An ACT Supreme Court judge has confronted the limits of native title and criminal sentencing, arguing the law still falls short of reckoning with Indigenous dispossession. (more…)
Category: Politics
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Beijing warns foreign media in Hong Kong over crossing ‘red lines’
In meeting with wire agencies and other outlets, national security office says reports on fire relief efforts and Legco poll must adhere to law. (more…)
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Blood, silence and history: questioning Indonesia’s 1965 narrative
As Indonesia prepares to release a new official national history, an Australian historian’s account of the 1965–66 mass killings threatens to reopen a long-suppressed debate about power, violence, and memory.
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AI needs governance, not a ‘plan for a plan’
Australia’s National AI Plan prioritises infrastructure and adoption, but leaves governance and liability unresolved, creating uncertainty and risk, especially for smaller firms. (more…)
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From partnership to pressure: why India–US ties have frayed
The downturn in India–US relations during Trump’s second presidency exposes deeper structural weaknesses in the partnership, from trade and strategic autonomy to diverging political priorities. (more…)
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Sanctions kill like wars – and children pay the price
Economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies are causing mass civilian deaths on a scale comparable to armed conflict, with children bearing the heaviest burden.
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2025 in Review: immigration policy turns back toward dog whistles and drift
2025 marked a turning point in Australian immigration policy, as long-term planning was abandoned and discriminatory rhetoric returned to the political mainstream. (more…)
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Australia’s social media ban puts free speech on the chopping block
Australia’s social media ban for under-16s is being sold as a protection for children, but it raises serious questions about free speech, democratic participation and the perverse effects of prohibition. (more…)
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Jobs for mates, by design: the government rejects its own integrity review
The government’s response to the Briggs review abandons legislated reform and leaves ministers wide discretion over appointments across the commonwealth. (more…)
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Too many states, too little nation: time to fix the federation
Australia’s federal system was designed for the nineteenth century. Today it produces duplication, dysfunction and state parochialism that frustrate national governance and reform. (more…)
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Governments are hiding data and threatening democracy
From being custodians of public knowledge, governments are turning to architects of manufactured ignorance. Amid disappearing evidence, citizens are struggling to hold power to account. (more…)
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Nationalists play to the crowd in Japan–China relations
A warning from Japan’s prime minister about Taiwan has triggered a sharp exchange with Beijing, revealing how nationalism is reshaping diplomacy. (more…)
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Ellen Hansen: At 75, UNHCR is needed more than ever – but its funding is being cut
As global displacement reaches record highs, UNHCR marks its 75th anniversary facing deep funding cuts that threaten its ability to protect refugees and save lives worldwide. (more…)
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Victoria government unfussed by Grand Prix debt
Victoria’s Grand Prix continues to post record losses, quietly adding to state debt while public services are cut and financial scrutiny is avoided. (more…)
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Israel and police polarise Sydney Mardi Gras
Sydney’s Mardi Gras is facing a defining struggle over its purpose and identity. As corporate sponsors and political interests push for a safer, apolitical parade, grassroots activists are fighting to keep the event rooted in protest, solidarity and free expression. (more…)
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Trump’s Ukraine peace deal would leave the country vulnerable to future Russian attacks
A US-backed peace proposal negotiated with Moscow but excluding Ukraine risks entrenching Russian gains and leaving Kyiv dangerously exposed.
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Australia’s cost-of-living crisis has a housing problem
Cost-of-living pressures dominate political debate, but the sharpest strain is not falling incomes. It is housing costs, particularly for first-home buyers, fuelled by stagnant productivity and chronic undersupply where people want to live. (more…)
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Pearls and Irritations is growing and changing – and needs your support
We need your financial support to raise an additional $58,500 to meet our $250,000 fundraising target by Monday 15 December. (more…)
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Patronage over principle: why Katy Gallagher’s ‘flexibility’ betrays good government
Labor once promised to end cronyism in public appointments. The government’s rejection of enforceable rules instead entrenches discretionary power, weakens accountability and undermines confidence in good governance.
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Writing as resistance in a year that refused to slow down
After a dizzying year of global upheaval, this reflection looks back on writing as resistance – against war, media failure, imperial power and silence – and why truth-telling still matters heading into 2026. (more…)
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Australia’s social media age ban is days away. Here is what it really means
Public debate about Australia’s social media age ban has focused on parents and children. But the burden sits with platforms, and the deeper risks lie in what replaces young people’s online communities.
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‘This will be my dream project’: How we got Frank Gehry to design the UTS ‘paper bag’
“I’m up for it” was the response of arguably the most famous architect in the world to our hesitant inquiry. “This will be my dream project,” he said. (more…)
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Make NDIS billions go further for people with psychosocial disability
Reform of the NDIS is focused on slowing growth, but neglecting one of the biggest pressure points. Without proper psychosocial supports outside the scheme, unmet need will keep driving costs and harm alike.
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Gaza and the unravelling of the post-war world
The war on Gaza exposed deep cracks in international law, Western power, and the institutions meant to enforce them. From global protests to shifting alliances, a different world order is now taking shape. (more…)
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The problem of biblical “Israel” in 2025
Words that once spoke of ancient hope now land in a world shaped by war and grief. What does it mean to sing “Israel” in Advent in 2025?
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The pecking order: how class blindness governs Australian schools
Australia prides itself on fairness and opportunity, yet an unspoken pecking order shapes who advances and who is blamed for falling behind. In schools and public institutions, structural inequality is dressed up as personal failure, with shame doing much of the work.
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Marles’ Defence overhaul raises an awkward question: why AUKUS at all?
Australia’s new Defence Delivery Agency may finally expose an uncomfortable truth – that Australia already has formidable deterrent capabilities through the Royal Australian Air Force and emerging drone systems, making the AUKUS submarine commitment both risky and unnecessary.
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Message from the Editor
Sometimes we run a piece that is much longer than our usual 1000 word upper limit because it is worth it. (more…)
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The 2026 budget is Labor’s real reform test
The 2026 federal budget offers a rare opportunity to begin rebalancing tax, lifting productivity and tackling long-term pressures on living standards.
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Friends and frenemies: Australia’s China policy is stuck in a four-tier mindset
Australia’s stabilisation of relations with China is welcome, but the old adversarial mindset remains intact. Institutional biases, selective outrage and context-free media narratives still shape how Australia sees China, limiting any genuine foreign policy reset.