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politics
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...
politics November 25, 2023
Albanese dragged to Dutton’s level
The performance of the first-term Albanese government has been marked by an unusual stability and maturity as it settled into the daunting task of guiding the nation. The government has shown a level of competence in sharp contrast to its...
economy November 25, 2023
Anthony Albanese could end up being a one-term prime minister if he can’t keep the faith with the young people who helped him to last year’s decisive election victory. Recent surveys suggest a cocktail of pandemic-related stresses is forging a...
politics November 25, 2023
The labour movement has a long, sometimes proud, history of anti-intellectualism. In 1983, when Bob Hawke proposed the slogan “Reconciliation, Recovery, Reconstruction”, he was met with a blunt assessment from Neville Wran, then the Labor premier of...
politics November 18, 2023
Several developments recently have made it obvious that politics has become a most unedifying race to the bottom. Facts and evidence are usually ignored in favour of emotive, baseless assertions, and truth and morality are clear casualties. The...
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...
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...
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...
defence November 4, 2023
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s statement to United States President Joe Biden during his recent visit to Washington, DC, that “Australia has his back” has unfortunate echoes. It is almost 60 years since then prime minister Harold Holt made a...
politics November 4, 2023
Peter Dutton’s play at weaponising Israel–Hamas war
Australia’s security chiefs are keeping a nervous eye on reactions to the escalating human disaster that is the Israel–Hamas war. Their worries come at a time when the political debate over Australia’s response is becoming more fractious...
