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…)
Category: Politics
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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…)
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If China is Iran’s ‘most powerful ally,’ then Australia must be China’s
A media analysis asks why China hasn’t defended Iran. But the real puzzle is why anyone assumes Beijing has a military obligation to do so. (more…)
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Going for the jugular – the energy shock is coming
The Strait of Hormuz carries the lifeblood of the global economy – and war with Iran risks turning a geopolitical conflict into a worldwide economic shock. (more…)
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Why patriotism should worry us more than it does
Often treated as an unquestioned virtue, patriotism can easily slide into nationalism, exclusion and hostility towards others.
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Illegal tariffs, tax cuts for the wealthy, and an unauthorised war – Part one
US courts have ruled Trump’s tariffs were illegal – yet the money has not been returned and was used to justify sweeping tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy. (more…)
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Australia’s ‘middle power’ myth
Talk of Australia as a ‘middle power’ sounds comforting, but our record in Asia and in global diplomacy often tells a different story.
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Angus Taylor’s immigration rhetoric faces policy reality
Calls to reduce immigration by “raising standards” sound tough, but current visa settings are already far tighter than in 2022 and further cuts would come with economic costs. (more…)
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‘Intentional chemical warfare’: Toxic black rain in Tehran after US-Israel bomb oil facilities
Air strikes on oil storage facilities in Tehran have triggered massive fires, toxic rainfall and choking pollution, raising fears of a major environmental and humanitarian disaster.
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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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The Albanese controversy shows how universities have lost their way
A cancelled venue for a UN rapporteur’s appearance highlights how universities are increasingly restricting debate about Israel and Palestine under pressure over antisemitism.