Dominic Knight

It’s decision time. Well actually, decision time came several years ago. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which shameful ministerial scandal or indefensible bungle marked the point at which NSW voters decided that there was absolutely no way they were giving Labor another shot – after all, there have been so many.

But now the votes are in, and we are only waiting for the results to become clear. Presumably in record time. As the count goes on, I’ll be dancing on Labor’s grave here. Because it’ll be fun. For me, at least.

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This morning, it happened again. As I walked out from the Apple Store – which I’d only visited to replace a faulty iPhone, honestly – I caught a glimpse of the iPad 2. And I knew with absolute certainty that I would have to have one.

Yes, even though it’s only ten months since I bought my iPad 1. Yes, even though the iPad 2 is only a little faster, thinner and lighter than its predecessor, with practically no additional functionality. Yes, even though I’ve no need for the built-in camera since my iPhone 4 has a much better one. And yes, even though I don’t use my current iPad all that much. Continue Reading →

I found Simon Banks’ Drum article about political leadership in the aftermath of Japan so thoroughly inappropriate that I couldn’t resist bashing out a quick response. His thesis is that recent crises should make us grateful for the outstanding response of Australian leaders.

Before I get into the substance of the article, it’s worth pointing out the crucial piece of information contained in the byline – Banks is the director of Hawker Britton. Those sane people without much interest in Australian elections may not realise that this is a firm with extremely close links to the ALP, and therefore Banks has a professional interest in portraying Julia Gillard and Anna Bligh as strong leaders. This is surely the kind of information that should be disclosed before one begins reading an article, not afterwards.

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When I heard Pauline Hanson was running in the NSW election, I found myself getting angry. Who does she think she is, I wondered, coming into our state and trying to take the jobs of our NSW MLCs? And I can guarantee she won’t make the slightest effort to assimilate to our NSW values. Oh no, she’ll just bring her own anti-Muslim beliefs in and try to impose them on the rest of us.

The rules for migrating here are too flexible, I reckon. You shouldn’t just be able to rock up, and jump the queue ahead of other New South Welsh people who’ve built up their political careers the hard way. I don’t like it. No, not one little bit. Continue Reading →

If you have been watching the Ashes this summer, you must be either suffering from chronic depression, or English and smug. But the misery being meted out by England’s batsman is nothing compared to the anguish I feel when there’s an ad break and I see one of those dreadful ads featuring the Colonel. Because once again, KFC is sponsoring the cricket.

Now, I understand that even someone with the misfortune to resemble Colonel Harland Sanders deserves to make some kind of living. And if KFC want to base their marketing around a guy whose most useful contribution to human civilisation was a warning not to wear an all-white suit and cravat combo, that’s their choice. But one of the world’s unhealthiest fast food chains as a major sponsor not only of the leading sport of the Australian summer, but especially of Twenty20, the form of the game that most appeals to kids? Are Cricket Australia out of their minds? Continue Reading →

I didn’t get much sleep, and like so many bad things from the lack of video replays to the vuvuzela, it’s FIFA’s fault. Last night, I stayed up until the wee hours in the hope of what always looked like an unlikely victory for our World Cup bid. As a teenager, I was at Circular Quay when Juan Antonio Samaranch pulled our name out of that hat, and I was hoping against the odds for a similar memorable, mispronounced moment.

Now, I could have copped a loss to the USA, or perhaps even Japan or Korea. All are far bigger football markets than we are. But when Qatar’s name came out of the envelope, I was incensed. However, now that I’ve slept on it, and had the chance to really mull over whether we were the best choice to host the World Cup in 2022… I’m still incensed. Continue Reading →

Mark it in your diaries, Australia – the royal wedding has been set down for April 29th. Which gives us all plenty of time to book ourselves into remote destinations without TV, internet or phone coverage. Sure, there’ll still undoubtedly be some schmuck in a plane skywriting “WILLS ♥ KATE” in the pristine blue above us, but it’ll be a lot better than suffering through the endless hype in the media, which is already insufferable, and will only get worse. Just make sure your royal-proof hideaway isn’t Lizard Island off the Queensland coast, as there’s a chance you’ll end up in the very place where the happy couple are honeymooning. Continue Reading →

Friends, remember what you were doing yesterday, for it will go down in history as the day of the second, greater, Chinese Revolution. For yesterday was the day that David Cameron, British Prime Minister and all-round good guy, told China a few home truths about democracy and the rule of law. And yesterday was the day that China’s leaders, who for so long have been presiding over an unprecedentedly successful economic modernisation programme and yet have seen fit not to introduce even the slightest element of popular representation, finally saw the error of their ways.
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Well, Mark Arbib’s support for gay marriage is a shock. I wasn’t aware that he had a conscience, an opinion independent of ALP polling, or even a face. His most significant recent contribution to public debate was ducking out of that episode of Q&A, when he was represented, entirely adequately, by an empty chair. And yet he was the first frontbencher to break from the party’s wussy, wedge-avoiding stance on the issue. I couldn’t be more surprised if I discovered that Genghis Khan enjoyed flower-arranging. Continue Reading →