Barry Cohen 
Caring for your koala
Most Australians are unaware that the 31st President of the United States of America, Herbert Hoover, was also the patron saint of koalas. Early after European settlement, koalas were hunted… Read more
Bring ’em back in
It was 1963 and I had been a member of the Labor party for just six months. I was however confused. Having joined to save the world, not to remove… Read more
Standing at the altar
There are moments during a parliamentary debate when I conclude that some of my erstwhile colleagues are doolally. I felt that way when I watched the parliamentary television debate about… Read more
Don’t tie me kangaroo down with red tape
Bureaucrats are no friends of the wildlife conservation movement For over a century Australia has annually culled two to three million kangaroos (eastern and western greys, reds and wallaroos).… Read more
Bushfires are the real emissions problem
Carbon cap, carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, carbon fibre, carbon footprint, carbon market, carbon monoxide, carbon permits, carbon sequestration, carbon sink, carbon tax. Had enough? These are just a sample of… Read more
No room in Parliament for one of its crippled veterans
Life with a cane has turned me into one of those bolshy ‘disabled’ types I once scorned I can’t recall when it was that I first noticed, but as one… Read more
Fast forward to a Zero Road Toll
It’s time to stop blaming drivers for road deaths and let engineers do their jobs First the good news. Barry O’Farrell has promised to reduce the confusing number of speed… Read more
The Nervous Nellies could use some of Chifley’s spirit
Our 16th PM contested his seat ten times over 25 years, but today’s MPs panic after one negative poll, says Barry Cohen A friend of mine was a practising psephologist… Read more
This isn’t Britain: there’s no expenses scandal here
Hypocritical journalists are going after MPs, but they won’t find the juicy story they’re looking for, says Barry Cohen Australia’s Constitution states: ‘Until the Parliament otherwise provides, each senator and… Read more
An unacceptable ‘sport’
The Northern Territory’s plan to support crocodile hunting is as nonsensical as it is barbaric, says Barry Cohen There are a number of situations where killing animals is acceptable. Those… Read more
There’s more to opposition than simply opposing
Malcolm Turnbull’s lack of new ideas keeps the Coalition languishing on the wrong side of the house, says Barry Cohen ‘The duty of an opposition is very simple… to oppose… Read more
Guilty, yes, but entitled to some respect
Marcus Einfeld’s exemplary public service record has been overlooked in the rush to condemn him, says Barry Cohen They just can’t help themselves. In the recent Four Corners programme on… Read more
Passport to Hell
Travelling on government business should make it easy to get a passport — or so Barry Cohen thought ‘All you need is a passport. Pop into any post office. They’ll… Read more
Time to put up or shut up, Mr Costello
I missed Keating the Musical, but I won’t miss Costello the Dance. I never thought I’d feel sorry for Malcolm Turnbull, but the former treasurer’s performance of late has guaranteed… Read more
We owe it to the dead to trial bushfire detection
One of the joys of living in rural Bungendore, a mere 30 minutes from Parliament House, is that friends and family visiting the national capital pop in for the odd… Read more
Job creation works only with community support
A mid predictions of a major recession and a million Australians out of work by the end of this year, the Rudd government has taken unprecedented steps to minimise the… Read more
The national identity
As benefits bureaucracy spirals, Barry Cohen calls for a revival of the Hawke government’s Australia Card proposal Have you just been retrenched, turned 65 or taken a turn for the… Read more
Balance population with quality of life
Unless I’ve been grievously misled, global warming/climate change is caused by the excessive amount of carbon emissions poured into the atmosphere. The major offenders are the developed countries, and the… Read more
An Aboriginal PM? Get some Aboriginal MPs first
The parties are dragging their heels while Australia’s Barack Obama goes unrecognised, says Barry Cohen It was hardly surprising that, the morning after the night before, letters to the editor… Read more
The Devil’s Number? Not a shred of evidence
Barry Cohen dismisses cricket pundits’ superstition regarding the number 87 Warney, Gilly, Huss, Haydos, Johnno, Watto. Australia may well have the greatest cricket team in the world but they don’t… Read more
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