Thanks to all who contributed and commented this year on my work, it means so much to me. Its great that we are all having conversations about what are important issues to us all. It has been a pleasure writing for you in 2025, and look forward to building on everything in 2026. Take care :)
The thought of Herzog being invited to this country as an “honoured guest” when his government is committing genocide in
Palestine and this government declines to acknowledge the fact, is a fair indication of the priorities of the Albanese government . The safety and security of Every Australian should be a top concern , not merely concentrated upon ONE section of the community . There is a long list of other sections of the community who are ill-served in this regard .
We could begin with Indigenous communities , far too many of whom are imprisoned , and/or die there .
The safety of so many women who are victims of domestic abuse , so often ignored by Police until they end up dead.
My point is that everyone deserves to feel safe , not merely one section with very loud voices and hefty lobbying
pressure .
We are in dire need of a strong leader who is able to set out clearly to the nation the reasons for his policies , who does not shrink from supporting the Homeless , and who is able to steer an intelligent course for our geographical place in the world,
rather than grovelling to foreign nations . The concepts of democracy and human rights are becoming increasingly fragile , for all the reasons you point out in your most excellent essay .
Thanks Joel - dismal but spot on wrap-up for 2025.
I hold zero hope for a better 2026. Albanese finally, and inevitably, got badly scorched in the follow-up to Bondi. The burn was partially, but not entirely, a consequence of his approach to politics which predictably prioritises management over leadership. I won’t be holding my breath for any sort of change in that approach in 2026.
“After an election year that saw a result giving Labor hold a Chifley era mandate.”
Hmm probably not, that 35% primary vote is extremely fragile in a world with powerful right wing forces. Given their toxic policies and weirdo personalities, a COALition government would be a catastrophe. If Albanese is good at anything it is electoral politics so maybe give him credit for seeing the risks more clearly than most of us. Yeh it is disappointing that they are so cautious but the consequences of losing the next election are terrifying in the present political climate.
It would be nice to have better governance, but in its absence sadly, we have to be aware of the risk of even worse being delivered by the collection of RWNJs masquerading as an opposition.
If you want an example of the risks, the smh reports this morning that Poorlene and Barnabubby are rising in the Parliamentary popularity stakes. Given the source, there has to be some doubt about the reliability of the data, but either way it shows the potential problems Labor faces; a genuine swing to the right or media trying to incite one.
I’m broadly with your diagnosis of drift. One thing that feels missing, though, is strategic honesty about the world as it is, not as inherited scripts say it should be.
Contrast this with the Hawke-Keating era. On Cambodia, Australia accepted an ugly reality early, stopped pretending neutrality was virtue, and worked pragmatically to reduce harm. The moral stance wasn’t purity. It was consequence-aware engagement.
On Antarctica, the CRAMRA reversal is even clearer. Australia had helped negotiate a regime for regulated extraction. Then it judged that the underlying premise had become indefensible. Rather than hide behind process or alliance management, the Government said, plainly, this framework no longer serves the common good and walked away. That forced a better outcome. The Madrid Protocol didn’t emerge from idealism alone. It emerged from a moral decision to withdraw consent from a failing order.
That’s the contrast worth naming.
What feels absent now is that ethic of refusal. Labor continues to treat inherited language, rules, and alignments as morally sufficient in themselves. The stance seems to be that maintaining the appearance of order is a moral good, even when the order is visibly eroding.
A clearer moral position would start by levelling with the public: some norms no longer restrain power, some alliances now impose costs, and some frameworks persist mainly because no one wants to own the consequences of change. Historically, Labor has been capable of saying that out loud. Right now, it isn’t.
Thanks Joel, for your good work in 2025. Another year of patiently trying to educate the apathetic public about how sleepwalking further into US imperialism, Israel g3n0c1d3, authoritarian censorshi#, and fossil fuel climate destabilization might not actually be in our best interests.
The writing's on the wall, for those preferring to be the captain of their moral choices in 2026. Those procrastinating by chasing that coin (or that body, or that content) too far down the road to Nowhere Worthwhile will have to wait.
Hear! Hear! Well done Joel for saying what needs to be said. In particular, I think your “A Government Adrift” is a very accurate assessment of Labor’s woeful A Team out there keeping the spin spinning in a wasteful attempt to hold onto any credibility the party believes it still has in the eyes of the May 2025 electorate. As 2026 begins, it is the duped Labor faithful who will ultimately feel inundated as the rising tide of inflation returns to swamp any household income savings, and they can thank this Labor government’s approved resource industry projects for their higher mortgage interest rates. Labor as a national political project that uplifts all of its citizens and creates a better and fairer playing field and prosperous future for all Australians should not end without some well considered risk being taken, as the party that has provided safety nets like Medicare and Superannuation, should not have to end in such a shameful way. Because Labor’s A Team are dreadful right now, cynically banking on supporters to stick with them as they shaft an electorate crying out to heard on vital issues such as ‘political communication’ to ‘national security’ to ‘looking after the most marginalised in our communities’ it might mean this mob’s grip on the big political prize, “being the government”, might be once again short circuited? For what it is worth, I hope not.
Hear! Hear! Well done Joel for saying what needs to be said. In particular, I think your “A Government Adrift” is a very accurate assessment of Labor’s woeful A Team out there keeping the spin spinning in a wasteful attempt to hold onto any credibility the party believes it still has in the eyes of the
May 2025 electorate. As 2026 begins, it is the duped Labor faithful who will ultimately feel inundated as the rising tide of inflation returns to swamp any household income savings, and they can thank this Labor government’s approved resource industry projects for their higher mortgage interest rates. Labor as a national political project that uplifts all of its citizens and creates a better and fairer playing field and prosperous future for all Australians should not end without some well considered risk being taken, as the party that has provided safety nets like Medicare and Superannuation, should not have to end in such a shameful way. Because Labor’s A Team are dreadful right now, cynically banking on supporters to stick with them as they shaft an electorate crying out to heard on vital issues such as ‘political communication’ to ‘national security’ to ‘looking after the most marginalised in our communities’ it might mean this mob’s grip on the big political prize, “being the government”, might be once again short circuited? For what it is worth, I hope not.
Thanks to all who contributed and commented this year on my work, it means so much to me. Its great that we are all having conversations about what are important issues to us all. It has been a pleasure writing for you in 2025, and look forward to building on everything in 2026. Take care :)
The thought of Herzog being invited to this country as an “honoured guest” when his government is committing genocide in
Palestine and this government declines to acknowledge the fact, is a fair indication of the priorities of the Albanese government . The safety and security of Every Australian should be a top concern , not merely concentrated upon ONE section of the community . There is a long list of other sections of the community who are ill-served in this regard .
We could begin with Indigenous communities , far too many of whom are imprisoned , and/or die there .
The safety of so many women who are victims of domestic abuse , so often ignored by Police until they end up dead.
My point is that everyone deserves to feel safe , not merely one section with very loud voices and hefty lobbying
pressure .
We are in dire need of a strong leader who is able to set out clearly to the nation the reasons for his policies , who does not shrink from supporting the Homeless , and who is able to steer an intelligent course for our geographical place in the world,
rather than grovelling to foreign nations . The concepts of democracy and human rights are becoming increasingly fragile , for all the reasons you point out in your most excellent essay .
Thanks Joel - dismal but spot on wrap-up for 2025.
I hold zero hope for a better 2026. Albanese finally, and inevitably, got badly scorched in the follow-up to Bondi. The burn was partially, but not entirely, a consequence of his approach to politics which predictably prioritises management over leadership. I won’t be holding my breath for any sort of change in that approach in 2026.
An accurate but gloomy summary. A miracle would be good right now
“After an election year that saw a result giving Labor hold a Chifley era mandate.”
Hmm probably not, that 35% primary vote is extremely fragile in a world with powerful right wing forces. Given their toxic policies and weirdo personalities, a COALition government would be a catastrophe. If Albanese is good at anything it is electoral politics so maybe give him credit for seeing the risks more clearly than most of us. Yeh it is disappointing that they are so cautious but the consequences of losing the next election are terrifying in the present political climate.
I agree about the “Chifley mandate “ appearing much more than it is in reality. At that time the Labor Party was a Labor Party,
not a spineless collection of MPs kowtowing to every possible donor except the Public Interest and our future as a sovereign nation.
It would be nice to have better governance, but in its absence sadly, we have to be aware of the risk of even worse being delivered by the collection of RWNJs masquerading as an opposition.
If you want an example of the risks, the smh reports this morning that Poorlene and Barnabubby are rising in the Parliamentary popularity stakes. Given the source, there has to be some doubt about the reliability of the data, but either way it shows the potential problems Labor faces; a genuine swing to the right or media trying to incite one.
Keep up the fearless writing comrade.
I’m broadly with your diagnosis of drift. One thing that feels missing, though, is strategic honesty about the world as it is, not as inherited scripts say it should be.
Contrast this with the Hawke-Keating era. On Cambodia, Australia accepted an ugly reality early, stopped pretending neutrality was virtue, and worked pragmatically to reduce harm. The moral stance wasn’t purity. It was consequence-aware engagement.
On Antarctica, the CRAMRA reversal is even clearer. Australia had helped negotiate a regime for regulated extraction. Then it judged that the underlying premise had become indefensible. Rather than hide behind process or alliance management, the Government said, plainly, this framework no longer serves the common good and walked away. That forced a better outcome. The Madrid Protocol didn’t emerge from idealism alone. It emerged from a moral decision to withdraw consent from a failing order.
That’s the contrast worth naming.
What feels absent now is that ethic of refusal. Labor continues to treat inherited language, rules, and alignments as morally sufficient in themselves. The stance seems to be that maintaining the appearance of order is a moral good, even when the order is visibly eroding.
A clearer moral position would start by levelling with the public: some norms no longer restrain power, some alliances now impose costs, and some frameworks persist mainly because no one wants to own the consequences of change. Historically, Labor has been capable of saying that out loud. Right now, it isn’t.
Yep; bloody depressing all round.
Thanks Joel, for your good work in 2025. Another year of patiently trying to educate the apathetic public about how sleepwalking further into US imperialism, Israel g3n0c1d3, authoritarian censorshi#, and fossil fuel climate destabilization might not actually be in our best interests.
The writing's on the wall, for those preferring to be the captain of their moral choices in 2026. Those procrastinating by chasing that coin (or that body, or that content) too far down the road to Nowhere Worthwhile will have to wait.
Hear! Hear! Well done Joel for saying what needs to be said. In particular, I think your “A Government Adrift” is a very accurate assessment of Labor’s woeful A Team out there keeping the spin spinning in a wasteful attempt to hold onto any credibility the party believes it still has in the eyes of the May 2025 electorate. As 2026 begins, it is the duped Labor faithful who will ultimately feel inundated as the rising tide of inflation returns to swamp any household income savings, and they can thank this Labor government’s approved resource industry projects for their higher mortgage interest rates. Labor as a national political project that uplifts all of its citizens and creates a better and fairer playing field and prosperous future for all Australians should not end without some well considered risk being taken, as the party that has provided safety nets like Medicare and Superannuation, should not have to end in such a shameful way. Because Labor’s A Team are dreadful right now, cynically banking on supporters to stick with them as they shaft an electorate crying out to heard on vital issues such as ‘political communication’ to ‘national security’ to ‘looking after the most marginalised in our communities’ it might mean this mob’s grip on the big political prize, “being the government”, might be once again short circuited? For what it is worth, I hope not.
Hear! Hear! Well done Joel for saying what needs to be said. In particular, I think your “A Government Adrift” is a very accurate assessment of Labor’s woeful A Team out there keeping the spin spinning in a wasteful attempt to hold onto any credibility the party believes it still has in the eyes of the
May 2025 electorate. As 2026 begins, it is the duped Labor faithful who will ultimately feel inundated as the rising tide of inflation returns to swamp any household income savings, and they can thank this Labor government’s approved resource industry projects for their higher mortgage interest rates. Labor as a national political project that uplifts all of its citizens and creates a better and fairer playing field and prosperous future for all Australians should not end without some well considered risk being taken, as the party that has provided safety nets like Medicare and Superannuation, should not have to end in such a shameful way. Because Labor’s A Team are dreadful right now, cynically banking on supporters to stick with them as they shaft an electorate crying out to heard on vital issues such as ‘political communication’ to ‘national security’ to ‘looking after the most marginalised in our communities’ it might mean this mob’s grip on the big political prize, “being the government”, might be once again short circuited? For what it is worth, I hope not.