by PROFESSOR ROSS FITZGERALDAustralian Australian cigarettes are the most expensive in the world. After a 282 per cent increase in cigarette tax since 2013, a legal packet of 20 cigarettes now costs about $40.

In Australia, as in other countries, cigarette smokers span the socioeconomic spectrum, but the poor are vastly over-represented, writes

Not only do more low-income people smoke more compared to better-off members of the community, but they also smoke more cigarettes per day.

If we look at an Australian atlas showing the distribution of lung cancer, the parts that …

Seventy years since the beginning of the Labor Split in 1955.

by ROSS FITZGERALD

It is 70 years this month since the beginning of the Great Labor Split of the mid-1950s.

Dr H. V. Evatt, MHR for the Sydney seat of Barton, who briefly had been president of the United Nations General Assembly after WW2, became federal ALP leader in 1951.

From 1951 to 1954, Evatt was in a factional marriage of convenience with the anti-communist wing of the Australian labour movement . He even enlisted the help of Melbourne-based B. A. (Bob) Santamaria, …

ROSS FITZGERALD

It may be an inconvenient truth but the fact is that, in terms of its harm, alcohol is by far Australia’s most dangerous drug.In 2025 the situation with regard to alcohol abuse in Australia remains dire.

One disturbing trend is an exponential increase, among Australians aged 15 to 25, in out-of-control drinking, and especially in binge drinking among teenagers of both sexes, but especially among young girls.The nightly news often features some personal and family tragedy that is the result of this national health problem.

Unfortunately, in our society there is …

Queensland’s autocratic ALP premier and Australia’s only Communist Party MP:The St Patrick’s Day bash.

Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM

History and politics buffs should either be made aware, or be given cause to remember, that in Brisbane, on St Patrick’s Day 1948, Australia’s only Communist Party MP, Fred Paterson, was almost murdered by a Queensland policeman, almost certainly at the instigation of someone higher up.

From 1944 to 1950, Frederick Woolnough (‘Fred’) Paterson was the CPA member for Bowen in the Queensland Legislative Assembly.Soon after his election, it was said of Paterson that only …

Forgive my imperfect memory, but did I mention that SBSTV’s Insight program on elder heath has been moved forward to next Tuesday 18th March at 8:30 pm.

It is also available any time after 9.30am that night on SBS On Demand.

I’m told that my Weekend Australian article on elder abuse and our forthcoming novel Chalk and Cheese both get a mention.

Please spread the word that the program will be show next Tuesday

RedfernRossProfessor Ross Fitzgerald AM

Elder abuse in Australiaby Ross FitzgeraldMy principal preoccupation this year is elder abuse.

As a widowed, sometimes lonely 80-year-old in the early stages of dementia, I am one of the vulnerable old who are open to the possibility of personal abuse and financial exploitation.

After the death in January 2020 of my beloved wife and friend of 45 years, the artist, actor and model Lyndal Moor, I have lived alone in “Greystoke”, an 1898 terrace house in south Sydney.

I am lonely especially because our only child, Emerald, my granddaughter Ava, 8, and …

The highs and lows of Australia’s drug summits

Australia has experimented with drug summits for 40 years. They’ve come with highs and lows, writes ROSS FITZGERALD.

Australia’s first official meeting referred to as a “drug summit” was convened on April 2 1985 in Canberra by Bob Hawke, the then ALP prime minister.

Officially known as The Special Premiers’ Conference, Hawke met with the six state premiers and the NT Chief Minister – the ACT was not represented as this meeting took place before self government.

This meant that the heads of five Labor governments …

DRUG REFORM, POLICY, POLITICSAustralia’s experiment with drug summitsBy Ross FitzgeraldJan 24, 2025

Australia’s first official meeting referred to as a ‘drug summit’ was convened on 2 April 1985 in Canberra by Bob Hawke, the then ALP Prime Minister.

Officially known as ‘The Special Premiers’ Conference’, Prime Minister Hawke met with the six state Premiers and the Northern Territory Chief Minister. (The ACT was not represented as this meeting took place before the ACT had obtained self government).

This meant that the heads of five Labor governments met with the heads of three conservative …

BARRY HUMPHRIES/ AUSTEN TAYSHUSby Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM

Since the death of my long-time friend, the comic genius Barry Barry Humphries, by far the most outrageously talented stand-up performer in Australia is the Sydney-based Jewish comedian, Austen Tayshus.

Indeed Barry told me that Austen Tayshus was the only contemporary comedian who made him gasp, before he laughed. In comparison, most other stand ups were, he said, “about as funny as an orphanage on fire!”

Last week I attended The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

With the exception of a Korean lesbian who’d had four …

Barry Humphries/Austen Tayshusby Ross Fitzgerald AM

Since the death of my long-time friend, the comic genius Barry Barry Humphries, by far the most outrageously talented stand-up performer in Australia is the Sydney-based Austen Tayshus.

Indeed Barry told me that Austen Tayshus was the only contemporary comedian who made him gasp, before he laughed.

Last week I attended The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

With the exception of a Korean lesbian who’d had four abortions, none of the stand ups who performed, for hours, were a patch on Austen Tayshus.

Anyone interested to learn about the …

50 years ago today, my final year Politics student & fellow cricketer at the University of NSW, Jonnie Sheens and I, were in Mozambique when the revolution was in full sway.We seemed to be the only Europeans driving into the troubles.Coming from Swaziland (where we had won a motza at the casino) we were stopped at the border by armed and angry Frelimo fighters.Jonnie’s response, “We are friends of Gough Whitlam!.” was greeted with puzzlement.On the way in to Mozambique , we saw squads of Portuguese families fleeing what is …