Before gun control, Australian mass shootings weren’t at all uncommon. — In April 1984, Rosemary Brandon, 35, was in the middle of planning a 6th birthday party for her youngest daughter. …

The 1981 shooting is one of the reasons why gun control was introduced in Australia. — Ask any police officer, and they’ll tell you that domestic violence incidents are among the most common and potentially dangerous jobs that they’re called to attend. Often volatile, and almost always emotionally charged, they’re unpredictable and at times involve extreme violence. In Australia during the early-1980s, domestic violence (also known…

How writing a short story on Twitter can help get your creative juices flowing. — In a 2002 opinion piece for the New York Times¹, writer Joseph Epstein became the first writer to refer to a survey that was commissioned by the Jenkins Group, a Michigan publishing-services firm, in which it was found that “81 percent of Americans feel they have a book in them…

Inside the investigation into Sydney’s illegal housing networks — Slumlord: Inside the Investigation into Sydney’s Illegal Housing Networks is my first-hand account of the work undertaken by the City of Sydney Council’s Illegal Accommodation Investigation Team to investigate, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute some of Sydney’s worst slumlords. The following is an excerpt from an early draft of the book.

How the quest for a fair and equal society has lost its way — Equality of opportunity is not the same as equality of outcomes At the risk of attracting the wrath of the PC brigade, I feel I have to point out that we have taken certain aspects of our quest for a fair and equal society too far. Across many sectors of society, we are seeing a growing trend to push for equality…

Hungary’s healthcare system buckles under the combined weight of Covid-19 cases and mass staff walkouts. — A third wave of Covid-19 is putting unprecedented pressure on Hungary’s public healthcare system; right at a time when 4000 healthcare workers are departing the system after refusing to sign controversial new employment contracts. According to the Hungarian English language newspaper, Hungary Today, increasing numbers of Hungary’s public hospitals are…

In a year known for disaster, what else could possibly go wrong? — For the third year in a row, two of Santa’s naughtiest scout elves have returned to cause havoc for one Sydney family — and the best part is, we all get to sit back and watch as the mayhem unfolds. Each Christmas, Elf Fudge and Elf Loki have been making…

Here’s a new way to enjoy the world’s largest social media platform and have a laugh at Facebook’s expense — A short while ago I was chatting to an English ex-pat mate on Facebook Messenger. He’s currently living and working in Qatar and as is often the case our text messages soon turned to the booze that we’ve each been drinking of late. (Yes, we’re both writers — drinking is…

I took this shot yesterday afternoon while playing around with slow shutter speeds in my front yard, and the resulting image got me… — I took this shot yesterday afternoon while playing around with slow shutter speeds in my front yard, and the resulting image got me thinking about the current pandemic that is impacting our world. In a crisis, our society is a little like a giant tree blowing in the wind. Individual…