Paul Sheehan
Paul Sheehan is a columnist and editorial writer for The Sydney Morning Herald, where he has has been Day Editor and Washington correspondent. He is the author of two number-one best-sellers, 'Girls Like You' and 'Among The Barbarians' and been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times and numerous anthologies.
Media call just a piddling distraction
Paul Sheehan What follows is a quote from a column I wrote about Stephen Conroy, which enraged him.
Nationals in no rush with a welcome mat for Joyce in NSW
Paul Sheehan OK. A federal election in June. Kevin Rudd against Tony Abbott.
PM in snake pit with no antivenom
Paul Sheehan At 6.02 pm last Wednesday I received a text sent from Parliament House in Canberra. It said: ''I'm hearing Labor has been asked to stay in Canberra on Friday.
Odds shorten on PM's little mate
Paul Sheehan The media's obsession with Kevin Rudd may be missing the point. Shorten may be the better bet.
All not quiet as PM tackles western front
Paul Sheehan For the benefit of the democratic process, the broadcast of Parliament in Australia is mandated by law and much of the proceedings are televised.
Paul Sheehan
We'll reap what we deserve
Paul Sheehan We now know why the Prime Minister has instigated the longest election campaign in political history.
Paul Sheehan
Changing captains will not save this side from a proper walloping
Paul Sheehan Julia Gillard should stay where she is. The Labor Party has run out of party tricks. The federal government's perceived unpopularity is a collective effort, an effort that began with Kevin Rudd, who...
Paul Sheehan
Overkill in the name of Islam threat
Paul Sheehan On Monday, in Dhaka, I received a friendly rebuke from the Bangladeshi Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, Faruk Khan. I had described Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim nation.
Paul Sheehan
Fear doesn't need a visa, and it's on tour already
Paul Sheehan Two of the films nominated for best picture in the coming Academy Awards, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, contain warnings, with plenty of creative licence but also plenty of historical accuracy, about...
Paul Sheehan
Thomson caught in the political spin cycle
Paul Sheehan When Craig Thomson rose to speak in Parliament for the first time, on February 19, 2008, within 90 seconds he thanked three key Labor machinists: Mark Arbib, Karl Bitar and Sam Dastyari.
Paul Sheehan
Free speech dogged by politics of difference
Paul Sheehan The obvious question is, what are they afraid of? Is it fear of violence, or vandalism, or simply fear of association?
Paul Sheehan
Peris must rise above kneecapping
Paul Sheehan For several years the second-most famous Aboriginal woman in Australia, after Cathy Freeman, was Nova Peris-Kneebone and her fame was greatly helped by her delightful name.
Paul Sheehan
Meanwhile, life goes on but mind the speed bumps
Paul Sheehan A law firm sent the following advice to its clients in December, which, in keeping with so much advice from government bureaucracies, local councils and human resource departments, was unnecessary,...
Paul Sheehan
Divided advocates huff and puff as Labor scorns small business
Paul Sheehan The Punch and Judy Show is not the defining struggle in Australian politics. Something much bigger will decide the next federal election.
Paul Sheehan
Labor patronises women and burdens business
Paul Sheehan JULIE COLLINS used to sit in the slot where the government always placed a couple of young women MPs, preferably good-looking, behind the Prime Minister so that they are visible on TV during question...
Would-be leaders preen but the women have the numbers
Paul Sheehan Even though Malcolm Turnbull is being ostentatiously loyal to his leader, he cannot abstain from remarking on the fact that he is very popular without actually saying he is more popular than his...
Paul Sheehan
Muddying waters on way to polls
Paul Sheehan It was no doubt keenly noted in the Prime Minister's office that even though Barack Obama enjoyed a decisive 55 per cent to 45 per cent advantage over Mitt Romney in this year's presidential...
Paul Sheehan
No end in sight in race to trample leaders
Paul Sheehan The Melbourne Cup may be the race that stops the nation but the Blood On the Carpet Leadership Stakes is the race that never ends.
Paul Sheehan
Rich vitriol shrouds budget extravagance
Paul Sheehan I preferred Robotic Julia. Now we have Furious Julia. Is there no middle course for the Prime Minister? Are we now seeing the cumulative strain of the cost of attaining power and maintaining a...
Paul Sheehan
Abuse is Treasurer's stock in trade
Paul Sheehan One member of the federal cabinet is the Member for Gutter. Another is the Member for Sewer. One resides permanently in the gutter, the other resides permanently in the sewer.
