China’s manufacturing advantage cannot be explained by subsidies alone. Tariffs may offer temporary protection, but rebuilding Western industry requires investment in skills, capacity and competitiveness rather than simply blocking imports. (more…)
Category: Politics
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Xi’s diplomatic push puts China’s global ambitions on display
As Xi Jinping travels from Central Asia to Egypt and India ahead of a planned US visit, China is promoting its vision of multilateralism, security and South-South cooperation more broadly. (more…)
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Fixing the APS remuneration mess
Australia’s public service pay system remains fragmented after decades of failed reform. Fixing it requires a coherent APS-wide approach to classifications, labour markets, remuneration and the merit principle itself. (more…)
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Paul Keating’s AUKUS hostility reflects his passion for hard‑nosed realism over subservience
James Curran’s ‘Grand Ambition’ traces Paul Keating’s attempt to reshape Australia’s place in Asia – and the enduring realism behind his opposition to AUKUS. (more…)
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Environment: Fossil fuels, children and a changing climate
Fossil fuel companies gain access to children through education sponsorships, Barclays eyes opportunities from El Niño, while climate change brings increasingly destructive consequences to communities from the Himalayas to islands. (more…)
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Luna Park and Neville Wran’s bum
A chapter in Helen Pitt’s ‘Luna Park’ revives claims that Neville Wran blocked a lease for personal reasons, but official tender records point elsewhere. (more…)
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A visit to the West Bank: security apartheid – part three
Israel’s expanding security regime across the West Bank is reshaping Palestinian life. In part three of a four-part series, Jeremy Webb considers whether these measures amount to institutionalised apartheid. (more…)
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Both opposition parties have superannuation in their sights
The Coalition and One Nation are again targeting Australia’s superannuation system, despite evidence it has reduced pension reliance and warnings that early withdrawals could fuel inflation and weaken retirement savings. (more…)
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A case for free and fair elections
The High Court has recognised an implied freedom of political communication. The same constitutional principles could support a broader guarantee that Australian elections themselves must be free and fair. (more…)
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Trump is hastening the decline of American power
Trump’s threats against countries trading with Iran expose the limits of US economic power, as allies resist Washington’s demands and the global economy moves towards a less American-dominated order. (more…)
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Netanyahu’s political future is now tied to the genocide in Gaza
Israeli voters are choosing between competing approaches to war and security, while Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continue to bear the consequences. (more…)
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A visit to the West Bank: social and religious apartheid – part two
In part two of a four-part series, daily life in the West Bank reveals how checkpoints, travel restrictions and controls over religious and cultural life shape Palestinians’ experience of Israeli occupation. (more…)
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Can technology turn China’s demographic decline into an advantage?
China’s shrinking and ageing population is widely seen as an economic threat, but new research suggests labour scarcity can accelerate automation, boost productivity and sustain growth despite a smaller workforce. (more…)
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What 9/11 taught us about coexistence
Twenty-five years after 9/11, divisions over Islam, identity and conflict remain powerful, raising an enduring question about how diverse societies can live together without turning cultural difference into fear and hatred. (more…)
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Work longer, wait longer, now borrow your own retirement back
One Nation’s super-for-housing plan offers immediate relief, but risks repeating a message its new midlife voters know well: solve the problem with your own money. (more…)
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The writers and readers who remind us why P&I matters – Message from the Editor
From superannuation and Gaza to the gig economy – this week’s writers and readers show why independent journalism matters, and why P&I will remain free to read. (more…)
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Turning Crown evidence – a different twist
Documents obtained under freedom of information raise questions about how senior NSW prosecutors came to publicly support DPP Sally Dowling, after being given just 40 minutes to express contrary views. (more…)
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No Kings plans nationwide push to get Americans voting early
The No Kings coalition is planning a fourth nationwide day of action, this time focused on mobilising early voting ahead of the US midterm elections. (more…)
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Civilisation will end not with a bang, but with Attachment B
From hospitals and universities to IT systems, the machinery of compliance meant to reduce risk is increasingly swallowing the work it was designed to support. (more…)
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Why India should keep diversifying its trade
As the global trading system fractures, India can protect its economic and strategic autonomy by expanding trade partnerships, diversifying export markets and resisting deals that constrain relations with other countries. (more…)
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Lower house prices should be welcomed
Restoring home ownership requires substantially lower house prices – and for most existing homeowners, falling property values need not leave them materially worse off. (more…)
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‘Bombshell’ report says Netanyahu was warned before 7 October – and Israel rejected an offer to free civilian captives
An Haaretz investigation says Netanyahu failed to pass on a warning of a major Hamas operation, while Israeli officials later rejected an unconditional offer to release civilian captives. (more…)
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UK bans goods from illegal Israeli settlements in major policy shift
Britain has banned imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and announced further sanctions as pressure grows over settlement expansion and violence against Palestinians.
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Australia faces international criticism for lack of transparency in military trade
Australia’s military exports are growing, but parliament and the public still lack clear information about what is being exported, where it goes and how it is used.
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Australia is under strain – and politics is part of the problem
Financial stress is rising and life satisfaction is falling, but Australians’ discontent runs deeper than household budgets to growing distrust in politics and government.
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Australia’s social media ban has an enforcement problem
New powers will help eSafety investigate whether platforms are enforcing the under-16 social media restrictions, but early evidence suggests the policy’s limits run deeper. (more…)
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Nitrogen pollution is poisoning the planet – and barely anyone is talking about it
Human activity is releasing far more reactive nitrogen than the Earth can safely absorb, damaging climate, biodiversity, human health, soils and oceans. (more…)
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I am a Sydney delivery rider. Here’s what the new minimum wage won’t fix
A new minimum hourly rate is a major improvement for delivery riders, but platform incentives still reward speed, dangerous conditions and risk-taking. (more…)
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Trump ranks himself the greatest president. His record says he’s the worst
Donald Trump rates himself America’s greatest president, but leadership is measured by judgment, responsibility and consequences, not self-regard. (more…)
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“No one really wants to hear what kids think about this stuff”: Young people rely on public protest
This article reflects the views of the two authors, a father and his ‘almost 14-year-old’ son, Sebastian. It includes Sebastian’s direct responses to some of the arguments raised. (more…)