Since his death on 13 April, tributes to former Australian foreign minister and leader of the federal opposition Andrew Peacock have flowed from across the political divide. He has been remembered as a huge figure who left an “indelible” mark on Australia in the 1970s and 1980s. Former Liberal Party leader John Hewson has described him as a “great Australian” who as a moderate “small-l liberal” took principled stands in foreign relations. Former prime minister John Howard pronounced him a “quite outstanding” foreign minister.
Peacock’s credentials as a liberal internationalist are considerable. As Minister for Territories under the McMahon government (1971–72), he was instrumental in moving Papua New Guinea towards independence. As foreign minister under the Fraser government from 1975 to 1980, he was active in opposing apartheid in South African and in working through the Commonwealth to end white majority rule in Zimbabwe. He was forthright in criticising human
Changes will disadvantage many vulnerable people
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May 8, 2021 12.02am
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Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
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Changes will disadvantage many vulnerable people
THE NDIS
I am horrified at the reassessment program that the federal government is trying to install for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. My nine-year-old autistic granddaughter will have to face a stranger with a very long list of questions. She is going to be anxious to get the answers “right” because that is what you do in a test, isn’t it?
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader
Anthony Albanese was also putting in the hard yards, arriving at consultancy firm EY’s Sydney harbourside offices at the same time armed with several staff and a piece of kit that turned out to be his trusted portable autocue.
The travelling autocue, not a new thing apparently, helped the Opposition Leader slam his rival as “the Prime Minister who doesn’t hold a hose … ” He also pitched Labor to the room as a party which had learnt lessons from its election defeat, telling the crowd: “We had 282 fully costed policies … probably a tad too many.” You think?