Menzies House

On a Queensland House of Review

March 24, 2012 was a historic day in Queensland's history, writes Michael Smyth

Not only due to the utter devastation for the ALP, but also due to its ushering in of "conservative" rule in this state; a sign that the Right in Queensland has shaken off the spectre of Joh.

Before the apologists of Joh get outraged by such a statement, I want to clarify what I mean.

Joh did some good things for Queensland, but his government was ultimately undone by the shortcomings of some of its members.

Warm and well fed, or hungry in the dark?

Vic Forbes asks, which is worse - gradual man-made global warming or sudden electricity blackout?

Alarmists try to scare us by claiming that man’s activities are causing global warming. Whether and when we may see new man-made warming is disputed and uncertain. If it does appear, the world will be slightly warmer, with more evaporation and rainfall; plants will grow better and colonise some areas currently too cold or too dry; fewer old people will die in winter and sea levels may continue the gradual rise we have seen since the end of the last ice age.

Banning ATM fees

Bank ATM fees increase competition and leave more people better off, writes Justin Simon.

Bob Brown has recently released a policy which calls for the banning of ATM fees for all banks (but not for credit unions, independent ATM operators or the like). He cited such problems as banks already making enough profit and Australians being slugged with more bank fees than our UK counterparts (who have no bank ATM fees). These are both true in a semantic sense, but a more thorough analysis vindicates the free market position.