It's come to my attention, through membership of a discussion forum on a wide range of topics, that a dedicated cadre of conservatism still exists despite the rejection of that ideology across the globe.

One week to go, and I'm still unimpressed by the electoral options for Queensland.

We're going to have an Emissions Trading Scheme. Well...the government would like us to have an Emissions Trading Scheme, but the likelihood of it getting up via the Senate would seem to be a forlorn hope.

Biofuels, not wind and solar power are Shell's energy future
For the money, baby! Only for the money. Don't tell me you actually thought an oil company was interested in renewable energy sources from an altruistic perspective? Get outta here!!!

A truly excellent article in Business Spectator today, by economist Alan Kohler. As always, he writes a no-nonsense critique, striking at the heart of the political theatre at play in this country today, which expresses concern for our position in the Global Financial Crisis, but that's where it all stops. We don't really have a government, nor do we have an alternative. We have a two party adversarial system in a locked horns battle of one-upmanship which uses the current fiscal debacle in a politically opportunistic fashion for points scoring. What a shame it would be of the theatre ended and true government began.

I heard this exchange on this mornings ABC Radio AM program and immediately had recollections of the Howardian 2001 and 2004 election campaigns. It's pure dog-whistle politics designed to trigger xenophobic reactions among the racist minorities which still harbour a dedicated fear-and-loathing attitude to Muslims in this country.

It was a destructive, divisive, non-productive tactic then, and it remains so today. For mine, it's a sign of small minds encouraging even smaller minds. I'm surprised and frankly disappointed that Joe Hockey should choose to employ it.