Fred Hollows’ trachoma program exposed appalling Aboriginal health conditions and helped drive the growth of community-controlled health services. (more…)
Jack Waterford
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All Australians have the right to be protected against violence
The royal commission must confront hatred and violence against Jewish Australians while preserving free speech, political criticism of Israel and equal protection for all communities. (more…)
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The pity of modern systemic corruption in politics
The coming NSW ICAC hearings are only part of a deeper problem. Entrenched factional power, gambling interests and political cowardice are corroding trust in Australia’s institutions.
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PMs can’t blame racist populists for their own timidity
It’s too late for Starmer, but Albanese has two years to take a bold stance against Hansonism and explain to the public his own plan. (more…)
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Australia was defeated by Iran too
Australia’s support for the US-Israeli war on Iran has again exposed the reflexive subservience of Australian foreign policy, tying the country to another failed American military adventure that did nothing to serve the national interest.
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Hanson is winning because politics has stopped listening
Pauline Hanson’s rise cannot be countered by facts, logic or clever campaign tactics alone, because One Nation’s appeal is rooted in disgust, alienation and a belief that mainstream politics no longer listens.
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How governments move into Mafia – or Trump – territory
Australia’s crisis of trust is being deepened by opaque lobbying, revolving-door appointments, weak accountability and an insider culture that gives powerful interests privileged access to government. (more…)
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A no-party party could work for community independents
A party of community independents funded on the same basis as the other parties might be just what we need to deliver good government and a vibrant democracy. (more…)
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Albo stumbles with the hard sell
Of all the things which most frustrate about the Albanese government is the tendency of ministers to fall into a form of paralysis the moment it meets any sort of organised opposition, particularly from lobbies of the rich and powerful. (more…)
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A small but definite step for a timid prime minister, a tiny jump for Labor
The 2026 Budget marks a rare moment where Labor showed some willingness to confront inequality and tax reform, but the government still shrank from the scale of change the moment demanded. (more…)
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Time to rob old relics to bring up new generations
The principle that those who are best off should be paying more tax as a proportion than those of more modest income is a fundamental one. That includes baby boomers. (more…)
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Let’s hope Bell looks for real antisemitism, not being anti-Israel
Here’s hoping that the royal commission into the Bondi massacre of last December does not turn into partisan point-scoring, least of all over whether the Albanese government effectively ’caused’ the tragic massacre by reducing its activity against antisemitism in the aftermath of the October 2024 Hamas attack on Israelis. (more…)
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The NDIS reform is a real test of Labor’s courage
The proposed NDIS overhaul marks a rare moment of substantive reform – and a test of whether the Albanese government is willing to follow through in the face of political pressure. (more…)
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It takes two to make alliances and the US may run away first
As US commitment to alliances wavers, Australia faces urgent questions about its security, independence, and place in a rapidly shifting global order. (more…)
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Albo’s signature secrecy will ultimately bring him down
A court-ordered release of the Pezzullo report is a win for transparency – but it exposes a deeper culture of secrecy and institutional failure.
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Pope trumps Hegseth and his doomed crusade
Clashes between church leaders and Trump highlight tensions over religion, power and the justification of war. (more…)
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Mickey J: an Australian always, quietly, making a big difference
At a time of diminished political leadership, the legacy of Fred Hollows and Michael Johnson shows what practical, principled internationalism can achieve.
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Albanese risks losing the voters who put him there
From foreign policy to domestic reform, Labor risks alienating key supporters and wasting a moment of political opportunity in a volatile landscape.
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Freedom at last for the Robodebt Six, thanks to the NACC
New findings from the anti-corruption commission clear several figures of corruption over Robodebt, but the affair still exposes profound failures in public administration. (more…)
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Cowardice and kowtowing risk Australia becoming the fall guy in Trump’s wars and deals
As the US–Israeli war on Iran unfolds, Australia faces the danger of being drawn into American power politics while sacrificing its independence and credibility in the region. (more…)
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Albanese’s decision will follow him into the history books – and define us too
Anthony Albanese’s refusal to assist Australian women and children in Syrian detention camps may prove to be the defining act of his prime ministership – not for its prudence, but for what it reveals about leadership, moral courage and the limits of political calculation.
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Albanese’s real opponent is not Angus Taylor
Coalition turmoil has handed Anthony Albanese political space few prime ministers enjoy. Whether he uses it to govern with purpose – or continues to drift – is now the central question.
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A government without an effective opposition is a danger to democracy
The Coalition’s internal decay has left Australia without an effective opposition at a time when scrutiny, debate and accountability are more necessary than ever. The result is not just a party in trouble, but a democratic failure. (more…)
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Cruelty as policy only works until the public recoils
Trump’s immigration crackdown reveals how governments test public tolerance for cruelty exercised in the name of order – a lesson with clear echoes in Australia’s own recent history. (more…)
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Trump’s tariffs and threats are pushing the world to look elsewhere
The EU–India trade deal marks more than a commercial agreement. It signals a growing willingness among major economies to reduce their exposure to US coercion and to build new trade frameworks beyond Washington’s reach. (more…)
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Trump fills the great Albo silence
Australia’s leaders are trying to avoid becoming a target in a harsher, more coercive world. But silence and caution can’t substitute for strategy – or for honest leadership that levels with the public. (more…)
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Gory sausage making at the Labor knackery
“Social coherence” is being invoked everywhere, but public trust is fraying. Political panic, rushed laws and weak leadership are deepening division, not repairing it.
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Best of 2025 – Richo’s grave should be extra deep
Graham Richardson was a very successful operator of the Labor Party from the late 1970s who was distinctly short on redeeming virtues. (more…)
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There must be an accounting when the music stops
After Bondi, public anxiety, political pressure and rising criticism of Israel have collided. As definitions of antisemitism are contested, government judgement, media influence and social cohesion are under strain.
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This one’s on Netanyahu, not Albanese
The Bondi massacre sits within a wider international context that has reshaped public attitudes to Israel, antisemitism and protest, complicating how grief, fear and responsibility are understood in Australia. (more…)