand Prix in Melbourne. In a recent media release, Steve Dimopoulos, the Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, claimed: “The event is an epic boost for local jobs, visitation and…
Sarah RussellMarch 23, 2024
Donald Trump’s off-the-cuff insults against Kevin Rudd are a media storm in a tea cup. I am much more worried about Trump's plans for a jailing opponents and banning abortion than his views about Rudd. When Nigel Farage asked Trump a leading question about Rudd, it was clear he had…
Sarah RussellMarch 22, 2024
During question time in Federal Parliament recently, Liberal MP for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie, claimed that a fuel efficiency standard would increase the price of top-selling cars. It was a demonstrably untrue statement. When her claims were fact-checked, they could not be authenticated. During the two decades in which fuel efficiency standards were…
Sarah RussellMarch 19, 2024
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has a track record of failing to consult ratepayers about important decisions. First, it came for older people who use aged care services. Then it came for our beloved wildlife sanctuary at The Briars. In 2022, councillors voted to outsource aged care services to corporate providers, a…
Sarah RussellFebruary 13, 2024