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Michael Lester

Michael Lester

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Overreach and technocratic control in Australian University reform

Announced by the incoming Labor government, the University Accord process and review is being touted as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to...

05.01.2025 6

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Australia’s faltering research and development funding and efforts

Michael Lester in conversation with Professor Ian Chubb AC—policy adviser at the Australian Academy of Science (AAS), former Chief Scientist of...

22.12.2024 3

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Whistleblowing, truth and the price of courage

Michael Lester in conversation with Kieran Pender, senior lawyer for the Whistleblower Project at the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC), discuss...

06.12.2024 3

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Strategic space in a bounded global order: China, Russia and America

Geoff Raby AO, former Australian ambassador to China, discusses with Michael Lester the remaking of the global order in his book Great Game On: The...

03.12.2024 4

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Ending ‘Dog Days’ stagnant living standards

Over the past decade, Australia has endured its worst stagnation in living standards since the Great Depression of the 1930s, and has lost its way...

27.11.2024 10

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

The Future of Australia’s telecommunications sector

While successfully rolling out 5G mobile wireless technology and achieving high rates of penetration and quality services for smartphones, telecom...

10.11.2024 2

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

The ABC must reinforce its commitment to unbiased reporting

Jonathan Holmes, a respected journalist and former host of Media Watch, with an impressive career spanning over 40 years including work as an...

08.11.2024 2

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Doubt, distrust, fear, and uncertainty surround the U.S. election process

With only days until the US Presidential election on 5 November and with polls calling the race 50:50. Michael Lester in discussion with Amelia...

03.11.2024 2

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Israel-Gaza war, justice and hope: the ‘sublime ideal’ of inalienable dignity

Distinguished moral philosopher and public intellectual Raimond Gaita (FAHA), Professor, University College London, and Melbourne Law school,...

21.10.2024 1

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Never ending war on terror keeps us anxious, fearful, committed

President Bush declared the War on Terror in 2001. Dr Alison Broinowski AM, Australians for War Power Reforms (AWPR), former diplomat and Author,...

13.10.2024 1

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Antisemitism, Zionism and the war in Gaza: Sara Dowse, Author

Sara Dowse, Northern Beaches resident and author, discusses the rise in antisemitism in the context of the Israel Gaza war and the ways in which...

29.09.2024 1

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Federal seat redistribution implications of bias to small tweaks

The Australian Electoral Commission has announced proposed redistributions of the boundaries of federal election seats with NSW losing a seat...

28.09.2024 3

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Australia-America odd couple relationship needs repair

The largely unrecognised risk to Australia that our powerful ally will strategically collapse through internal political stresses is greater than...

27.09.2024 3

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Aged care reforms unfair, unreasonable, unsustainable

Bipartisan agreement between the government and opposition have resulted in compromised, ageist inflected amendments to aged care legislation that...

26.09.2024 1

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Culpable corporate mind, legal blameworthiness

Corporate culpability under law relies on a”Where’s Wally” logic to identify a natural person within a corporation to hold responsible for...

25.09.2024 1

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Secrecy Australia: big gap between official information and reality: Peter Cronau, Declassified Australia

Australia is blanketed in a climate of secrecy with over 800 secrecy offences criminalised with jail terms and large fines under nearly 200 pieces...

24.09.2024 1

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Northern militarisation overlooking Indigenous rights: Prof Henry Reynolds, History, University of Tasmania

Indigenous Australians have extensive land rights across Northern Australia where large scale militarisation is being undertaken, raising questions...

23.09.2024 2

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Rebuilding public service from politicisation and externalisation

Restoring trust and integrity in the Australian Public Service requires tackling the corrosive effects of past politicisation (secretary contracts)...

23.09.2024 4

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester

Carbon budget blown, only 50% chance 1.5 degrees

As greenhouse emissions accumulate each year and linger for decades in the atmosphere, effectively adding another layer of climate warming...

18.08.2024 2

Pearls and Irritations

Michael Lester