It's blindingly obvious the black market will expand exponentially if the legal supply is further restricted, but Health Minister appears entirely unaware of gangland wars and tobacco shops torched in the night. All this in the cause of withholding a far less dangerous nicotine-delivery system from those it might help

I was with Barry at the Rooty Hill RSL club for the very first appearance of the not-yet-knighted Les Patterson, the character he told me he most enjoyed playing because, as a long-time sober person, he could channel all of his many negativities into that dreadful drunkard. When Barry died in April last year, neither he nor I had touched a drink for 53 years

Peter Brune's Suffering, Redemption and Triumph will have wide appeal, not just to the families and friends of post-war immigrants, but to general readers fascinated by Australia’s military and social history. An overdue addition to the nation's history, this well-produced book is worthy, in the best sense of the word, and often revelatory

Bruce Dowding spent spent the 18 months before his execution in Nazi prisons where a fellow inmates later recalled the onetime Wesley College teacher's 'celestial voice' singing 'O Holy Night'. Sadly, until the release of Secret Agent, Unsung Hero, that has been about the only recognition this brave Melburnian has received

In the chapter he contributes to The Young Menzies: Success, Failure, Resilience 1894–1942 , Troy Bramston maintains that, as a direct result of his parents' refusal to approve his enlistment in the Great War, Menzies 'decided to go into politics ... to erase the perceived stain on his name'. This attempt to validate his existence was the genesis of a long, sometimes turbulent and eventually hugely successful political career

Among his other insights, John Howard in his new book perceptively notes that the single largest failure of the Coalition under Scott Morrison was the failure to present 'a clear policy manifesto for the future'. Add missteps and intemperate attacks on Christine Holgate and Andrew Laming and, well, its no surprise Anthony Albanese now occupies The Lodge

Peter O’Brien argues powerfully in Villain or Victim? that only one substantive criticism can be made of the Governor-General, that being his failure 'to warn Whitlam he risked dismissal and that this failure encouraged Whitlam to remain obdurate'. Of the ever-expanding books on events leading up to November 11, 1975, this one is a keeper

The intriguing tale of Anne Neill’s long-term exploits as a deeply embedded ASIO informant inside the Communist Party is one of the more fascinating case studies in Phillip Deery's new book, 'Spies and Sparrows: ASIO and the Cold War'. At the other extreme there is Max Wechsler, who found the undercover life too burdensome to endure

Simon Holmes a Court's political harem of white, well-heeled women of the Left talk a good game about their independence but never reveal anything more than the various degrees of their climate hysteria. Contrast those queens of the Corflute sign with bona fide independent Dai Le, running against Kristina Keneally in Fowler