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The British crown and Australia’s identity issues

Australia has an identity issue. Or two. Or three. And having representatives of the British crown sitting on top of its elected governments doesn't help matters at all. For non-Australians who might be tempted to think I'm joking, here's a quick sketch of my strange country. As a white settler nation, forcibly transplanted over the top of a pre-existing ancient population and sitting uncomfortably on the fringe of Asia, Australia is a very long way from the Europe of its white origins. White Australians love to be thought of as in tune with the huge continent…

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Held to ransom by the 15 per cent

February 18, 2022 Opinion by Greg Ray Blame the 15 per cent. I’ve been told that’s about the percentage of people in our society who are actively pleased to discriminate against others, hate the idea of ever sharing anything outside of their immediate family and will keenly embrace the politics of cruelty so long as they think they will be on the safe side of the hobnailed boot, the pepper spray and the riot squad. It’s probably not really 15 per cent. Not to start with, anyway. It’s probably less than 10 per cent if your…

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Language, marketing and racism

Coon cheese is finished as a brand. The most surprising thing is that it took this long. The brand's owner, Saputo, has decided it will move with the prevailing tide of public opinion and change a name that some have perceived as racist. And while it is certainly true that the name doesn't have racist origins - it was named after famous cheesemaker Edward Coon - the company has evidently opted to take the same line so recently taken by other big food product makers. That is, if the brand-name is upsetting a growing number of…

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