Labor’s latest carbon offset proposal shows how economic ideas that work neatly on paper can deliver far less environmental benefit when put into practice. (more…)
Category: Politics
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For a new generation, the future looks like China
A generational shift is reshaping global perceptions of modernity, as young people increasingly look to China – rather than the West – for a vision of the future. (more…)
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The NDIS was meant to build independence, but is it doing the opposite?
The NDIS was built to empower people with disability, but its funding, assessment and provider incentives risk reinforcing the very dependency the scheme was designed to overcome. (more…)
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New endometriosis tests offer hope – but the evidence isn’t there yet
Long delays in getting an endometriosis diagnosis have prompted much excitement about new saliva, gut and blood tests, but promising early results need further validation before they can be relied on in general practice. (more…)
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Catholic bishops’ unfinished business
Australia’s Catholic bishops are being urged to confront the church’s legacy of clerical abuse with a public act of remorse, following examples set in France and Peru. (more…)
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Debunking mass deportation hype
Both One Nation and the Coalition have been talking up their mass deportation target of around 75,000 – with zero details of how that would be implemented or what it would cost. Abul Rizvi looks beyond the hype. (more…)
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America’s failed wars should be a warning for Australia
America’s record of failed wars exposes the limits of military power and raises serious questions about Australia’s continued reliance on the United States. (more…)
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How decades of bad policy broke public service pay
Decades of flawed pay policy have left the Commonwealth public service with a dysfunctional remuneration system – and the latest round of enterprise bargaining looks unlikely to fix it. (more…)
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The collapse of trust in facts: making sense of verification on the internet
The modern fact-checking movement launched 25 years ago is in retreat – just as it’s needed more than ever. (more…)
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Farmers turn to renewables as fertiliser costs soar
Australian farmers are turning to wind and solar to produce fertiliser locally, cut rising costs and reduce their dependence on volatile global supply chains.
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Bullshit is everywhere, and it has consequences
Bullshit may be easy to dismiss, but from politics and gambling to advertising and public relations, it can obscure truth, shape debate and carry serious consequences. (more…)
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The world is heading towards a food crisis of its own making
Climate change, war and fragile supply chains are driving a growing global food crisis, with hunger rising and the world’s food systems under increasing strain. (more…)
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Who is lobbying the Australian government? Most of the industry is hidden from view
Much of Australia’s lobbying industry remains hidden from public view, with new research exposing major gaps in the federal register and calls for stronger transparency. (more…)
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Can AI fix Australia’s cost-of-living crisis? Part two: Maximising the benefits from AI
AI could lift productivity and living standards, but without stronger government leadership, workers risk missing out on the benefits at the same time as bearing the costs. (more…)
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Banks claw back credit card rewards
Banks are clawing back rewards as new credit card fee rules threaten their profits, raising bigger questions about competition, cash and who ultimately benefits from Australia’s card system. (more…)
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Anger and fear is real – but don’t blame migrants
Australia’s anger over housing, inequality and living costs is real, but blaming migration risks fuelling the populist politics of fear and division. (more…)
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Frankcom case shines light on aid worker deaths
The death of Zomi Frankcom has renewed scrutiny of the risks facing aid workers and what Australia can do when accountability falls short. (more…)
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Australia should work with China, not try to contain it
China’s growing power is reshaping the region. Australia should respond with diplomacy and stronger economic ties rather than military confrontation it cannot hope to win. (more…)
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Battery projects stalled by serial objectors
Two NSW battery projects face independent review after attracting dozens of objections, many from opponents living hundreds of kilometres away. (more…)
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Can AI fix Australia’s cost-of-living crisis? Part one: productivity and living standards
Is the government right to encourage the development of AI in Australia? If so, how should they do it, and do it equitably. Michael Keating examines the issues in a two-part series. (more…)
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Labor – the middle ground is not enough!
If Anthony Albanese wants Labor to remain in power for the long haul, it will need to offer more than competent management, says Jack Waterford. (more…)
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Australia must rebuild its Asian language capability
Australia’s Asian-language capability has declined for decades, weakening our ability to understand and engage with our neighbours. Labor’s new language program may make a difference. (more…)
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Sanction Israel – French and Brit former diplomats
A powerful coalition of British and French former diplomats is demanding a ban on arms transfers and a freeze on EU-Israel and UK-Israel trade agreements.
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Cambodia and Gaza: breaking the cycle of violence
Laurent Evrard contrasts the genocides in Gaza and Cambodia, and finds that Israel’s pursuit of security through military dominance perpetuates trauma and that lasting peace requires breaking the cycle. (more…)
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Albanese inherited a migration mess. It is taking too long to fix it
Labor inherited a migration system burdened by asylum backlogs, temporary visa pressures and administrative failure. Four years later, the clean-up remains far from complete. (more…)
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Education philanthropy is getting better at picking winners
Private-school scholarships can transform individual lives, but selective admissions make success rates a poor measure of what schools achieve – and leave the hardest-to-help children largely invisible. (more…)
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Is AUKUS a good deal for us?
While calls to sink the AUKUS deal continue to mount in Australia, UK allies maintain they are “fully supportive” of the $368 billion defence pact.
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Afghanistan’s silence is being counted as peace
Afghanistan’s battlefields are quieter, but millions of girls remain excluded from education. The consequences will emerge slowly – in missing doctors, teachers, midwives and skills. (more…)
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NDIS auditor bans shows a deeper problem with provider-paid audits
The NDIS has introduced new powers to ban auditors and consultants after more than 200 providers were allegedly registered using false or misleading information. The case raises concerns about a system in which providers choose and pay the auditors who assess them. (more…)
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AI is about to reshape disease, war and economic growth
AI’s impact will extend well beyond jobs and productivity, reshaping how societies confront disease, wage war and generate economic growth. (more…)