Twenty-eight years after setting his ill-fated course for Canberra, memories of the damage Bjelke-Peterson inflicted on the conservative side of politics still infuriate John Howard. A new book chronicles the chaos and consequences of one man's unhinged ambitions

The high priests in the media's self-proclaimed temple of truth talk a good game about freedom of speech and the public's right to know, but when push comes to shove their first instinct is to genuflect before the authority of the state

Don't invest too much optimism in the hope that the just-announced audit of the broadcasters' books will lead to long overdue reforms. We've been down this road before and nothing changed, at least not for the better

If the broadband network's remote-location component is to work, Australia must pay Russia or China at least $100 million for the right to park a pair of satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Worse, Rudd and Conroy declined to deal with an Australian company which could have provided the same amenity at a fraction of the cost

The former Labor leader's lament for the failure of Gillard & Co's attempt to gag and control the press was so flecked with rage and bile you almost expected someone's arm to get broken

Cheered by his quislings, including many in the media and academia, Stephen Conroy brandishes a gag while oozing platitudes about the need for media diversity

Merging SBS and the ABC is not a new idea, and the potential savings are immense. But don't expect Gillard & Co to grasp the nettle anytime soon, not with an election in the offing

While commercial publishers and broadcasters face the prospect of steroidal scrutiny by a beefed-up press watchdog, the ABC insists -- and with a straight face, no less -- that it can be trusted to police its own affairs and editorial standards

Why are the unions whipping themselves into a lather about who should lead the Federal Labor Government?