Speaker’s notes Until 1844 commercial banks in Britain could print their own banknotes. In 1844 the Conservative Government of Robert Peel passed the Bank Charter Act 1844. This gave exclusive powers to the Bank of England to issue paper money and coins. Likewise, the Reserve Bank of Australia “designs, produces and issues Australia’s banknotes, with […]
Letter to ALP National Conference Delegate Candidates
Thankyou for having emailed me requesting support for your candidature as an ALP National Conference delegate. You will see below two drafts that I think should be considered for incorporation into the ALP platform. Please advise me of your views and whether you would move or second a motion seeking to incorporate these matters. Creation […]
Costa Rica- between corruption and fundamentalism
Discontent with mainstream political parties is leading to bizarre political outcomes, not the least of which is the ascension of Donald Trump to the US presidency. Costa Rica is no exception. On 1 April 2018, Costa Ricans will vote in a run off election between two candidates who share the same surname- Alvarado. One is […]
The Leap of Faith- Reza Aslan on ‘God’
Summary: In the end, there is either a God who cares about us, or an animating spirit that does not, or creation is an accident… But the difference between an animating spirit that does not care about us and the accident seems negligible. Believing in a “God” that might just as easily be described as “nature’ […]
Sex, consent and harassment in the workplace
Barnaby Joyce’s relationship with his now pregnant former staffer has led to calls for the Australian parliament to consider laws banning sexual relationships between politicians and their employees. On 6 February, the US House of Representatives voted to implement such a ban following a slew of sexual harassment claims. The US bill explicitly bans sexual relationships between […]
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