Australia’s migration law allows entry to be refused on character grounds including genocide, war crimes and incitement. How that discretion is exercised speaks directly to Australia’s commitment to international law.
Category: Politics
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The smouldering wreckage on Capital Hill – part 2
The Liberal Party faces a structural dilemma – it cannot govern without the Nationals, yet governing with them pushes it further from the voters it needs. As support for the major parties erodes, Australia is edging towards a more fragmented political future.
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Education savings plans and the quiet erosion of public schooling
Education savings schemes appear sensible and responsible. But their quiet rise reflects a deeper failure – a loss of confidence in Australia’s commitment to properly fund public education as a shared civic good. (more…)
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China pushes ahead in 2026 as Trump plays catch-up
China entered Donald Trump’s second presidency wary but prepared. Experience has taught Beijing to expect volatility, but also negotiation, shaping a strategy of caution, leverage and long-term planning.
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Israel and the return of settler politics in a lawless international system
Zionism emerged at the height of European settler colonialism and was realised just as the world turned toward decolonisation. Today, as international law loses force, Israel’s actions are again enabled by the prevailing global order.
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Trump, Afghanistan and the songs that tell a different story
Donald Trump should have listened to Australian songwriter Fred Smith before he spoke ignorantly about the sacrifices of soldiers in Afghanistan. (more…)
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Making polluters pay could fix Australia’s climate problem – and its budget
A new report shows how making polluters pay will not only diminish the threat from climate change, but it can also help restore the budget and the economy. (more…)
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The smouldering wreckage on Capital Hill – part 1
The Coalition’s implosion after the Bondi sitting was not a sudden accident. It exposed long-running tensions between the Liberals and Nationals, intensified by polling anxiety, One Nation’s rise and the limits of Australia’s Westminster conventions.
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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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Why the Voice referendum failed – and what the government hasn’t learned from it
The defeat of the Voice referendum was not preordained. It reflected political misjudgement, inadequate preparation and a failure to treat constitutional reform as the serious democratic work it requires.
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Plan B: towards an Australian model of military self-reliance
Australia’s defence posture remains shaped by expeditionary assumptions at a time when alliance guarantees are less certain. Building a credible Plan B requires a renewed focus on territorial defence, resilience and self-reliance. (more…)
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Gordon de Brouwer: A disappointing legacy
Gordon de Brouwer leaves as APS Commissioner having strengthened capability processes and leadership roles, but without the legislative and institutional reforms needed to restore integrity, independence and long-term resilience.
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Mexico’s political transformation: the revolution isn’t being televised
Mexico’s government has delivered falling violence, rising wages and broad social reform. Yet its record has attracted remarkably little attention in the English-language media, even as external pressure from the United States intensifies. (more…)
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Indonesia’s economy wobbles as policy ambition outpaces planning
Market volatility, investor unease and fiscal strain are exposing deeper risks in Indonesia’s economy – where policy ambition is running ahead of institutional readiness. (more…)
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Australia’s Trump reprieve masks a deeper strategic dilemma
Australia may have escaped the worst of Donald Trump’s return to power so far. But beneath the surface, Washington’s shift towards spheres of influence is exposing serious weaknesses in Australia’s strategic posture.
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Mass layoffs continue to punish working class under Trump
Major US companies including Amazon, UPS and Dow are announcing large job cuts as employment growth slows, raising questions about the strength of the US labour market under Donald Trump. (more…)
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Steadfast state support is key to China winning tech race with US
China’s sustained investment in science, engineering and technology is pulling it ahead globally, while the United States cuts research funding and hollow-outs its scientific workforce.
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Why ‘salvage logging’ undermines a promise to end native forest logging
Despite announcing an end to native forest logging, destructive logging practices continue in Victoria under the guise of firebreaks and post-storm debris removal – with serious consequences for biodiversity, fire risk and public trust.
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What the ‘mother of all deals’ between India and the EU means for global trade
The European Union and India have finalised a sweeping free trade agreement after two decades of negotiations. The deal is as much a strategic signal as a commercial one.
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Australia’s vast sea territories – and the risks we ignore
As great powers revive territorial ambition, Australia is neglecting the strategic and economic value of its remote islands and the vast ocean zones they command. (more…)
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When public opinion breaks: ICE, Trump and a political tipping point
Political opinion usually shifts slowly, but history shows that certain events can force sudden, irreversible change. The killings linked to ICE enforcement may mark such a moment in the United States.
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Mark Carney – Values: an economist’s guide to everything that matters
Mark Carney argues that treating price as a proxy for value has driven crises in finance, health and climate. His book offers a roadmap for rebuilding trust, fairness and resilience.
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Vaccination, misinformation and the damage done by US policy shifts
The United States’ retreat from evidence-based vaccination policy is accelerating vaccine hesitancy at home and abroad. As misinformation gains official backing, the consequences for public health are already becoming visible – and Australia is not immune.
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Environment: Agricultural emissions are roasting the planet
Together, 45 global livestock companies produce more greenhouse gases than all but eight countries. Plus, crimes against nature are big business that rely on criminal networks, corrupt officials and eager customers, and global warming marches on. (more…)
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Does killing dingoes make K’gari safer for people?
The Queensland government’s decision to cull dingoes on K’gari after a tragic fatal incident has sparked debate about public safety, conservation and whether killing wildlife reduces risk to visitors.
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How much federal income tax will Elon Musk’s Tesla pay on $5.7 billion in 2025 revenue? $0
The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress “have allowed a hugely profitable corporation to avoid paying even a dime of federal income tax on their 2025 US profits.” (more…)
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Greenland and western hypocrisy over the rules-based international order
Western leaders defend the rules-based international order when it suits them, but remain largely silent as those same rules are breached by the United States and Israel. The result is a system that shields the powerful and abandons the vulnerable – most starkly in Palestine.
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Message from the Editor
Hello all – I hope you got some much-needed respite during what turned out to be a January full of grief and turmoil for so many. (more…)
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Historic trade deal rejects Trump’s chaotic protectionism – Asian Media Report
The mother of all trade deals to America’s new defence strategy, the dismissal of a PLA princeling, Prabowo’s Peace Board support, ASEAN’s rejection of Myanmar junta’s poll victory and the deadly serious business of marriage in China – we present the latest news and views from our region. (more…)
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The most important power station in the nation is no longer a coal plant – it’s on our rooftops
Australia’s electricity grid is increasingly being powered by rooftop solar, batteries and renewables, exposing the limits and rising costs of ageing coal-fired power stations.