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John Roskam

John Roskam

Financial Review

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Coalition at last fire a shot in culture war for free speech

After being so bad for so long on freedom of expression, the Liberals are beginning to take seriously the erosion of the most basic of all human...

26.02.2026 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Gangs, debts and populism: What’s happening to Victoria?

One of the unknowns about the next state election is One Nation. Until recently, Labor and the Liberals thought: “Hanson can’t happen here”. But...

12.02.2026 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Hate group laws will be turned on Libs and Labor

In their rush to get a political fix to antisemitism, both sides of politics chose to ignore the very real risks of such legislation.

29.01.2026 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

The Liberal Party’s ‘better economic managers’ brand is broken

The Australian Election Study found that the party’s traditional advantage has evaporated, making it nearly impossible for it to win a federal...

11.12.2025 9

Financial Review

John Roskam

The three women who could save the Liberal Party – or sink with it

Sussan Ley’s best chance of keeping her job is to talk about policies for the country, not gender quotas for her party.

27.11.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Net zero is not like the Voice for the Liberal Party

There is no campaign playbook that the Libs can use against net zero because, in truth, they have not really fought for anything for years.

13.11.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Why Australia needs Tony Abbott’s proud history

There’s no mystery to why the former prime minister’s book is already a bestseller. Perhaps the only thing worse than making history boring is...

30.10.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

The Liberal Party can’t survive by dodging the culture wars

The idea that the Liberal Party must veer to ‘the centre’ to attract young people is challenged by the youth of today making friends with their...

02.10.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Daniel Andrews was the ALP’s man in Beijing

The Chinese Communist Party wanted the former Victorian premier at the parade because until a few years ago, he was the most senior Labor politician...

04.09.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Chalmers’ roundtable won’t fix Australia’s broken housing dream

Conservatives once defended property rights, neighbourhood amenity and backyards. Now, those who speak of such things are criticised as “selfish...

21.08.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Sydney Harbour protest imports old-world hatreds to Australia’s heart

A community of migrants such as ours can’t live in relative peace if centuries-old ethnic and religious enmities are allowed to fester.

11.08.2025 60

Financial Review

John Roskam

Menzies’ message forgotten as Liberals create leaners, not lifters

Correlation is not causation – but sometimes it is. In recent years, as the size of government has grown, Australia’s economic productivity has...

24.07.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Hate has no place? If only that were true

The best way to start to overcome antisemitism is to encourage young people to have a bit more empathy and lot less hatred for those they disagree...

10.07.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Ley’s Liberals lack ambition for ‘modern Australia’

If the limit of Sussan Ley’s hope is merely for Liberals to “reflect modern Australia”, the country’s direction will not change with her as...

26.06.2025 7

Financial Review

John Roskam

Why the end of ABC Q+A was inevitable

Many journalists at the public broadcaster think their job is to be a taxpayer-funded counterweight to Rupert Murdoch.

13.06.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Australia’s left-wing trend is not the Liberals’ friend

For the Liberals to meet the majority of young people “where they are” would require the party to veer dramatically to the left.

15.05.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Why neither Albanese nor Dutton deserve your vote

The two contenders give the impression the country is hanging on for dear life, and their job is simply to get Australia through whatever the latest...

01.05.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Is the Liberal Party even trying to win this election?

The Coalition has been in power for about nine of the last dozen years. If Australia is not on track, then perhaps some of the responsibility rests...

22.04.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Why the Liberals are failing to woo a changing nation

The party is reduced to emphasising minor policy differences while leaving unchallenged the central premise of Labor’s campaign.

03.04.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Should we deport criminal dual citizens? Dutton wants Aussies to vote

There’s a reason politicians don’t like direct democracy and why there will never be a referendum on big national debates.

20.03.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Yes, America is fickle – but it’s also our best ally

The only difference between Donald Trump and his Republican and Democrat predecessors is that he is nakedly honest about America’s interests.

06.03.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Dutton’s populist plans won’t cut your grocery bills

When politicians reach for the first ‘populist’ policy they can find to address voter concerns about rising prices, they’re doing a disservice...

21.02.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Richard Holden is wrong. Ross Gittins is right about the economics rot

Economists desperately want to convince themselves the world is as simple as C I G (X - M). That’s what generations of students have been...

06.02.2025 20

Financial Review

John Roskam

What if Australia had its own Trump?

A local Trump would do some truth-telling, including that it’s incomprehensible a place as big as Australia has close to the world’s most...

24.01.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam

Fact is, Meta’s following Musk’s populist’s vibe

Whether Mark Zuckerberg made his decision to placate Trump or from a commitment to free speech, it’s a victory for freedom of expression.

09.01.2025 10

Financial Review

John Roskam