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TOUCH
OCT.98/FEB.99
in NEWSLETTER OF THE INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The End of the Population Explosion?
Ron Brunton lowest likely figure for the year 2050 population guru Paul Ehrlich claim that
is an anthro- would be 7.9 billion, and falling. In 1996, the world has already exceeded its ‘car-
pologist and this was revised to 7.7 billion. A few rying capacity’. But while ‘carrying ca-
Head of the weeks ago the UN released its latest pacity’ may be useful for arousing anxi-
Indigenous estimate, 7.3 billion. ety about population, it is not a very
Issues Unit of The UN also predicts that within 25 helpful scientific concept.
the IPA. He years populations throughout Europe In just a single year, 1994, published
has just will begin to decrease, and that by 2050 scientific estimates of the planet’s car-
published eastern and southern European nations rying capacity varied from less than 3
‘The End of the Overpopulation will be around 20 per cent smaller than billion people – which means that we
Crisis?’ as an IPA Backgrounder. they are today. are already finished—to 44 billion, or
The following article appeared as Nevertheless, 7.3 billion people is well over seven times the current popu-
an op-ed piece in the Herald Sun still 1.4 billion more than the world’s lation.
by the author. It presents the major present population. ‘How will all these But one of the best reasons for ig-
themes contained in his people be fed?’ you might ask. After all, noring the doomsayers is their spec-
Backgrounder. even now hundreds of millions of peo- tacular record of failed predictions,
ple are not getting enough to eat. which shows that they don’t understand
I
F you have been lying awake But hunger cannot be blamed on how the world really works.
worr ying about the population overpopulation. World food production Thirty years ago Paul Ehrlich pre-
explosion, you can finally get a has greatly outpaced population growth dicted that pesticide-induced cancers
good night’s sleep. Not only is the ‘ex- since the 1950s. Food is now more would soon cause life expectancy in the
plosion’ fizzing out; predictions that abundant and affordable than at any United States to plummet to 42 years.
rapid population growth would bring other time in history. Where people go (It is now around 76 years.) He also told
famines, resource shortages and en- hungry today it is because of corrup- British biologists, ‘If I were a gambler,
v
vironmental catastrophes have not tion, mismanagement, trade barriers, I would take even money that England
come true either. And they are un- and poverty resulting from inequalities
likely to come true in the future. in political power.
For the past two or three decades,
birth rates have been tumbling all
over the world. In 61 countries the
birth rate has declined to a level be-
low what is needed to replace the
The massive gains in food produc-
tion have come about through im-
proved agricultural yields, rather than
through big increases in the amount of
land planted with crops. And advances
SIDE
in
Major IPA Lectures 2
population. in biotechnology promise to raise yields
These countries represent 44 per even further in the future, allowing the New IPA Board Member 2
cent of the world’s population, and return of large areas of farmland to wild- Forthcoming Publication 2
include virtually every developed na- life habitat, even while feeding billions
tion, as well as almost the whole of more people. Media Monitoring Unit 3
eastern Asia. In another 34 countries Of course, the environmental and New Publications 4
in Asia and Latin America, birth rates population activists denounce all this as
are only a little higher than replace- a ‘technological fix’. They favour ‘social
IPA Events 5
ment level and declining rapidly. engineering fixes’, despite this centu- Media Highlights 6
Consequently, predictions about ry’s sorry histor y of attempts to re-
Media Roundup 7
the future growth of the world’s popu- model human beings along the lines the
lation keep on coming down. In 1994 activists would like. Diary Notes 7
the United Nations thought that the Doomsayers like the American over-
in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999 1
will not exist in the year 2000’.
Actually, he was a gambler. In 1980
he accepted a wager offered by the
Major IPA Lectures
economist Julian Simon, who had long
ridiculed Ehrlich’s predictions that
overpopulation would cause terrible
Professor Lord A Public Lecture
global shortages. Simon bet that the Skidelsky to Give T wo The Future of Russia
real price of any five natural resources Lectures in Melbourne The Shell Theatrette
of Ehrlich’s own choosing would be Tuesday 4 May 6.30pm
lower in 1990 than in 1980, because re- Professor Robert Skidelsky is a re-
Lord Skidelsky will revisit his incisive
coverable reserves would continue to nowned economic historian and biog-
analysis of post-Cold War politics and
outstrip demand. Ehrlich lost badly. rapher of John Maynard Keynes. He
blueprint for how the West could assert
So what was the lesson Ehrlich has written and lectured extensively on
its ideological leadership to assist east-
learnt? Did he stop making his wild pre- post-collectivisation, Thatcherism and
ern Europe adjust from the havoc of
dictions? Of course not. He increased the welfare state, and Eastern Europe.
communism. He will review the events
his attacks on Simon’s supposedly un- He holds the chair of Political Economy
of the last few years in Russia—includ-
realistic and dangerous claims that the at Warwick University in Great Britain.
ing the recent traumatic upheavals in
world did not face an overpopulation He is Chairman of the Social Market
its economy and political system—and
problem. Foundation—one of the UK’s most in-
analyse where things went wrong. He
So when people like Paul Ehrlich fluential think-tanks—and Opposition
will outline how the West can help Rus-
and his followers warn that population Front Bench Spokesman for the Treas-
sia re-start the restructuring process
growth will bring about a catastrophe, ury.
towards a modern liberal economy. The
perhaps it is really time to have more Professor Skidelsky will be in Mel-
lecture should provide food for thought
babies. bourne in the first week of May to give
and debate for anyone concerned with
two lectures.
the economic and political challenges
In his much acclaimed 1995 book—
faced by Russia and Eastern Europe.
The World After Communism—Lord
New IPA Boar d Member Skidelsky presented a profound and elo-
quent analysis of the demise of collec-
Elizabeth Proust tivism and the rise of economic free-
dom. In these two Melbourne lectures
Forthcoming IPA
joined ANZ in
Januar y 1998. Professor Skidelsky develops some of Publication
She is Group the further issues arising from the
General Man- themes of his analysis. The Changing Fortunes
ager, Corporate of Economic Liberalism:
Af fairs and Hu-
man Resources, 1999 C.D. Kemp Lecture Yester day, Today and
with responsibili- Tomorrow
Is Economic Freedom
ties which in- Sustainable?
clude property, HR, media, government by David Henderson
The Australian Club
and community affairs. Monday 3 May 7.00pm with an Intr oduction by
Prior to joining ANZ, Ms Proust was Lord Lawson
Secretary of the Department of Premier Professor Skidelsky claimed that the
and Cabinet in Victoria. Other positions global pattern of transformation from This book began as a talk given in
she has held include CEO of the Mel- collectivism to economic freedom is one 1997 at the Economic Freedom of
bourne City Council, Secretary of the of the most hopeful events of the Twen- the World Conference in Berlin. First
Attorney-General’s Department (Victo- tieth Century. However, in the last few published by the Institute of Economic
ria), and Deputy Director-General of the years, there has been growing disquiet, Affairs it has now been republished
Department of Industry, Technology both in Australia and internationally, by the IPA jointly with the New
and Resources. She also spent seven over the turmoil in Russia, Asia and Zealand Business Roundtable.
years with BP Australia and BP Inter- Brazil and the persistent unemployment Professor Henderson looks at the
in the West. In this lecture, Lord uneasy trend towards increased eco-
national Limited.
nomic liberalism, and asks whether
Ms Proust is Member of Council, Skidelsky will address a number of
this trend will continue. He takes a
The University of Melbourne, Director, questions, including
120-year historical perspective, and
Opera Australia, Fellow of the Austral- • To what extent have national states considers whether this gives a darker
ian Institute of Company Directors, and lost power to the global market? view of the prospects for economic
Councillor, Victorian Division of the • Will globalisation force all systems liberalism than might at first have
Australian Institute of Company Direc- of political economy to converge on been thought. Ending on a caution-
tors. the most ‘efficient’ model and what ary note, Henderson concludes, ‘the
Ms Proust holds a Bachelor of Arts is it? fortunes of economic liberalism
(Hons) from La Trobe University and a • Does the extended market suit the during the opening decades of the
Bachelor of Law degree from the Uni- human condition? new century remain clouded and in
doubt’.
versity of Melbourne.
2 in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999
The Media Monitoring Unit:
First Project Applauded
The IPA’s Media Monitoring Unit’s week of the campaign was not a ma- news reports, but Bell focused his re-
first project, ‘Election ’98: TV News jor story on the public broadcaster’s port on the balance of comment be-
in the Spotlight,’ critically examined evening news. In fact, it received less tween the major players in the dispute.
TV news coverage of last year’s fed- coverage on ABC News than it did on Second, a TV report may ‘balance’ the
eral election campaign. The Unit’s either Ten News or Seven Nightly sources interviewed, but at the same
research—which monitors the fair- News. time present a ver y biased repor t
ness, accuracy and balance of public Historically, while there have been overall. That someone’s position is
af fairs news repor ting—was well many complaints of bias levelled at being presented on TV does not nec-
received by both the press and the the media in Australia, it has never essarily mean that the position is
general public. The study was re- come under systematic scr utiny being presented in a favourable light.
ported and debated in over 30 news- through objective research. However, These flaws in Bell’s report flowed
paper articles and columns and on nu- given the importance of the media’s from a very simplistic notion of bal-
merous radio stations. It was the first role within a democratic system of ance—namely, equal time given to
study of its kind in Australia to scien- governance, its ability to report pub- each side.
tifically and objectively measure the lic affairs in a fair and balanced man- The IPA’s Media Unit is assessing
balance or, more significantly, lack of ner is critical. It was for this reason the same coverage examined by Pro-
balance, often apparent in political that the IPA established the Media fessor Bell, but is looking at the wide
news coverage. Unit. Gratifyingly, public support for range of issues associated with the
The Monitoring Unit discovered the Unit has been very encouraging. dispute. The report will be released
that TV news reports on Election ’98 Over 60 individuals have already con- some time in March.
focused more on the Coalition than tributed to the Media Unit’s support
Labor and, in most cases, were more fund and Mr Kerran Campbell, an IPA
critical of the Coalition’s policies. The board member from Perth, wrote to
Unit found that Ten News provided the compliment the Unit, saying, ‘This
most pro-Labor coverage of the four type of research has the potential to Available Now!
main free-to-air television networks’ change the face of politics in Aus-
Melbourne evening newscasts, while
National Nine News was the most bal-
tralia’.
TV News in the
anced.
Releasing its findings each week
Spotlight
throughout the election campaign,
Looking Ahead …
there is now a feeling that the Unit’s the Next Project
monitoring may have contributed to
a dramatic change in the ABC’s cov- The Media Unit has already forged
erage. Frank Devine, commenting in ahead with a new project. It is taking
The Australian of 22 February said, a retrospective look at the ABC’s cov-
‘… the switch occurred after several erage of last year’s waterfront dispute
bad hair days for the ABC, during between the Maritime Union of Aus-
which an inter viewer asked nitwit tralia and Patrick Stevedores. At the
questions of the Prime Minister about time, Senator Richard Alston accused
the effect of the goods and services the ABC of bias. ABC management
tax on heroin sales, Triple J promoted duly commissioned Professor Philip
an anti-government pop group cam- Bell, Foundation Chair, Media and
paign sailing under the banner of Communications Unit of the Univer-
“Howard’s End”, and the IPA pub- sity of New South Wales, to investi-
lished the first part of its bias and bal- gate the claims. Based primarily on a
ance report’. measure of the sources interviewed
Until that point, ABC News was the for the nightly news reports, Profes-
most pro-Labor of the four news serv- sor Bell found that the ABC had not
ices. But after that point, a definite been biased in its handling of the dis-
change was detected by the Media pute. This IPA Backgrounder is
Unit. For example, although ABC Professor Bell’s report, however, available now from the
News usually gives prominence to in- overlooked a few very important fac- Melbourne office of the IPA
dustrial relations news, a major union tors. First, journalists provide the vast for $10.00
rally in Melbourne during the last majority of commentary on television
in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999 3
New Publications from the IPA
Renewing the Miracle ditional morality and social struc- serve the public interest.
tures, the non-Western world can Obtainable from the IPA for
Economic Development and rightly invoke the ancient biblical in- $12.95.
Asia junction: ‘Physician heal thyself’.
Available from the IPA for $12.95.
by Deepak Lal
This book is derived from the inau- Media Regulation in
gural Harold Clough Lecture, which
took place in front of a large audience
Australia and the
at The Western Australia Club in Public Interest
Perth last July.
by Dr Robert Albon and
Dr Franco Papandrea
Successive Australian governments
have been unwilling to let the market
in the media industry work. Instead,
claiming a host of ‘imperfections’, ‘fail-
ures’ and ‘social responsibilities’, they
have imposed a maze of special regu-
lations controlling entry, ownership
and content. Australian Competition
The two authors demonstrate that
many of these regulations have been
Policy
contrary to the public interest, result- Deregulation or
ing in too few services, delayed intro- Reregulation?
duction of new technologies, and
greater concentration of media own- by Deepak Lal, Alan Moran,
ership.
While the regulator y structure
David Briggs & Richard
In it, the distinguished Professor
of International Development Studies has improved in recent years, it re- Scheelings, Allan Fels,
at the University of California, Deepak mains poorly placed to handle the Peter Allport
Lal, looks critically at Asia’s great suc- challenges presented by new and con-
cess story in the context of its recent verging technologies. Microeconomic reform in Australia
crisis. He looks to explain both the Robert Albon and Franco Papan- has typically promoted competition
reasons for past Asian success, and drea argue that a less interventionist by withdrawing government regula-
for the region’s current economic cri- approach—including the removal of tion. In contrast, current competition
sis. cross-media rules and restriction on policy introduces new regulations,
This crisis, in part caused by the foreign ownership—would better especially over infrastructure facili-
‘crony capitalism’ that was a feature ties that are thought to constitute
of this so-called ‘East Asian’ alterna- natural monopolies.
tive to the Anglo-Saxon model of capi- This IPA Current Issues has col-
talism, has rightly brought many as- lected the papers based on the IPA’s
pects of this model into question. But inaugural deregulation conference
the question raised by these held in Melbourne on 24 July 1998,
‘culturalists’ is more general and re- some criticising, some defending.
lates to the sorely neglected but vi- If Dr Moran and the other three
tally important question of the rela- critics of Australian trade practices
tionship of culture to development. policy at this conference are correct,
Deepak Lal, in this fascinating ac- it threatens microeconomic reform by
count, concludes that it is possible to undermining, rather than liberating,
modernize without Westernizing. the sources of wealth creation. This
Rather than pursue Western ‘habits collection carries the debate to the
of the heart’, which are by no means frontier of knowledge and analysis of
universal, and which include massive the subject.
welfare transfers and erosion of tra- Available from the IPA for $12.95.
4 in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999
EVENTS
intouch
The IPA’s Energy Forum continues market commentator, gave a provoca- December 17 Dan Fessler, partner
with its regular meetings in which tive talk on investment strategies. He with Leboeuf, Lamb, Greene & Macrae,
speakers are invited to talk on particu- is considered a ‘maverick’ and at the and former President of the California
lar issues of concern to its members. It luncheon displayed his legendar y Public Utilities Commission, gave an
comprises leading firms in the electric- contrarian and optimistic views on the IPA Dialogue on how reform and regu-
ity and gas supply industry who share world financial scene. The audience lation in the US electricity and gas in-
a common view that privatisation and a was as mixed as were the reactions to dustries could serve as a lesson for
minimal level of regulation will best the Professor’s remarks. Australia. In particular, he focused on
serve the community. On October 27 the outcome of reforms already imple-
Tony Cook, CEO of TransEnergy, a December 2 Kate Morrison was a part mented in California, the role of regu-
subsidiar y of Quebec Hydro gave a of a panel discussion organised by the lators in the deregulated industries, the
presentation on the use of new tech- Public Relations Institute of Australia issues of ‘contract’ versus ‘market’ car-
nologies for increasing electricity trans- on the topic ‘Has the media lost its way? riage of gas and electricity, and price-
mission capacity. This was followed on The relationship between owners, edi- setting in residual monopoly areas.
November 12 by a presentation by the tors and news’. The panellists included
head of the Privatisation Task Force for Terry McCrann, Associate Editor Busi- Febr uar y 22 Mike Nahan gave a talk
South Australia, Race Spitsley. ness of the Herald Sun, John Fitzgerald, on ‘Business Taxation—a Radical Op-
Executive Director of Javelin Australia, tion’ to a group of the Institute’s sup-
November 11 Kate Morrison gave an and Mike Smith, chief General Man- porters in Perth. He argued that the
IPA Dialogue on ‘Media Bias: The Art ager of PPR Shandwick. Each gave a time was right for radical reform which
and Science of Content Analysis’, which short presentation. Kate talked around would eliminate the existing bias
summarised the major findings from the question of whether there was a dis- against savings and investment in the
the IPA’s Election ’98 study of prime cernible bias in political news report- tax system. What he advocated was a
time TV news. The Dialogue attracted ing, and if there were, whether this bias shift away from the existing income tax
wide interest, and was well attended by could be measured. Armed with her re- system to an expenditure tax.
media academics and journalists. At the cent experience heading the IPA’s
meeting a certain irony became appar- Media Monitoring Unit, she contrib- Febr uar y 24 Alan Moran was a guest
ent. In the past, media studies have uted to a lively discussion. speaker in Melbourne at the Second
been criticised for being subjective. Annual Conference on the Reliability
This time, when the study under ques- December 3 Professor Allan Fels, and Quality of Power Supply. It focused
tion was completely objective, the criti- chairman of the ACCC, launched the on notions of securing an optimal sup-
cisms from the floor were focused on IPA’s latest book, Media Regulation in ply of electricity and gas. His topic was
the fact that it didn’t monitor such Australia and the Public Interest, writ- By-pass Competition in Electricity and
things as visuals, which by their very ten by Dr Robert Albon, Media Special- Gas. The conference, like the one last
nature, would have to be subjective. ist and Director of the Centre for year, provided both producers and in-
Applied Economics, at ANU, and Dr dustry consumers with much needed
November 17 Mike Nahan took part Franco Papandrea, Communications up-to-date and relevant information.
in a debate on the meaning and Researcher and Policy Analyst. The
meanderings of the ‘Third Way’ at the book was launched in the Senate Presi- Febr uar y 25 Alan was again a guest
University of Melbourne. The panel in- dent’s Courtyard, Parliament House, speaker, this time in Surfers Paradise
cluded Mark Latham, MHR, Fred Argy, Canberra. Professor Fels gave an elo- at the National Summit on Power Gen-
former head of EPAC, and Professor quent presentation to the large turnout eration, whose role is to provide infor-
Dawkins of the Melbourne Institute. of guests. He was followed by the two mation solutions to the Australian
Mike pointed out that one glaring dif- authors, who outlined their claims that power and energy industry. The Na-
ference between the Third Ways being many of our media regulations are con- tional Power Forum identifies emerg-
pursued overseas and those being pro- trary to the public interest, resulting in ing market trends in the industry. Alan
moted in Australia is the labour mar- too few services, delayed introduction spoke on the question of whether coal
ket. The local versions envisage the re- of new technologies and concentration can continue as the primary power gen-
regulation of the labour market and an of media ownership. eration source in Australia. He asserted
expansion in union power, whereas Mr that coal has an assured future in power
Blair and Mr Clinton no longer see December 4 Ron Brunton took part generation at close to its existing mar-
themselves as defenders of organised in a panel discussion on Val Bichard’s ket share of around 70 per cent. Two
labour and have come to terms with a SBS National Radio programme on the other papers delivered at the confer-
flexible, decentralised labour market. controversial issues of reconciliation ence were given by IPA Energy Forum
and an apology to the ‘stolen genera- members, Stephen Orr of Hazelwood
December 1 The IPA hosted a lunch- tions’. Presumably Ron is invited to con- Power, and Bob Scott of Texas Utilities.
eon at which Professor Mark Skousen, tribute when the media requires a sem-
a United States investment adviser and blance of balance in its programmes.
in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999 5
HIGHLIGHTS
media
FREEDOM! FREEDOM! the Australian Financial Review that wished to change their old mode of
According to the great moral philoso- both One Nation and the Australian life. In the 1930s Yorta Yorta leaders
pher Adam Smith, the key to prosper- Democrats described their economic were denouncing Australians who
ity is freedom—economic freedom. policy approach as ‘economic nation- wanted to prevent them from adopt-
Mike Nahan reviewed the recently alism’. Their policies, particularly in ing ‘the culture of the white man’.
published Economic Freedom of the immigration and economic issues are They argued that the only aspects of
World Report 1998 for the Australian so similar as to be virtually indistin- traditional culture that should be re-
Financial Review. The report is pub- guishable. In a word, everything ‘for- tained were items such as corro-
lished by the Fraser Institute with the eign’ is bad, explains Rowe. Foreign borees, but only if they were treated
assistance of the Institute of Public goods, foreign capital, foreign owner- in the same way that Europeans
Affairs and 53 other similar organisa- ship of assets, foreign culture and net treated their old folk dances.
tion from around the world. The ques- migration of foreigners—these are all
tion of course is why some countries undesirable in the lexicon of eco- BIG SPENDERS
prosper and grow rich while others nomic nationalism. Why are Australian consumers spend-
do not. The report rated the perform- Whilst at first appearing to be odd ing like mad, asks Mile Nahan in his
ance of 119 countries. Australia comes bedfellows, these groups all have in regular spot in the Herald Sun. As he
out in eighth place. It shines in terms common a shared distrust of markets obser ves, over the past year con-
of having the most open currency and an unashamed faith in Big Gov- sumer spending grew by more than
markets, the least controls on inter- ernment. 6 per cent. The answer appears to be
est rates, low government ownership that many of us feel wealthier. Over
of banks and the best legal structure WARBLING IN THE MEDIA this decade, Australians have taken a
and proper ty rights measured in Chipping away at the silliness that plunge on the share market and this
terms of the risks of expropriation and passes for debate in the daily media, has paid off—often in a big way. In
contract violations. The report shows Michael Warby has taken to letter- total, about $40 billion has been in-
a robust positive relationship between writing, projecting into the broader jected into household balance sheets
the change in economic freedom and public arena the balanced and well- in the past 18 months. This has trans-
the growth of GDP. As Mike points reasoned views of the IPA. In The Age lated into higher consumer confi-
out, many people remain uncon- on 4 December he took John Quiggin dence and spending. Apart from the
vinced. In the last federal election to task for his magic pudding ap- indirect threat to our share market of
more than 60 per cent of the elector- proach to privatisation, and the idea the US high-tech bubble bursting,
ate voted for parties which promised that Telstra, due to low discount rates, Australia’s share-driven wealth effect
to reduce economic freedom in the had more value in public hands than is sustainable.
belief that that would bring prosper- private hands. As Michael comments,
ity. He adds that the critics are also ‘On that argument, the Government SELLING AUSTRALIA SHOR T
concerned that freedom brings with should buy BHP, CSR, PBL, etc—be- Michael Warby argues in The West
it greater social inequities. But the cause, hey presto, the value would go Australian that the tightly regulated
report demonstrates a strong, posi- up!’ Quiggin went on to accuse the Australian media need the reins loos-
tive relationship between the level of IPA of seeking to control public de- ened. He says that we regulate me-
economic freedom and the share of bate. That a publicly-funded academic dia—it is alleged—to restrict foreign
benefits flowing to low income accuses a small, privately-funded ownership and encourage diversity.
groups. In other words, economic think-tank in this manner is equally Yet we have media which are substan-
freedom tends to empower the poor. mendacious. tially foreign-owned with the most
concentrated ownership in the West-
THE WOOD FOR THE TREES YOR TA GIVE ‘EM MORE LAND ern world. Michael claims that the
Such was the vilification and panic On the serious business of native land history of media regulation in this
coming from our media over the claims, Ron Brunton, writing in his country is a sad saga of timid delays,
Pauline Hanson phenomenon that it regular column for the Courier Mail privileged access and selling Austral-
took calmer, more astute minds to from the Sunshine Coast, tells us the ians short. There is already a mecha-
make the obvious link between One Yorta Yorta land claim case was dis- nism to stop excessive market con-
Nation policies and those of the missed on the basis that there had centration—the Trade Practices Act.
Greens and the Australian Demo- been no continuous connection with It is time to place media regulation
crats, and by extension, much of the land. Justice Olney cited an 1881 pe- under the same set of general rules
Labor Left. Lyndon Rowe, author of tition in which ancestors of the as everyone else, so Australians can
the IPA backgrounder Odd Bedfel- present claimants said they had lost make their own decisions from as
lows: The Economic Nationalists and possession of all the land within their wide a set of choices as practicable.
Why They Are Wrong pointed out in tribal boundaries and that they
6 in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999
IPA Media Activities
Not all the media activities in which our staff engage can be featured in our ‘Media
Highlights’ section, so here is a list of those activities for the months of October to February.
1.10.98 ABC Radio, Gas, Alan Moran 18.10.98 Herald Sun, City begging: 9.11.98 ABC Radio, Perth, John
interviewed the question of poverty, Mike Nahan Hyde Debates … (Mr Howard and
3.10.98 ABC Radio, Perth, Election quoted the Senate)
Comment, John Hyde (with Peter 19.10.98 BRW, It’s reform that needs 10.11.98 The Australian, Make ACCC
Walsh) intervention, Robert Skeffington ar- show a proposed merger is harmful,
4.10.98 Radio 2UE, Sydney, Media ticle, IPA mentioned by Alan Moran
Monitoring Unit, Owen Delaney inter- 20.10.98 ABC Radio 3LO, Drivetime, 11.11.98 AFR, No policy is best policy,
views Mike Nahan Mike Nahan interviewed by Terry letter by Alan Moran
4.10.98 SMH, How the leaders played Laidler re lowering high roller tax at 19.11.98 ABC Radio 3LO, Drivetime,
the media, mentioned by Peter Cox Crown Mike Nahan interviewed by Terry
5.10.98 Radio National, Sandy 22.10.98 The West Australian, Inquiry Laidler about increases in infrastruc-
McCutcheon, Privatisation, Alan told bush safe, IPA submission ture spending
Moran mentioned 19.11.98 SBS Insight, The third way,
5.10.98 ABC Radio, Per th, John 22.10.98 The West Australian, Migra- Gar y Johns discussion with Mark
Hyde Debates …(with Peter Walsh) tion: a matter of survival, by Frank Latham
5.10.98 AFR, Howard won because Lindsey, IPA Review article men- 21.11.98 Herald Sun, Australia finds
he read the electorate correctly, by tioned activity wards off Australian plague,
David Barnett. Media Monitoring 24.10.98 Herald Sun, Telstra sale by Mike Nahan
Project mentioned. would solve bush woes, by Mike 25.11.98 Herald Sun, Stumbling bloc,
7.10.98 Adelaide Review, Compulsory Nahan by Gar y Johns
24.10.98 Courier Mail, Tied to past
v
Voting, by Gar y Johns 26.11.98 AFR, Quiggin wrong over
7.10.98 Adelaide Review, The Com- by issue of identity, by Ron Br unton
pensation Society, by Gar y Johns 29.10.98 The Australian, One culture,
7.10.98 Herald Sun, Way to fix the accepting and confident, should fit all,
DIARY
Senate, by Gar y Johns by Michael James (Precis of IPA
Review article)
notes
8.10.98 ABC Radio, Canberra, Priva-
tisation discussion with Alan Moran 31.10.98 News Weekly, Who watches
the media, by Michael W arby
8.10.98 The Australian, Don’t forget
gas rivals in pipeline, by Alan Moran 31.10.98 SMH, Push to curb wages,
by Paul Cleary, Mike Nahan quoted.
8.10.98 ABC Radio 3LO, Drivetime,
3.11.98 The Australian, Preselection 3 May Professor Skidelsky will
Mike Nahan interviewed by Terry
Laidler by voting diminishes value of parties, be visiting Australia to give the
Gar y Johns second C.D. Kemp Lecture in
10.10.98 Herald Sun, AIRC key to
Kim’s target, by Mike Nahan 2.11.98 ABC TV, Media Watch, Me- Melbourne on Monday 3 May.
dia monitoring unit findings for The lecture will be held at The
10.10.98 Courier Mail, Howard must
of fer a vision of hope, by Ron
weeks 2 and 3 of election campaign Australian Club and is entitled:
mentioned Is Economic Freedom Sustain-
Brunton
4.11.98 AFR, Prospering from free- able?
Oct. 98 Adelaide Review, A strategic dom’s riches, by Mike Nahan
retreat to help the poor and the Left,
by Gar y Johns 5.11.98 The West Australian, Property 4 May Lord Skidelsky will be
rights missing in gloss, by John giving a second Melbourne
13.10.98 SMH. Be grateful for small Hyde
mercies, by Gar y Johns lecture on Tuesday evening, 4
5.11.98 ABC Radio 3LO, Drivetime, May, on the topic The Future
14.10.98 97.4FM, Prodos Connection, Mike Nahan interviewed by Terry
Giving IRC a target of full employ- of Russia. The lecture will be
Laidler held in The Shell Theatrette.
ment, discussion with Michael
Warby 7.11.98 Courier Mail, Casualties of
truth, by Ron Br unton For details of times, locations
15.10.98 Courier Mail, The nature of
7.11.98 Herald Sun, Jeff rides high and bookings, please contact
political corruption, by John Hyde
on reform, by Mike Nahan Joanna Ingram in the
16.10.98 The Australian, Instead of Melbourne office on
selloff, why not give Telstra away?, by 9.11.98 Radio National Sandy
McCutcheon, Welfare reform and cor- (03) 9600 4744
Alan Moran
porate philanthropy, by Mike Nahan
in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999 7
5.12.98 Herald Sun, Billion dollar case 7.1.99 Courier Mail, Productivity and
Media Highlights for storing nuclear waste, by Mike the legacy of the banana republic, by
(continued from page 7) Nahan John Hyde
5.12.98 ABC Radio/TV discussion of 9.1.99 The Australian, Editorial, State
foodless GST, letter from Michael Mike Nahan’ s Herald Sun article relies too much on pokie punters, IPA
Warby ‘Billion dollar case for storing nuclear quoted
27.11.98 The Age, Why we should waste’ 11.1.99 The Australian, Population
have more casinos and gaming ma- 8.12.98 Radio National, Australia bombers’ claim fizz, by Frank
chines, by Alan Moran talks back, Aborigines in War Memo- Devine, IPA mentioned.
2.12.98 The Australian, Storage rial, debate with Ron Br unton & 13.1.99 Prodos Connection, The
outearns uranium mining, by Alan Henr y Reynolds ACCC, with Alan Moran
Moran 9.12.98 The West Australian, N-waste 14.1.99 ABC Radio, Nationwide, Dis-
3.12.98 3AK, Robert Hicks, Media ‘as good as gold’ by Nick Miller , cussion on recycling, Alan Moran
Regulation, interview with Rober t Mike Nahan quoted. 16.1.99 Herald Sun, PM’s resolve
Albon 9.12.98 The West Australian, Oppor- founders on mound of red tape, by
3.12.98 5DN, Derryn Hinch, Media tunity too good to waste, by Mike Mike Nahan
Regulation, interview with Rober t Nahan 16.1.99 Courier Mail, In search of a
Albon 9.12.98 ABC Radio, Alan Moran with degree of common sense, by Ron
3.12.98 AFR, It could be a food fight, Terry Laidler Brunton
by John Quiggin 12.12.98 Courier Mail, Politics with- 20.1.99 SMH, Exploding the over-
4.12.98 Daily Telegraph, Media r egu- out consent, by Gar y Johns population myth, by Ron Br unton
lation book , write up 12.12.98 The West Australian, Media 20.1.99 The Australian, A question of
4.12.98 AFR, Media laws a house of regulators currently sell Australians focus, mention of IPA & Alan Moran
cards, re Media r egulation book short, by Michael W arby. 25.1.99 SMH, Letters re Ron
launch 15.12.98 Canberra Times, Sur vey Brunton population backgr ounder
4.12.98 The Age, Quiggin is off the finds TV agenda setters fail to sway 20.1.99 News Weekly, Was the popula-
mark again, letter fr om Michael voters, by Ian Warden (regarding tion bomb a dud? by Ron Br unton
Warby Media Monitoring Unit )
Jan. 99 Adelaide Review, Labor’s class
4.12.98 Courier Mail, Media owner- 17.12.98 Courier Mail, Media regula- of ’98, by Gar y Johns
ship limits attacked by law authors, tion book, by Michael Duf fy
30.1.99 Herald Sun, Sharing in the
by Kate Hannon 17.12.98 Canberra Times, Media wealth, by Mike Nahan
4.12.98 SBS National Radio, Val regulation article, by Michael W arby
31.1.99 Courier Mail, No need for the
Bichard’s Program, Panel discussion 17.12.98 ABC Radio 3LO, Drivetime, ‘elite’ to cringe, by Ron Br unton
on reconciliation and apology to sto- Mike Nahan interviewed by Terry
Laidler re US attack on Iraq 1.2.99 SMH, Mike Nahan quoted re
len generations, with Ron Br unton
bringing down unemployment.
5.12.98 Courier Mail, Defusing the 18.12.98 The Advertiser, Considerable
benefits in privatisation, letter from 2.2.99 AFR, Welfare industry’s failure
population explosion, by Ron Br unton
Alan Moran a literal shame, by Marlene Gold-
smith. Michael W arby quoted exten-
19.12.98 Herald Sun, The real rea- sively.
sons why phone call costs will fall, by
3.2.99 Prodos Connection, Media
TOUCH
in
Mike Nahan
19.12.98 Courier Mail, Gift giving an
annual ordeal, by Ron Br unton
19.12.98 Canberra Times, Relax,
regulation, with Michael W arby
13.2.99 Herald Sun, ACCC gets it
wrong on joint venture, by Mike
Nahan
In Touch is published every two months by the breed, the population bomb’s a dud,
Institute of Public Affairs Ltd Ron Br unton 13.2.99 Courier Mail, More who you
(Incorporated in the ACT) ACN 008 627 727 are than what you say, by Ron
28.12.98 Herald Sun, Head to Head, Brunton
with Alan Moran
Level 2, 410 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000 17.2.99 The Australian, Reith on
28.12.98 Herald Sun, To populate or track, letter to editor by Michael
Tel: (03) 9600 4744 Fax: (03) 9602 4989 perish, by Ron Br unton
E-mail: ipa@ipa.org.au Warby
28.12.98 The Age, The population 1998/99 Policy, Australian poverty,
Website: www.ipa.org.au
myth, by Ron Br unton then & now, reviewed by Michael
Dec 98 The Australian Economic Re- Warby.
Editor: Andrew McIntyre view, In search of a third way, by Mike
Design: Colin Norris, Kingdom Artroom 22.2.99 The Australian, ABC will
Nahan profit from being run, by Frank
ISSN 1325-6564 2.1.99 Courier Mail, People’s tragic Devine, mention of IPA media moni-
Print Post Approved 34276/00075 tale of culture eroded & renounced, toring unit
by Ron Br unton
8 in TOUCH OCT. 1998/FEB. 1999
