Bøker av Peter O'Brien

Stage fright is an issue faced by many people today and because of this, they see public speaking as a big issue. This book exposes the ways to avoid stage fright and build stage presence and confidence.

On becoming Prime Minister in May 2023, Anthony Albanese's very first commitment was that he would implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full. That statement encompasses a Voice to Parliament and Government, truth telling, treaty and some form of Aboriginal sovereignty or self-government. The Voice is the first and enabling step to these other demands. It is not, as Albanese claims, a modest change and 'just good manners'. If this referendum succeeds, it will be the most significant change the Constitution has ever undergone and it will be a major concession to Aborigines. It will entrench in the Constitution an eighth political entity alongside the Commonwealth and the States. But membership of this polity will be open only to members of one particular race. And it will not be content with merely issuing advice. It will, sooner rather than later, demand, and exercise, power in its own right. It will effectively, become a separate government for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This booklet will explain how that might come about.This proposal conflates two issues - advice to Parliament, and Constitutional recognition of Aboriginal people. Much of the support for the latter aspect is based on a genuine and understandable sympathy for the history and plight of Aboriginal people. It is seen by many as long overdue recompense for wrongs past and present. But much of this sympathy is built on exaggerated claims and historical myths. This booklet will also examine the issue of Constitutional recognition. It will argue that if this is to happen, it should not be by means of the Voice.Peter O'Brien, a retired army officer, is a frequent contributor to Quadrant and Spectator magazines. He is also the author of Bitter Harvest - the illusion of Aboriginal agriculture in Bruce Pascoe's Dark Emu and Villain or Victim - a defence of Sir John Kerr and the Reserve Powers.

The Governor-General of Australia is not a mere figurehead. Governors-General possess real power which is given to them by the Constitution. It is intended that these 'reserve' powers should be used only very rarely. One of these is the power to withdraw the commission of a Prime Minister, and this was invoked in 1975 by Governor-General Sir John Kerr to resolve an intractable political impasse. As a result of his actions, Kerr has been vilified mercilessly ever since.Villain or Victim argues that Kerr acted constitutionally, judiciously and effectively. It also postulates that the campaign against him has been crafted and sustained to undermine those reserve powers and to intimidate future Governors-General against their use. This compelling book explains the constitutional basis for Kerr's decision, clarifies the role of the Monarch in Australia and warns that circumstances under which the use of any of the reserve powers may be called for, could very easily arise in the near future. Australia needs a Governor-General well versed in the nature of these powers and prepared to use them when necessary. And we need an informed public that is able to understand such action.Peter O'Brien graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1970 and was posted as an infantry platoon commander on operations in South Vietnam with the Fourth Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. He served in the Australian Army for twenty-one years, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his military service he gained a Bachelor of Science degree, a Graduate Diploma in Data Processing and a Diploma of Military Studies.After retiring from the Army, Peter spent twenty years in business and scientific computer sales. He has contributed frequently to Quadrant and Spectator Magazines and is the author of Bitter Harvest - the illusion of Aboriginal agriculture in Bruce Pascoe's Dark Emu.

Both unconventional and original this title resists the alarmist temptation to distort the political influence of German nationalism and instead uncovers sources of inequality in German liberalism which until now have gone unnoticed.