Peter Harvey: faith, family and an outstanding career

'Peter Harvey... Canberra.'

This signature sign-off was heard during the 6pm news by many thousands of Australians for years from journalist Peter Harvey when he served as the head of Channel Nine's Canberra Bureau. One of the first stories he covered was the dismissal of Gough Whitlam in 1975.

The 68-year-old Walkley Award-winning journalist died shortly before the 6pm news on March 2, at Royal North Shore Hospital, his wife Anne and children Claire and Adam by his side.

Tributes have since flowed in rivers for a man who was universally respected both for his professional skills and his integrity as a human being.

In December, The Australian Women's Weekly asked Harvey to write about his fight with pancreatic cancer and in this article he credits his wife, his family and his God for the strength to 'get along, day by day'.

'Anne has been the centrepiece of my life since the day I met her in the late 1960s in Sydney. I loved her then and that love has only grown deeper. There's also my children (Adam and Claire, both journalists). They're grown up now, with wonderful careers and their own lives, but are always part of us. Close then, close now. I'm also supported by a firm belief in God and Jesus Christ, a faith that not even a grim and punishing Church of England boarding school could hinder.'

He also said his work was a 'reassuring constant' -  a career that started in the Daily Telegraph, encompassed 2UE, 2GB, the BBC, The Guardian, Newsweek and of course, Channel 9.

Peter Harvey will be sadly missed. Read his full article, My Battle with Cancer.

Australian political books to read while waiting for the election

With the election campaign still with seven months to run and the weather being particularly inclement, perhaps it's timely for considered voters to read some of the many books authored by our politicians.

And while this may not be considered light reading, bedtime reading or relaxing Sunday afternoon reading, it may give you a better idea of who you are voting for on September 14.

In no particular order and with a willingness to add relevant titles if we have missed any, check out this selection which may be purchased by clicking the cover image.

There's probably no better place than to start, particularly if you are new to the Australian political arena, than Australian Politics for Dummies which will explain everything from how the parties originated to why was Gough Whitlam so upset in 1975. $33.95 from Booktopia.

The Making of Julia Gillard by Jacqueline Kent is one of two biographies written abut the Prime Minister before her rise to that office. The other is Julia Gillard by Christine Wallace. Both are curiously hard to buy online in Australia, this ebook edition has been updated after Gillard became PM - $21.17 from Amazon,

Battlelines by Tony Abbott was published in late 2009 after the 2007 demise of the Howard government. In this book he presents his vision of the way forward for the Liberal Party and reflects on people such as Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull, and Julia Gillard. This ebook edition $17.99 from Amazon.

We better take a moment to consider Australia's two most recent former Prime Ministers, given they both cast long shadows on today's politics, one way or another.

John Howard, firmly in retirement, has written a best-selling autobiography, Lazarus Rising, that is sought after because of the detailed political information it provides from Howard's long career. $28.95 from Booktopia.

Kevin Rudd: The Biography was written before the 2007 election in which he became Prime Minister and was a perhaps somewhat hurried book to help introduce a relatively unknown Rudd to the Australia electorate. It still provides useful personal insight into Rudd the man. Ebook edition $21.17 from Amazon.

From one maverick to another, Bob Katter is now the leader of his own party and is taking his big cowboy hat to the nation. Like Abbott, he has presented his vision of the way things should be in the encouragingly named An Incredible Race of People. $33.95 from Booktopia.

Changing tack a bit, Speechless is from journalist and one-time Kevin Rudd speechwriter, James Button. The son of much-loved Labor man, Senator John Button, James describes in a very personal way his one year foray into 'his father's business' - Australian politics. He gives us an inside view of the events surrounding Rudd's demise and what he sees as Labor's drift away from the party his father championed. $26.40 from Booktopia.

We've run out of steam for now, there's a limit to how many political books can be embraced at one time. But please howl us down about omissions and we'll update this page from time to time. In fact, we may start our own political book store on this site...

A very big year... election humour

Australia will need some humorous moments in the next seven months as the September 14 election draws tortuously closer.

And so Australian Christian Voter shares a photo that tells the story of the very big year ahead... with apologies to Tony and to Canberra's Centenary.

The photo appears (among other places) on the Canberra Memes Facebook page.

In the interest of fairness, we promise to publish other funny ear photos from all political persuasions as they come to hand - please send them to auschristian@gmail.com. Other body part photos also accepted, within reason...

Bob Katter stakes a claim for Christian voter heartland

If the result of the recent Neilsen poll carried through to the election - Coalition leading the ALP by 47 per cent to 30 per cent may - the minor parties' battle for the balance of power might become obsolete.

But if it election results in both houses is close enough to bring the fate of the minor parties and independents back into play, Bob Katter's Australia Party is tipped by some analysts as the party to watch.

While the birth of the party nationally has been marked by controversial comments and candidate resignations, it could be a case of 'all publicity is good publicity' considering the challenge most small parties have in creating national profile. And in any case there is little doubt Katter and co will poll well in Queensland, and maybe western Sydney, right where Labor is expected to suffer badly.

Open Australia bridges democratic disconnect and puts you in touch with Parliament

A new website that makes the unfathomable depths of Hansard easily accessible will be a huge asset for serious voters in the 2013 election.

OpenAustralia has a simple goal - to be 'a non-partisan website run by a charity, the OpenAustralia Foundation and volunteers. It aims to make it easy for people to keep tabs on their representatives in Parliament.' <>

Screenshot of an electorate search using a postcode.

OpenAustralia has already been featured by the Global Mail which has used information sourced from the website to produce charts showing how politicians use language to describe issues. Check out its Party Lines interactive feature.

The OpenAustralia website describes its function as a bridge for the 'growing democratic disconnect':

This election year be 'fair by instinct' and provide fair go for all says World Vision head Tim Costello

'Fair by instinct' should be a guiding principle of the federal election and policy on overseas aid, according to World Vision Australia Chief Executive, Tim Costello.

Writing in the Fairfax Media, Mr Costello said,

'Ever since the Prime Minister called the election, I’ve had three words repeating in my head. Fair - By - Instinct. That’s how the PM described our nation and it’s an assessment I think most Australians would agree with. Fairness is the cornerstone of our constitution and our national identity. But as we head into an election year, I think we need to ask ourselves whether we really believe in a fair go for all.'

Mr Costello said he was disturbed in the drift in policy that saw both major parties reneging on aid targets and deciding to or considering diverting aid money to domestic needs.

'I hope our major political parties are focused on a broader notion of justice, one that includes the poorest and most vulnerable people beyond our shores. These are the people our overseas aid program aims to help, and a recent government report concluded that our taxpayer dollars are making an extraordinary impact in their communities.'

Read Tim Costello's full statement on the World Vision website

VoterValue: When considering your vote in September, take into account candidate and party attitudes to overseas aid and meeting the Millennium Goals.

Carers Alliance and Bank Reformers seek registration alongside the Pirate Party

Two new parties have applied for registration towards the September 14, 2013 federal election, joining 33 other parties already contesting the poll.

The Carers Alliance and the Bank Reform Party hope to follow the most recently registered political grouping, The Pirate Party, which had its registration approved by the Australian Electoral Commission on February 13, 2013.

Party registration benefits include having party affiliation printed on ballot papers, not needing the signatures of 50 voters to nominate in an electorate and funding for endorsed candidates who received 4 per cent of the vote.

Humanism? Pragmatism? But nothing to challenge the Christian vision

Is Prime Minister Julia Gillard - a self-confessed atheist - guided by a humanistic moral vision or the pragmatism of political realities?

Mitchell Landrigan, a Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney and part-time PhD Candidate, Law School, University of NSW, addresses this issue in his article, 'The search for a godless vision of morality in Australian politics' posted on Online Opinion. He writes:

"On two political issues – gay marriage and asylum seekers – the Prime Minister's stance has perhaps led to confusion in the electorate about the ethical framework that guides the Prime Minister's decision-making.

"More specifically, the Prime Minister's unwillingness or inability to articulate an alternative moral model to Christianity – one based on secular humanism – has arguably resulted in cynicism about what guides the Prime Minister's values and has perhaps led to a perception amongst voters that these are purely pragmatic political choices..."

These issues are likely to come into sharper focus as interest groups prepare their offensives for an extended election campaigning period.

Read more of Mitchell's thoughts.