New resilience data reveals the depth of disadvantage in Melbourne’s north, where factories have disappeared, health services have fallen behind and Labor’s once-unshakeable support is crumbling. Victoria’s latest hospital funding pledge has only deepened the divide. (more…)
Category: Politics
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What I brought back from China – Message from the Editor
A week in China brought extraordinary technology, ancient history and a reminder that journalists around the world share something essential: the responsibility to earn their readers’ trust. (more…)
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In the AI era, journalists cannot outsource trust to machines
In a speech to the 2026 Belt and Road Journalists Forum in Nanjing, journalists were urged to redesign verification for an era of deepfakes, synthetic evidence and increasingly confident AI errors. (more…)
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It’s up to the government to fix the tangled arms of economic management
The federal budget is adding to demand while the Reserve Bank tries to contain inflation. Cutting public services isn’t the only answer. Australia could start by getting a fairer return from its mineral and energy wealth. (more…)
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Palestinians face settler violence every day. The world notices when foreigners are attacked
Attacks on an American journalist and European diplomats have exposed the violence Palestinians endure daily in the occupied West Bank – and the Israeli government’s response to those responsible. (more…)
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UN report details extermination, rape and torture across occupied Palestine
A UN-mandated inquiry finds that Israel continues committing genocidal acts in Gaza, while killings, displacement, torture and sexual violence in the West Bank form part of a wider campaign to deny Palestinians their right to self-determination. (more…)
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Public education needs more than polite lobbying. It needs people willing to protest
Public education’s advocates have become too comfortable with polite negotiation. When governments fail schools and students, speaking out isn’t disloyalty – it’s part of defending them. (more…)
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The media has a critical role in safeguarding democracy this election season
As Americans begin voting, threats involving federal agents, mail ballots and election control risk creating fear and confusion even when the law stands in the way. (more…)
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Israel election results: live updates
Exit polls put Netanyahu’s bloc on 50 seats, the main Jewish-led opposition on 52–53 and Arab-led parties on a record 17–18, leaving neither major bloc with a majority. (more…)
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Floundering around on a public service pay deal
The Commonwealth has offered APS employees 9 per cent over three years, but it has not shown whether that will leave public service pay competitive with comparable work outside government.
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Victoria’s Labor government has an energy success story. Why isn’t it telling it?
Victoria has some of the lowest electricity prices in the national market while emissions fall and demand grows. Yet energy and climate are barely visible in Labor’s election campaign. (more…)
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Abdul El-Sayed could make history – if dark money cannot stop him
Michigan could elect the first Muslim senator in US history after a campaign shaped by extraordinary outside spending, attacks on Islam and a fierce argument over Gaza. (more…)
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How we treat the dead is a test of how seriously we take multiculturalism
Australia celebrates cultural difference easily enough in public life. The harder test is whether hospitals, coroners and cemeteries can accommodate it when families are grieving. (more…)
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Australia says Indonesia matters. Its actions tell another story
Australia repeatedly calls Indonesia one of its most important relationships, yet barriers to travel, declining language skills and shallow engagement continue to undermine that ambition. (more…)
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Israel’s anti-Arab incitement is reshaping the election
Ahead of Israel’s election, anti-Arab rhetoric has been intensifying as the country confronts a decisive question: whether Arab citizens and parties can be legitimate partners in government. (more…)
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AUKUS cannot build submarines with public relations
SSN-AUKUS is heading towards steel-cutting in 2027. The real test is whether design maturity, workforce capacity and engineering readiness support the milestones being celebrated. (more…)
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Lula pulls off an historic comeback to win a fourth term
Lula has overturned a first-round defeat to win an unprecedented fourth term, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro after one of the most dramatic presidential races in modern Brazilian history. (more…)
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Snowy 2.0 is no bargain. But it may still be worth it
Snowy 2.0 has suffered huge cost increases and delays, but its vast storage capacity and long working life could still make it a valuable part of Australia’s renewable grid.
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Big Tech will not regulate itself. Democracy has to
Social media platforms have grown rich from systems that amplify outrage and harmful content. Australia’s proposed digital duty of care would shift responsibility back onto the companies that design them. (more…)
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Milei brought inflation down. Argentina is still paying the price
Inflation has fallen and growth has returned, but rising poverty and widespread informal work expose the social costs beneath Argentina’s economic recovery. (more…)
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Trump’s numbers are sliding as the midterms close in
Democrats have opened their largest generic-ballot lead in one major tracking poll, while Trump’s approval, immigration ratings and healthcare politics are all moving against him. (more…)
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Four more years of Netanyahu could bring Israel to its knees
On the eve of Israel’s election, Gideon Levy warns that another Netanyahu term would deepen war, democratic repression and international isolation, with sanctions no longer unthinkable. (more…)
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Four rate rises are already hurting. The RBA should pause the pain
Four rate rises have already squeezed household incomes and slowed demand. Unless underlying inflation jumps unexpectedly this week, another increase risks inflicting unnecessary economic suffering. (more…)
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Helen Haines shows what politics looks like when people still believe you
The attack on Helen Haines has sharpened concern about political violence but the deeper problem is a political culture increasingly poisoned by contempt, evasion, abuse and distrust. (more…)
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Australia needs better rules for a changing coast
As rising seas intensify conflicts between private property and public beaches, coastal planning needs stronger scientific input before disputes harden into expensive legal battles. (more…)
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Australia’s first new steel mill in 35 years will run on renewables
Australia’s first new steel mill in more than 35 years will recycle scrap steel using renewable electricity, turning Collie’s coal transition into a new manufacturing opportunity. (more…)
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Guilt by association: the stigmatisation of Muslim institutions
The alleged FlyDubai plot demands serious investigation, but an individual’s reported association with a Melbourne mosque is not evidence that the institution or its leaders were involved in radicalisation or wrongdoing. (more…)
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Extradition without cause – the case of Dan Duggan
Dan Duggan has spent more than four years in maximum-security custody while fighting extradition to the United States, raising fundamental questions about Australian sovereignty and citizens’ rights. (more…)
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Israel election 2026: Who votes, how seats are won and what happens next
Israel votes on Tuesday in its sixth election since 2019. Here is how its proportional voting system works, what will determine who governs, and who living under Israeli control has no vote. (more…)
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AUKUS has escaped proper scrutiny for five years. That is about to change
The independent public inquiry into AUKUS will report on 4 November after examining the project’s implications for Australia’s security, economy, sovereignty and international standing.