Michael Arbon

As gunfire ceased on the Western Front on the morning of November 11, 1918, Australia's first war correspondent Charles Bean observed "the gates to the future silently opened".

The armistice which secured the end of World War I had been signed at dawn, marking the conclusion of a four-year conflict that had claimed more than 60,000 Australian lives.

Confirmation would take several hours to reach Australia, where crowds were gathering in the streets at the first whispers of the news.

In every town and city, people rejoiced at the end of 'the war to end all wars' - and the beginning of a new chapter in Australia's history.

Lest we forget.

I was recently joined by barrister and civil liberties advocate Greg Barns SC to discuss the Digital Duty of Care Bill, social media restrictions, and Victoria’s upcoming election.

Dame Jacinda Ardern has landed a new role at the University of Sydney, where she will, somewhat ironically, focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust.

Written in 1916 by Rev. William J. H. Boetcker. 110 years later, this holds true.

THE TEN CANNOTS

1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

3. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.

4. You cannot lift up the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

5. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

6. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.

7. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.

9. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men’s initiative and
independence.

10. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and
should do for themselves.

The Victorian Coalition has made an election promise to return passenger trains to Mildura and Horsham if it wins the November state election.

The economics must stack up, but philosophically they're onto something.

Regional workers produce materially higher output per hour, housing is more affordable, birth rates are higher, volunteering rates are stronger and communities are more connected.

If we want to address some of the great challenges like housing affordability, declining birth rates, social disconnection and our reliance on immigration to grow our population, perhaps we should embrace what regional Australia is doing right.