About Us
Michael Duffy and Paul Comrie-Thomson present Counterpoint, a commentary program which examines a range of social, economic and cultural issues in Australian life. It challenges some widely-held assumptions, and introduces some new and some seldom-heard commentators.
Michael Duffy
Michael Duffy presents Counterpoint on Radio National and is a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald. Michael is the author of Man of Honour, a biography of John Macarthur, and Latham and Abbott, which traced the lives and rivalry of politicians Mark Latham and Tony Abbott. He edited the Independent Monthly (1993-96) and then set up his own company, Duffy & Snellgrove, to publish mainly serious non-fiction books. This ceased publishing new titles in 2004.
After graduating from Macquarie University in 1978 (BA, English), Duffy worked as a manual labourer and played in punk rock bands in Australia and England. He then worked in the public service for six years, in the Department of Social Security and the NSW Premier's Department. He has been a delegate in two trade unions.
Paul Comrie-Thomson
Paul Comrie-Thomson is co-presenter of Counterpoint and a freelance writer. After graduating from UNSW in 1970, Comrie-Thomson worked as a copywriter and then became part-owner and senior editor of the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine. He returned to copywriting in 1981 but retained an interest in the Australian band The Saints until 1990.
In 1995 while running his own advertising consultancy he returned to study part-time at the University of Sydney, and was awarded the degree of Master of Philosophy in 2003. Since that time he has worked exclusively as a writer and broadcaster. His articles and commentaries have appeared in The Australian, the Weekend Australian, The Age, the Newcastle Herald, Online Opinion and Quadrant.
