Former ABC journalist. Now writing fiction. New thriller - 'Smoke' Affirm Press June 2024 michaelbrissenden.com
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Articles by Michael Brissenden
A son's reflection: What Father's Day means to Michael Brissenden
Subscribe today for the news that matters or signup to continue reading LIMITED TIME OFFER All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia Every year now when this day comes around I find myself more and more focused on what it means. What it means for me and what it might have meant for my own father. Author and journalist Michael Brissenden reflects on his dad's influence.
Putin has failed to learn lessons from the 1990s, and opposition against the war in Ukraine at home will grow
Russians, so the cliché goes, are a stoic lot. Russian history has been tough. From Tsarist brutality, to revolution, to the extraordinary human sacrifices of World War II and the deprivations of the Soviet Union, life has often been difficult. And so it was when I first arrived in Moscow as a correspondent at the beginning of 1994, just a few months after Boris Yeltsin had stared down his political opponents and ordered the tanks to blast the coup plotters out of the Moscow White House.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been dubbed the world's first 'TikTok war'. But could Putin be brought to justice?
Barely a week into the war in Ukraine, world leaders and criminal lawyers are accusing Russia's President Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes, and the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has announced he has launched an investigation into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity. British Prime Minster Boris Johnson yesterday told the UK Parliament that the bombing of innocent civilians "already fully qualifies as a war crime".
The invasion of Ukraine has shaken the liberal world order. Is Europe prepared for what comes next?
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed everything for Europe and will have profound consequences for the future of the region's security and society. After 30 years of peace, the invasion of Ukraine has shaken the complacency felt by many Europeans who are witnessing war on the continent in a way many thought had been confined to history. This is not a conflict that can be compared to the various Balkan wars of the 90s.
'It may have been just a 15-minute drive but it took us to another world': Michael Brissenden on his most memorable story
A long career — quite a lot of it spent as a correspondent overseas — can send you to some extraordinary places. It is an enormous privilege to be able to tell these stories and bring them home for an Australian audience and the ABC gave me that opportunity for 35 years. Over that time I was lucky enough to have postings in Moscow, Brussels and Washington. And of course I worked at home, mostly covering federal politics for just about every news and current affairs program in the place.
Former CEO Christine Holgate and top finance bureaucrat criticise minister's intervention in Australia Post
The recently departed Australia Post CEO and a former top finance bureaucrat have criticised the intervention of Communications Minister Paul Fletcher in the Cartier watches affair.
Dead Letters
A dead politician. A decades-old unsolved murder. A hornet's nest is about to be stirred. Counter terrorism expert Sid Allen knows nothing good ever comes from a phone call at 5 am. Politician Dan LeRoi, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, has been shot. Four bullets to the head. The crime scene is chaotic. Homicide. Counter Terrorism. Media. And for Sid, hunting the killer is going to get complicated. Journalist Zephyr Wilde is complicated.
Dead Letters by Michael Brissenden
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Michael Brissenden: Output: two novels; Quality: awesome. Brissenden’s latest novel is a gem – an intellectually stimulating, satisfying, emotionally engaging crime and politics novel that attaches to the brain and, like some rabid dog, never lets go, until its provocative ending. The novel opens with a dramatic scene involving a hunted man with a gun, a scenario that reveals its significance later.
Top bosses at Virgin Australia give insiders' account of what went wrong at the struggling airline
© Provided by ABC Health Around the world airlines were pushed to the brink by coronavirus shutdowns and Virgin became the first big corporate casualty in Australia. (Four Corners) In an exclusive interview, the chair of Virgin Australia has revealed how the airline entered the COVID-19 era financially vulnerable, saddled with billions of dollars of debt. Within a week of the COVID-19 lockdown, Virgin became Australia's first big corporate casualty.
Australia’s most senior former public servants and scientists reveal their anger about climate policy failure
For more than 30 years, Australian politics has been grappling with climate change and the nation's most senior public servants have been there through it all. Usually they keep their thoughts private, rarely making a foray into public debate, even in retirement. Now, after the devastating "black summer" fire season, the former heads of the Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of the Treasury, along with former chief scientists, have decided they can no longer stay silent.
Lawyer X scandal has rocked the justice system. What did the top cops know?
© Provided by Australian Broadcasting Corporation Nicola Gobbo's actions have now placed Victoria Police in the spotlight. (Four Corners: Georgina Piper) The current and former Victoria Police commissioners who knew about and authorised the recruitment of Lawyer X could face criminal charges, according to the state's former chief crown prosecutor.
Royal Commission into Lawyer X scandal resumes
As Victoria's Royal Commission into the so-called Lawyer X scandal continues in Melbourne today, the state's former chief crown prosecutor says some of Victoria's top cops could face criminal charges over their roles in the saga.
Michael Brissenden
'Extraordinarily unethical behaviour': Top cops savaged over role in Lawyer X scandal Posted October 21, 2019 05:46:13 The current and former Victoria Police commissioners who knew about and authorised the recruitment of Lawyer X may have perverted the course of justice and could face criminal charges, according to the state's former chief crown prosecutor.
'Extraordinarily unethical behaviour': Top cops savaged over role in Lawyer X scandal
Posted October 21, 2019 05:46:13 The current and former Victoria Police commissioners who knew about and authorised the recruitment of Lawyer X could face criminal charges, according to the state's former chief crown prosecutor. Lawyer X, who was unmasked as high-profile criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo, was a registered police informer through the 1990s and during Victoria's gangland war.
Donald Trump's administration is after Julian Assange and it serves as a warning to us all
Posted July 29, 2019 05:04:49 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is being aggressively pursued by the Trump administration, despite Donald Trump's enthusiastic embrace during the 2016 election campaign. Trump famously declared "I love WikiLeaks" during the campaign as WikiLeaks began rolling out a series of leaks damaging to Hillary Clinton.
Ashley Hall
Innovation thrives as Longreach market gardener's water reserves run low Posted October 25, 2015 17:47:38 | Updated October 25, 2015 17:57:46 Longreach farmer Michael Lockrey's unlikely hydroponic market garden venture looks set to become yet another casualty of a drought that is now stretching into four years.
Should farmers get handouts? The debate is more urgent than ever
The scale of the drought that's gripped much of eastern Australia is still truly staggering. Despite some isolated showers across some parts of NSW, it stretches from south-west Queensland through all of NSW and into South Australia. The Liverpool Plains and the town of Quirindi, where Four Corners filmed its story this week, are the epicentre. The statistics show 2018 has been the warmest and one of the driest periods in that area since records began in the early 1900s.
From lipstick to stock feed: The CWA secretary taking on the drought
The CWA motto is to the point: Faced with the biggest drought their region has seen in more than 50 years, the ladies of the Quirindi CWA are mobilising, and 75-year-old Colleen Wills is leading the charge.
Liberal Party elders lash Tony Abbott for acts of revenge
Liberal Party elders have condemned Tony Abbott’s role in bringing down the Turnbull government, saying the former prime minister’s behaviour has been “lamentable”.Conservative supporters of Mr Abbott have also told the ABC’s Four Corners that he had “unfinished business” and he actively contributed to the volatile climate in today’s Liberal Party.Former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer said the party has been wracked by bitterness since Malcolm Turnbull rolled Mr Abbott as prime...
Liberal Party elders lash Tony Abbott for acts of revenge on Turnbull's Government
Tony Abbott has contributed to the volatile climate in the Liberal Party, supporters say. Liberal Party elders have condemned Tony Abbott's role in bringing down the Turnbull Government, saying the former prime minister's behaviour has been "lamentable". Conservative supporters of Mr Abbott have also told the ABC's Four Corners that he had "unfinished business" and he actively contributed to the volatile climate in today's Liberal Party.
Liberal Party elders lash Tony Abbott for acts of revenge on Turnbull's government
Updated August 27, 2018 21:26:25 Liberal Party elders have condemned Tony Abbott's role in bringing down the Turnbull government, saying the former prime minister's behaviour has been "lamentable". Conservative supporters of Mr Abbott have also told the ABC's Four Corners that he had "unfinished business" and he actively contributed to the volatile climate in today's Liberal Party.
Wastage rules could lead to more horses bred for racing starving in paddocks, RSPCA warns
Updated July 09, 2018 19:06:59 The RSCPA is concerned that rules introduced by racing authorities to address the issue of wastage in horseracing are not dealing with the problem effectively. "Wastage" is a term used to describe horses that are bred for racing that do not make it into the sport, or are lost from the industry when they are no longer useful. Many end up being killed for meat or are left languishing in paddocks.
Horseracing insiders raise questions about Aquanita investigation
Racing Victoria has been accused of not acting soon enough to uncover a recent doping scandal described by a judge as one of the "darkest and longest chapters in Australian turf history". Serious questions have been raised about the investigation process that eventually led to charges.
US Navy says unarmed bombs dropped on Barrier Reef safe
STEVE CANNANE, PRESENTER: The commander of the US 7th fleet says he understands Australian concerns about the dumping of four unarmed bombs near the Barrier Reef. two contain explosive s but none of the bombs have detonators. The American commander who is also leading the joint Australian US military exercise known as Talisman Sabre says he would be happy to retrieve the ordinance if that's what the Australian Government wants.
Big sugar and the 'big flaw' in Australia's federal health programs
Many blame Australia's obesity problem on sugar, and the food and drink industry that makes the products fuelled by it. Australia is now one of the fattest nations on Earth. Sixty per cent of us are overweight or obese, and by 2025 that figure will rise to 80 per cent. Despite this, Australia still has no national obesity strategy. What we do have are two key federal programs — the Healthy Food Partnership to encourage healthy eating, and the Health Star rating, a front-of-pack labelling system.
Big Sugar and the 'big flaw' in Australia's health programs
Australia is now one of the fattest nations on Earth.Sixty per cent of us are overweight or obese, and by 2025 that figure will rise to 80 per cent.Despite this, Australia still has no national obesity strategy.What we do have are two key federal programs — the Healthy Food Partnership to encourage healthy eating, and the Health Star rating, a front-of-pack labelling system.But the rules for these two initiatives have been set by committees made up of government and public health advocates,...
Why Australia is one of the fattest nations on Earth with no obesity strategy
Australia is now one of the fattest nations on Earth. Sixty per cent of us are overweight or obese, and by 2025 that figure will rise to 80 per cent. Despite this, Australia still has no national obesity strategy. What we do have are two key federal programs — the Healthy Food Partnership to encourage healthy eating, and the Health Star rating, a front-of-pack labelling system.
While politicians question the reality of climate change, farmers and businesses act
David Bruer has been growing vines and making wine at his Temple Bruer vineyard in the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia since 1978. In his vineyard laboratory, weather records for every vintage for nearly 40 years are stacked in plastic folders. They clearly show a steady increase in maximum temperatures over that time of about 1 degree. It might seem like a relatively small change but the impact has been dramatic. Harvested fruit is turning up hotter.
Malcolm Turnbull is at his weakest and the conservatives are circling
At the pointy end of the political year, Malcolm Turnbull is a weakened leader under siege from within and without. The High Court has thrown his one-seat majority Government into disarray at a time when he was hoping for clear air to get on with policies that might help shore up his disastrous polling — things such as tax reform, infrastructure and housing.
Mortgages and debt: How lending culture is leaving Australians vulnerable
A decade of housing price rises, low interest rates and relatively easy credit has left Australians carrying the second highest level of household debt in the world. And despite efforts to tighten lending and to address problems in the lending culture, the ABC's Four Corners program has learnt bank staff and mortgage brokers are still required to meet tough lending targets and some staff are threatened with dismissal if they do not meet the banks' requirement to sign up more mortgages.
Betting on the House
Betting on the house: Australia's real estate obsession driving us to the brink. The statistics are startling. Australians are carrying more personal debt than ever before. For every one dollar earned, on average, Australians have nearly two dollars of debt. We hold the dubious position of having the second highest level of household debt in the world. Much of this stems from our obsession with buying real estate. "Housing has never been rational.
POWER FAILURE - Four Corners
"It is remarkable how much we have stuffed up energy policy in this country." Mining Lobbyist Four Corners investigates how a nation as rich as Australia is in coal, gas, sunshine and wind, has found itself in the middle of an energy crisis. For a decade, the politicisation of energy policy has divided the major political parties and brought down their leaders.
Eastern seaboard consumers could see electricity prices rise by as much as 30 per cent by June, expert warns
The lack of a carbon price is paralysing investment in Australia's energy sector and putting domestic power bills on track to surge by up to 40 per cent, experts have warned. The policy vacuum is also raising questions about whether Australia will meet its commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement, with the Energy and Environment Minister admitting that the aspiration for net zero emissions by 2050 is uncertain.
POWER FAILURE - Four Corners
"It is remarkable how much we have stuffed up energy policy in this country." Mining Lobbyist Four Corners investigates how a nation as rich as Australia is in coal, gas, sunshine and wind, has found itself in the middle of an energy crisis. For a decade, the politicisation of energy policy has divided the major political parties and brought down their leaders.
Donald Trump's presidency means world is in for 'one hell of a ride', political insiders warn
They say Washington is a Democrat town. And yes, broadly that's true. It's a city of bureaucrats, staffers, political tragics, media spinners and lawyers. Add to that the large African-American population and you have a consistent Democrat constituency. But it is also an establishment city — a city of think-tanks, policy wonks, lobbyists and political professionals. When I first arrived in DC as a correspondent just after the Obama inauguration in 2009, the place was buzzing.
The 'difficult' war: Howard reflects on Iraq
Former prime minister John Howard says he has no regrets about the war in Iraq or Australia's involvement in it. Mr Howard says he knew war was likely 10 months out from when Australia and the coalition of the willing invaded Iraq, but he maintains he did not commit troops until much later. "I make no secret now nor did I make any secret of the fact 10 years ago that we had people involved and knowledgeable about the planning stages of any operation that might materialise," he told the ABC.
Former Islamic State sex slave Nadia Murad calls on Australia to join Yazidi fight for justice
Nadia Murad, a 21-year-old survivor of the Islamic State (IS) attack on the village of Kocho in Iraq in 2014, is campaigning for the UN Security Council to refer IS's crimes to the international criminal court for prosecution. She will speak today with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julia Bishop, and said she plans to ask them to take action against IS and to recognise the attacks on the Yazidis as genocide.
'Australians are a lot clearer about what Labor stands for': Opposition Leader Bill Shorten
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says as far as Labor is concerned, his party has won the Townsville seat of Herbert. Mr Shorten says there is much that can be done for the area including going ahead with the promised stadium, looking after workers from the Clive Palmer plant, and investing in apprenticeships. On other matters, Mr Shorten said that there are better ways to resolve the issue of same sex marriage legislation than undertaking an expensive plebiscite.
PM announces Royal Commission into abuse at NT youth detention centre
The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced a joint Royal Commission with the NT Government will be established into the events that occurred at the Don Dale youth detention centre. The abuse was exposed in a 4 Corners program which showed CCTV footage of children being tear gassed and subjected to torturous conditions.
AM Full Program - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
On this AM election special: The polls said it would be close but few thought it would be as close as this. After eight weeks of campaigning and a final appeal for Australians to vote for stability, it's clear stability is one thing Malcolm Turnbull won't be able to deliver; Nick Xenophon looks likely to become a key powerbroker in the new Parliament.
Australia references stripped from UN climate change report
All references to Australia have been removed from a UN report on climate change after the Environment Department expressed concerns it could cause confusion and negatively affect tourism.
All references of Australia removed from UN climate change report
All references to Australia have been removed from a UN report on climate change, after the Environment Department expressed concerns it could cause confusion, and negatively affect tourism. The report, jointly published by UNESCO, initially contained a chapter on the Great Barrier Reef and sections on Kakadu and Tasmanian forests.
Noel Pearson 'warned Queensland Government' about Aurukun violence
Cape York Indigenous Leader Noel Pearson has said he warned the Queensland Government two months ago about violence in the remote community of Aurukun. Twenty-five teachers and staff were evacuated from the community in the state's far north last week, after a group of youths attacked the school principal. It has been alleged that one of the teenagers was wielding an axe. Mr Pearson said the teachers were "dedicated" to helping their students and deserved to be protected.
Great Barrier Reef water quality projects to be fully funded by Commonwealth: Greg Hunt
An extra $50 million will be spent on new projects to improve water quality on the Great Barrier Reef, Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt says. Environmentalists had been calling on the state and federal governments to fully finance protection programs. Late last year, the Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce reported that almost $600 million was required over five years to help reduce pollution impacts on the Barrier Reef.
Younger veterans feel disconnected from Anzac Day tradition, says former officer
Younger veterans from Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor and other conflicts are struggling to find their place in the Anzac tradition and reintegrate into the community, says former Australian Army officer John Bale. Mr Bale is the co-founder of the charity Soldier On, founded in 2012 to help Australian soldiers recover from the physical and psychological wounds of war. He said there was a growing apathy around the continuing centenary of World War I battles.
Preventative detention orders on next COAG meeting agenda following Brussels attacks
A Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting of state and territory leaders will next week discuss strengthening Australia's preventative detention orders. At present, individuals detained on suspicion of terrorism-related activity cannot be questioned while they are detained unless they are charged. The ABC understands the current prevention regime has been a long-held frustration for counter-terrorism police and that the COAG meeting will be asked to address the issue next week.
'For rightful claims to be denied is...unjust, we need to get to the bottom of the facts':O'Dwyer
A joint Four Corners/Fairfax investigation has found one of Australia's biggest life insurers has been using unscrupulous practices to deny, delay or avoid paying claims. Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer says 'for rightful claims to be denied is completely unjust' and the Government will support a Senate inquiry's investigation into CommInsure. Ms O'Dwyer says an ASIC investigation will also look at whether the problem is more systemic.
Remove Medicare pathology bulk billing incentives: Grattan Institute
The Federal Government's plans to remove the bulk billing incentives from pathology services has been supported this morning by a comprehensive report into the industry by the Grattan institute. The report's author professor Stephen Duckett says the Government should push forward with broad reforms of the pathology industry. Changes to the way patients pay for pathology and more competition could see cheaper, fairer and more efficient pathology delivery.
Worker exploitation widespread and involves household names: Labor MP Brendan O'Connor
Labor has announced a suite of proposals to crack down on worker exploitation, saying the problem is widespread. The measures include stronger penalties for bosses who underpay workers and two year jail terms for employers who deliberately exploit temporary overseas workers. It follows several high profile cases of worker exploitation, including the systemic underpayment of 7-Eleven workers uncovered last year.
Paris climate talks: Australia's taking steps where strides are necessary, says Climate Institute
The CEO of the Climate Institute of Australia, John Connor, says the world is doing a lot more on climate change and Australia should be lifting its game. Mr Connor says that while signing on to the second Kyoto protocol is significant, refusing to sign the fossil fuels communique will send a signal to our biggest polluters. MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: For more on the climate talks we're joined now by the CEO of the Climate Institute of Australia, John Connor. John Connor welcome to the program.
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