Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

"The theory my colleague put forward was regarding who is driving a large segment of the tax debate, and why. The theory went along these lines - that the tax proposals being put forward by Malcolm Turnbull MP were not only the by work of a single MP or small focus group interested in taxation reform, rather the reforms put forward, specifically the proposition to reduce the top tax rates to a 30% level, were driven by an agenda by the Liberal party itself." Stuart Lord

After the entrance of the Corby affair onto the national media and collective interest, which is still being played out in the appeals courts in Indonesia, it would be almost inexcusable for anyone not to know the severity of the sentences that could be handed (and usually are handed) out in Asia for drug smuggling offences. ... Thus when the story of the Bali Nine came out, caught with heroin, I immediately thought of the stupidity of running drugs through Asia, and the fact that they deserve whatever they get when found guilty.

"I am not an abortion debate expert, I haven’t talked to 500,000 people about this issue in a clinical study. I do not know how prevalent these views are among the pro-choice crowd, nor do I claim that I am covering everything in this article. I would appreciate your input into the debate, so long as it is both rational and keeping to a general standard of respect for both sides of this debate – including both the people and their views. You can disagree, passionately, or agree vehemently, but civility will be prized, while ad hominem will not." Stuart Lord

"We seem to be putting the act of sex (not the explicit concept, but simply the viewing of sex), on a much higher pedestal than violence and death. The irony is that there is no ban for killing police officers or other innocent people, no ban for robbing and/or killing any random person on the street, and yet the second you beat and rob a prostitute, the game is banned. Does anyone else see the flaws? It shows something wrong within our morality, that we can choose to tolerate so many things, and yet ban others that seem much more trivial in nature and effect. That we tolerate violence in games and we don't mind sex, we only mind most forms and representations of sex. We only get indignant about sex that is visual." Stuart Lord

"What if there was military action taken in Zimbabwe for the specific purpose to remove Mugabe and Zanu-PF, holding true and free elections and using the planned aid money to rebuild the economy shattered by years of mismanagement and deliberate destruction? On human rights grounds alone the removal of Mugabe and Zanu-PF would be justified." Stuart Lord

"I was asked a very relevant question after my original article on Iraq, namely ‘What could have been done better?’ After some careful consideration and consultation with various people, some who had served in Iraq, I came up with the following." Stuart Lord

"Since the invasion during 2003, there have been countless opinion pieces, blogs, journals and reports on Iraq. I have seen quite a few very contestable statements about the legality, nature and morality of the Iraq war, and here are some of my thoughts on them. Just for the record, in no way does this article concern the following – refugees, the personal lives of George W. Bush, Tony Blair or John Howard, refugees, Afghanistan, refugees, Israel and Palestine or refugees." Stuart Lord