opinion
comment
environment December 2, 2023
The climate wars may be over, but the battle continues. Now, the climate deniers have become renewables deniers. Australia is engaged in the most significant economic, industrial and social transformation – the transition to renewable energy...
economy December 2, 2023
MPs push Albanese on cost-of-living crisis
The cage fight that passes for political debate in the Australian parliament is drawing to an unedifying close for the year. The Dutton-led opposition has rushed to exploit every fear and panic, and heads to the summer break convinced it has the...
immigration December 2, 2023
The case against mandatory detention
In November, the High Court ruled the government could not indefinitely detain a non-citizen if there was no real prospect of removal from Australia becoming practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future. The court’s full reasons, delivered this...
editorial December 2, 2023
The proverb first appeared in Latin sometime before 1191. Male ulciscitur dedecus sibi illatum, qui amputat nasum suum (He who cuts off his nose takes poor revenge for a shame inflicted on him). … Most recently, it is a useful description of Labor’s approach to the stage three tax cuts.
letters December 2, 2023
This email won’t bring an end to the fighting in Gaza. It won’t address religious hatred and it doesn’t pretend to offer a solution to the Israel–Palestine conflict (Gregg Carlstrom, “ Four-day ceasefire agreed in Israel–Hamas war ”, November 25–...
politics November 18, 2023
Dutton tracks the scent of victory
As this term of government rapidly nears its halfway mark, the Coalition is convinced it has a greater chance of victory at the next election than it dared imagine over the past 18 months. Peter Dutton is encouraged by continuing tightening in the...
editorial November 18, 2023
The legislation that follows is always thin and a little scabby. It’s always a suture. Over time the whole Migration Act has become like this, patched up and half-healed.
indigenous affairs November 18, 2023
Life in the time of polycrisis
Why does so much feel like it’s going wrong, all at the same time? Why do so many of us feel this sense of impending doom? According to experts, we are living through a “polycrisis”, a tangled mess of multiple crises, all happening at once. In the...
letters November 18, 2023
The word “elite” appears no fewer than 13 times in Rick Morton’s article (“ The age of entitlement ”, November 11-17). Instead of the media giving publicity to private schools by continually referring to them as “elite”, why not tell it like it is:...
economy November 11, 2023
Australia’s IMF report card: Needs work
The IMF’s delegation to Australia has wrapped up its visit, and its observations were unsettling for those feeling the strain of 13 consecutive interest rate increases. A key finding of the Washington-based fund was that inflation was unlikely to...
politics November 11, 2023
Albanese’s China dream and poll reality
Between a landmark foreign policy reset in China and the political calamity of the 13th interest rate rise in 18 months and 12th during its reign, the Albanese government straddled heaven and hell this week. On the eve of Prime Minister Anthony...
