The simple fact, one lawmakers choose to ignore, is that Australia's security is threatened by meagre domestic oil reserves and shipping lanes' vulnerability . We could easily convert coal into liquid fuels, but only if we tap a vast reserve of shamefully squandered cash

On paper, the F-35 is a superb machine, which is is to be expected, as US weaponsmiths do much better at producing sales brochures than military systems able to perform as promised. Over-budget, unreliable and fatally compromised by design flaws, it is a flying pig

Australia grew so accustomed to the mineral boom's wealth that, now that it is over, governments talk of belt-tightening but keep right on spending. Just how bad will the crunch be? If the past is any guide, which it usually is, very nasty indeed

Why focus only on the cost of supporting Aboriginal communities in godforsaken locations when so many other Australians have their impractical and expensive preferences richly subsidised. Be they single mums or "disabled" Islamist firebrands, should the much-taxed rest of us pay for them?

All smart tourists know to guard wallets and money belts from the infamous pickpockets of Paris. Let us hope Tony Abbott is similarly aware of the kleptocrats and con artists who will be eager to relieve Australia of both wealth and security at the upcoming climate conference

The RET Scheme, a monstrous mis-allocation of resources, continues to make Australia poorer for no good reason.  Those who concocted and voted for it seem determined to hobble the nation's prospects while slipping some $5 billion every year into the pockets of rent-seeking saboteurs

Fretting over oil supplies might seen perverse as world prices continue to fall, but only until you consider that Australia imports almost every drop of its petrol and diesel. Now, in this buyer's market, would be a good time to top up the nation's shamefully neglected strategic reserve

Even if you see Beijing's economic statistics as credible, which they are not, their trend says the country's "miracle" growth is tailing off. Yet here we have the likes of Malcolm Fraser stating that our future resides with the Middle Kingdom

The Coalition has fallen short of its promise to significantly lift defence spending -- a worrying failure as Beijing continues to stoke regional tensions. Given the will to act, the solution is simple: reform the welfare behemoth and re-direct the savings