The machinery behind the machinery

The headline tells you what happened. I’m interested in how it happened, who made the decisions, what shaped them, and what the explanation leaves out.

That’s the purpose of my writing: to leave you with a clearer understanding of what’s going on beneath the surface.

I’m Mark Croxford, a 20-year Navy veteran with more than 30 years across politics, public affairs, media, advocacy and strategy, including work as a ministerial adviser. That experience shapes the questions I ask. It doesn’t exempt my answers from scrutiny.

Much of what I write concerns Australian politics, veterans affairs and public policy. I follow the documents, decisions and details that can get lost between an announcement and its consequences.

But this isn’t a single-issue publication. Technology, cars, motorcycles, media and the occasional irresistible bit of nonsense get a look in too. Curiosity doesn’t stay neatly in its lane.

What you can expect

An argument you can follow, evidence you can examine, and a clear distinction between what is known and what still needs answering.

I have opinions. You won’t have to guess what they are. But I want the reasoning to stand up whether you agree with me or not.

I also founded Veterans Count. My interest in how institutions treat veterans is personal, but the questions reach further: who gets heard, how decisions are justified, and whether the people responsible are held to account.

A word about AI

I use AI in much of my writing process to test ideas, tighten language and handle volume. I still follow events, connect the dots and decide what matters. The thinking, judgement and final call are mine, as is responsibility for what I publish.

And if there’s an AI-generated cartoon, that’s because I can’t draw to save myself.

Why subscribe?

If you want to understand the machinery behind the machinery, rather than just react to the latest headline, I hope you’ll find something useful here.

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