Throwing Salt in home ownership wounds
The path to home ownership is more difficult than ever, and ordering smashed avocados at local cafes isn’t totally to blame, but Bernard Salt’s...
Derby atmosphere unrivalled in Australian sport
I’ve been to plenty of great sporting events at ANZ Stadium, from NRL Grand Finals to State of Origins, football internationals and of course...
Panthers open premiership window
Penrith’s NRL season didn’t quite have a dream finish, but it’s far from a nightmare.
The club’s 2016 campaign, which ended at the hands of...
Kruger doesn’t deserve vile response to immigration comments
As somebody who writes 50-odd opinion columns a year, I understand that criticism, the odd abuse-laden letter and angry phone calls come as part...
Howard’s battlers have been lost
When both Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten made unscheduled visits to the Lindsay electorate last Saturday, it was evident that something quite extraordinary and...
A question of trust and integrity
This is probably one of the most difficult pre-election columns I’ve ever written.
Difficult because it is impossible to say there’s been a clear winner...
Sick hospital needs help – now
When severe stomach pain sent me to Nepean Hospital’s Emergency Department last month, it was the first time I’d been to Nepean as a...
I won’t put up with casual homophobia any longer
So many of us woke on Monday morning to discover the severity and magnitude of yet another mass shooting in the US, the biggest...
Bill’s gaffe not a gaffe at all
So Bill Shorten is sexist, living in the last century and has no idea how the modern family works.
At least that's how some want to...
The A-Z Guide of the Federal Election
A is for Alan Jones. One of the most influential broadcasters in the country and a vocal Tony Abbott supporter. Can the Liberals still...
Ayres faces biggest test
It is inevitable that the debate surrounding the State Government’s stadium strategy will reach some sort of conclusion in the coming days or weeks.
Compromise...
Justice system without justice
We all go about our business each day with the belief that we’ll arrive home in one piece that night.
We plan for weekends, holidays,...
RMS has blood on its hands
Earlier this evening I took a drive out to the intersection of The Northern Road and Andromeda Drive in Cranebrook, where 17-year-old Kieren Birks tragically...
Abbott simply can’t win
I know this is a hard thing to do, but just for a minute or two, put yourself in Tony Abbott’s shoes.
Do you retire...
Why have we stopped laughing?
Three Aussie guys – Shane, Barry and Jeff – were working on a high-rise building project. Unfortunately, Shane falls off the scaffolding and is...
Fearless predictions for 2016
Christmas is gone, another couple of million bucks has been blown up in the sky via the New Year’s Eve fireworks and we’ve all...
Wrapping up another year
This week marks the final edition of The Western Weekender for 2015.
What a year it has been in Penrith.
A State Election came and went, with...
Festival tragedies must stop
The death of a 25-year-old woman at the Stereosonic music festival last weekend again raises questions about the future of such events as they...
Bringing out the best and worst of us
There is no question that the attacks on Paris last weekend were horrific, tragic and terrifying to watch unfold.
I visited Paris for the first...
A very Weekender wedding
I’ve been called a lot of things (‘triple chinned turnip’ is my most recent favourite), but until around 4pm this afternoon, I’ve never been...