Andrew Darby on Issues - National Times

Andrew Darby

Andrew Darby is the Hobart correspondent for Fairfax Media. His focus is on Australia's interests south of 40 Degrees South - Tasmania, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. He is the author of the internationally published Harpoon: Into the Heart of Whaling

Will Paul Howes be able to gain national attention from a Tasmania platform, like Martin Ferguson and Bill Shorten before him?

Paul Howes v the wilderness

Andrew Darby Old timers have seen it before. A rising union star climbs a step up Labor's ladder onto the national stage from an unlikely platform in Tasmania.

It's a bit rich for the West to give Tasmania advice

Andrew Darby It's a telling sign of our Commonwealth that, after giving Tasmania free money, the Western Australian premier Colin Barnett went on to clip it under the economic ear.

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CSIRO should proceed with caution before drilling begins in Bight

Andrew Darby A careful study of the ecosystem in the Australian Bight is essential before BP begins drilling for oil.

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Taking stock on a conflicted whaling season

Andrew Darby As Japan's most tumultuous Antarctic whaling season yet draws to a close, it seems everybody dodged, if not a harpoon, then a bullet.

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Andrew Darby

Less industry please Mr Burke

Andrew Darby When Tony Burke went to the Environment portfolio there was always a question about how much of his old job in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry would go with him.

Andrew Darby

Pontville Chronicles - where do the children stay?

Andrew Darby Be careful what you wish for. In the case of Tasmanians who have set out to help asylum seekers, it's perhaps the most challenging group possible: lone boys.

Andrew Darby

Bushfire tweets rival traditional warnings

Andrew Darby Tweets by ordinary Tasmanians provided some of the best graphic early warnings. So what does that mean for emergency warning systems?

Britain stamps its boot on Antarctica while Australia sits on its hands

Andrew Darby It might be funny if it wasn't serious. Britain has stamped oversize boots on Antarctica, to the fury of others.

The sea among us

Andrew Darby The sea came for Port Arthur in a midwinter high tide, with a south-south-easterly storm pushing waves up the cove and an intense low above.

Andrew Darby

Forestry peace: Tasmania's not out of the woods yet

Andrew Darby If a peace deal is lost, it's hard to see how anyone could try again, and easy to imagine the damage done to the state.

Shark fin's murky soup

Andrew Darby Yesterday it was the ruling Chinese State Council. Today it's Singapore's Environment Ministry. Others will follow tomorrow.

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Coal port decision a case-in-point for federal check on state powers

Andrew Darby A good environment-versus-development stoush seems so much part of Australian politics, it's hard to imagine life without it.

Andrew Darby

The milk of China's financial kindness

Andrew Darby Memory lane. It always has more twists and turns than we might think. Take the latest Australian investment cherry to be tasted by China.

Andrew Darby

Fish wars on the high seas

Andrew Darby When Michael Egan quit his job as New South Wales' longest-serving Treasurer in 2005, he declared a retiring ambition to learn to fish.

Andrew Darby

Tasmania's 'North Korea' more pink than red

Andrew Darby Given the Legislative Council's reputation for hardline unpredictability, one local commentator recently likened it to the North Korea of the state's bicameral parliament.

Andrew Darby

MONA's most fascinating exhibit - its owner

Andrew Darby Of all the surprises that inhabit the Museum of Old and New Art, perhaps the most unexpected and fascinating is turning out to be the owner himself.