https://advanceinstitute.com.au/2023/02/28/29-february-in-australian-history/?page_id=6195
Month: February 2023
28 February in Australian History
The perils of being a journalist in China: Guangzhou
On my third trip to China, in 2003, I was teaching university and writing for an English language magazine in Guangzhou. I was also arrested for inciting freedom of speech and dissent. Guangzhou is one of the most populated cities in the world, situated about 120 km northwest of Hong Kong, in the southeast of … Continue reading The perils of being a journalist in China: Guangzhou
27 February in Australian History
Centrelink’s “deserving” and “undeserving” poor
The Robodebt Royal Commission has heard that the former LNP government had a strong view of "deserving" and "undeserving" poor when it came to Centrelink. Exactly what this means is unclear, but it sounds very ominous. It seems to want to create division between those that the government see as worthy, and those they see … Continue reading Centrelink’s “deserving” and “undeserving” poor
26 February in Australian History
Negative income tax would help low income earners
Negative Income Tax is an alternative to the Universal Basic Income, and reverses the direction in which tax is paid for incomes below a certain level. It provides that wage earners above a certain level of income pay tax, while those below that level receive support from the government. As a grossly over-simplified example, the … Continue reading Negative income tax would help low income earners
25 February in Australian History
24 February in Australian History
Open forum discussion with Senator Malcolm Roberts
Thousands of Australians took the opportunity to participate in citizen-led democracy on Reddit on Thursday February 23, engaging Senator Malcolm Roberts from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation with questions on a wide range of topics including Lidia Thorpe, housing, inflation, and tax reform during the Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. Asked about Thorpe’s position on Indigenous … Continue reading Open forum discussion with Senator Malcolm Roberts
Teaching High School in China: Jiangdu
On my second trip to China, in 2003, I was teaching at Jiangdu High School in Jiangsu Province. It was here that I became aware of foreign predators preying on Chinese high school students, infanticide, the Chinese student army and the city's links to my home town of Goulburn. I was teaching English as part … Continue reading Teaching High School in China: Jiangdu
23 February in Australian History
The safeguard mechanism misses the mark
The safeguard mechanism that Labor are proposing is far from perfect, but it is much better than what the LNP gave us when they first introduced it. The LNP did not properly enforce their mechanism, and it failed to reduce emissions. Now that Labor want to make it better and enforce it, the LNP are … Continue reading The safeguard mechanism misses the mark
22 February in Australian History
21 February in Australian History
We must never again allow a cashless welfare card
Peter Dutton is calling for the reintroduction of the cashless welfare card, blaming it's scrapping on the rise in alcohol-related violence in Alice Springs and Indigenous communities. Dutton is not basing his assertions on facts. He is using a social crisis for political purposes to incite emotions against Aboriginal people. He has singled out the … Continue reading We must never again allow a cashless welfare card
The Greens are both right and wrong on housing
Labor's plan to implement a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund is under threat from the Greens and the Opposition. Both parties need to take a breath and consider the realities of their situation. The Opposition need to realise that their job is to oppose government legislation if it is bad, and offer a better … Continue reading The Greens are both right and wrong on housing
20 February in Australian History
19 February in Australian History
18 February in Australian History
Campaigning for human rights in China: Huai’an
In January of 2003, I made my first trip to China, to Huai'an in Jiangsu Province. I was contracted to lecture about Aboriginal people in Australia, but it ended up being just as much about campaigning for human rights in China as anything else. In total, I lectured at nine universities and schools throughout Jiangsu … Continue reading Campaigning for human rights in China: Huai’an
17 February in Australian History
Using porn to shame a work colleague is a crime
In any other workplace in Australia, distributing explicit photos of a work colleague to shame them would result in dismissal, yet Dominic Perrottet has gone in to defend Peter Poulos for doing just that. At the very least, Poulos should have been sanctioned. By failing to take any action, Perrottet is sending the message that … Continue reading Using porn to shame a work colleague is a crime
16 February in Australian History
Bring Julian Assange home
Julian Assange, the Australian publisher who founded WikiLeaks in 2006, faces 175 years in prison if extradited from the UK to the US. Assange’s case is the first time in history that a publisher has been indicted under the US Espionage Act, but the Australian government have so far not stepped in to help him. … Continue reading Bring Julian Assange home
Craig Hill 