Six more years of Sauron

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is about to rubber stamp his disastrous reign over Russia for another six years in a farcical election process in which opposition figures are not just banned and ignored but imprisoned and murdered.

Power behind the throne

The exercise of public power by unaccountable ministerial advisors poses a growing threat to Australian parliamentary democracy in both state and federal politics.

Restoring Parliament – Victoria’s forgotten integrity institution

Three reforms can help to restore Victoria’s state Parliament to its position as the cornerstone integrity institution that both oversees the government and supports the Ombudsman and the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.

Helping Ukraine to help ourselves

Although ‘realists’ call for the appeasement of aggressor states, Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is a clear breach of an international law rule that is critical to the security of smaller states and middle powers like Australia.

The last gasp of imperial Russia

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a last, clumsy, self-defeating attempt to assert its control over people who want to be free from Moscow’s dark shadow.

Russia’s slide into tyranny

After Soviet communist dictatorship collapsed, Russia’s brief flirtation with democracy descended into autocracy as an ever more powerful President centred absolute power in his own hands.

Don’t fall for Putin’s propaganda

Sanctions and military aid will help Ukraine survive Russia’s brutish invasion, but dismantling Putin’s ludicrous justifications for the war may be just as important in the court of world opinion.

The martyrdom of Alexei Navalny

As protests in Belarus continue, the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny shows that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is equally afraid of losing his iron grip on power.

High on rebellion

The Australian Capital Territory’s new cannabis laws are at odds with Australia’s federal laws, but should the federal government stay out of the argument?