Australia’s tax debate often frames reform as a struggle between younger and older generations. But the real divide lies between wage earners and those who derive growing advantage from assets, wealth and capital income.
Category: Politics
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The great discontinuity: the war on Iran marks the end of the world we knew
The war on Iran may trigger economic, geopolitical and energy disruptions that permanently alter the global order – leaving Australia dangerously exposed.
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Are soil carbon schemes really working?
New research suggests rainfall and climate variability may play a larger role in soil carbon increases than land management, raising questions about carbon credit schemes.
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Matt Canavan’s climate scepticism is a policy dead end for the Coalition
The National Party’s new leader has built his politics on climate scepticism. But rising costs, extreme weather and the accelerating energy transition make that stance increasingly difficult to sustain.
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After the Iran war, Gulf nations face tough decisions on the US
Iran’s attacks across the Gulf have exposed the limits of the US security umbrella and forced regional leaders to rethink how they balance relations with Washington, Tehran and their own populations.
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Environment: Carbon credit markets benefit the participants but not the climate
Carbon markets still promise big but deliver little, the Global North’s economic development path will not work for the Global South, an uncontrolled sale of rat poison is needlessly killing native wildlife. (more…)
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Iran war – controlling the narrative
Claims that groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah are simply terrorist organisations reflect a political narrative that obscures the context of occupation and resistance.
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Australia’s multicultural success cannot be taken for granted
Australia’s multicultural project has delivered enormous social and economic benefits, but recent governments have allowed it to drift, weakening social cohesion and leadership when it needs renewed attention most. (more…)
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Grandstanding government right off-side – Message from the Editor
I have never been cynical about politics. At my 1980s high school, I confused many by having then Prime Minister Bob Hawke plastered across my A4 binder instead of Bruce Springsteen or Boy George. After starting life in journalism, where there were plenty of cynics, I horrified my editor by leaving to work for the Federal ALP. He dubbed the move the worst decision I had ever made. But I was unmoved. (more…)
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China’s tech ambitions, Nepal’s political upheaval and the BTS comeback – Asian Media Report
Five-year-plan stresses AI, Xi-Trump summit still on track, K-pop sensation’s global comeback, landslide win in Nepal elections, security risks self-radicalise online, and Manila drops Nobel laureate charges. (more…)
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Robodebt report is still not the end of the road
The National Anti-Corruption Commission’s Robodebt report provides transparency and some accountability, but key findings and the lack of public detail on APS code breaches leave troubling questions unresolved.
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Immigration and toxic nostalgia
A counterfactual simulation suggests Australia would be smaller, older and economically weaker today if immigration policy had remained restricted to predominantly European sources. (more…)
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The Age of Lies and the threat to civilisation
A global surge of misinformation – amplified by social media, AI fakery and organised disinformation campaigns – is corroding the foundations of democratic decision-making and public trust.
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Prevention that pays: stop ranking children and start understanding them
Standardised testing and rankings dominate school systems, but improving student wellbeing and engagement requires deeper integration between education and health support. (more…)
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Treatment of Iranian asylum seekers reeks of contradictions
Australia quickly offered protection to Iranian women footballers who drew global attention. At the same time, new migration laws aim to prevent other Iranian visa holders from even reaching Australia. (more…)
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Former defence leaders say oil wars threaten our security, and climate change deepens the danger
In full-page statements in the national media today, 19 Australian security practitioners and former Defence leaders have published an Open Letter on why Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels is a critical economic and security vulnerability. (more…)
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Ending native forest logging subsidies need not cost jobs
Claims that environmental reforms will destroy jobs in native forest logging are overstated. Labour market dynamics and the growth of plantation forestry point to a manageable transition. (more…)
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Illegal tariffs, tax cuts for the wealthy, and an unauthorised war – Part 2
Cuts to healthcare and foreign aid, combined with an unauthorised war, reveal the human consequences of fiscal and political choices now measured in lives.
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Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere exposes the business model of misogyny
Louis Theroux’s new documentary highlights how online influencers are repackaging misogyny, anti-feminism and male grievance as self-improvement – building profitable digital communities that shape how many young men understand gender and power. (more…)
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What Dubai reveals about diversity, order and innovation
Dubai has become a global crossroads where cultures meet within clear rules and shared systems – turning diversity into economic dynamism and social stability.
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Armageddon politics and the danger of religious war rhetoric
Reports that US commanders have framed the war on Iran as part of a divine plan highlight the dangerous intersection of religious prophecy and modern military power.
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Off to war in West Asia we go (again)
Deploying an RAAF Wedgetail to West Asia risks making Australia a co-belligerent in the US-Israel war against Iran while exposing the country to serious strategic and economic consequences.
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Selective compassion in Australia’s refugee policy
Australia’s decision to grant humanitarian visas to Iranian footballers highlights how refugee policy often rewards cases that fit convenient political narratives.
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Australia, Iran and the politics of evasion
Political evasions and half-truths are shaping Australia’s response to the US-Israel attack on Iran, undermining honest debate about legality and policy.
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A mosque, a meal and the strength of Australian community
A shared Ramadan meal in Canberra shows how everyday encounters and neighbourly goodwill quietly build social cohesion in multicultural Australia.
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How US bases make Australia part of the Iran war
Australia’s role in supporting the US-Israel war against Iran with the hosting of a string of US military bases across the country is a critical contribution to the US war machine. (more…)
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Renewables winning the energy race – but losing the messaging battle
Clean energy investment is accelerating rapidly worldwide, but the fossil fuel industry is spending billions each year shaping public debate and attacking renewables.
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Escaping the tough-on-crime media trap
Decades of tough-on-crime rhetoric have narrowed political debate, but safer communities may depend on shifting the conversation toward prevention, accountability and repair.
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Albanese’s politics of avoidance
From AUKUS to Gaza and now Iran, the government’s instinct has been to avoid political traps rather than confront hard choices – and voters are drifting away. (more…)
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How to lose an election: The 2025 Liberal Party election review
The leaked review shows how chaotic campaign management and policy announcements ignoring key demographics cost the Coalition the election. (more…)