A US federal judge has temporarily blocked Trump administration sanctions against UN Palestine expert Francesca Albanese, ruling the measures likely violated constitutional free speech protections.
Category: Politics
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Why slums persist
Research from Brazil suggests informal settlements persist not because people want to live in them, but because cities continue to fail on affordable housing, education and access to work.
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Demagogues, despots and the rise of ‘phantom democracies’
Modern despots increasingly mimic the language and rituals of democracy while concentrating power through manipulation, spectacle, nationalism and the managed consent of their citizens.
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Australia needs a broader vision of social cohesion
Drawing on a submission to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion from the Group of Six, Vasiliki Nihas Bogiatzis argues Australia needs a broader understanding of social cohesion grounded in fairness, rights, belonging and democratic trust.
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Budget 2026: The government buckles on fossil fuel tax reform
In a federal budget that sought to restore intergenerational equity, particularly through reforms to tax concessions that have long favoured Australia’s wealthiest few, the Albanese government is facing criticism for ignoring a golden opportunity to balance the scales on energy and climate. (more…)
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What does Pentagon chief Hegseth’s presence in China say about Trump’s military agenda?
Donald Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping is expected to focus heavily on military communications, Taiwan, nuclear tensions and crisis management as both sides seek to avoid dangerous escalation between the world’s two largest powers.
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Budget 2026: Will this budget really make housing fairer for more Australians? It’s a good start
This week’s budget begins winding back tax concessions that heavily favoured property investors and wealth accumulation, while pairing those changes with new measures aimed at boosting housing supply and long-term budget sustainability. (more…)
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As Trump visits China, Beijing is reshaping the global technology race
Donald Trump’s visit to China comes as the country’s new Five-Year Plan places technological self-reliance and frontier scientific innovation at the centre of its strategy for long-term economic and geopolitical competition.
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Israeli attacks on Gaza surged by 35 per cent since Iran ceasefire
Conflict monitors and health officials say Israeli attacks on Gaza increased sharply after the US-Israel bombing campaign against Iran slowed, despite an ongoing ceasefire.
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Stubborn inflation in Indonesia could undermine trust in the government
As healthcare, education and housing costs rise sharply across Indonesia, public frustration is increasingly colliding with political rhetoric that appears disconnected from everyday economic realities.
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Budget 2026: Responsible, reformist – but still too cautious
This is a responsible budget that responds sensibly to inflation and weak productivity, but it stops short of the deeper tax and climate reforms needed to reshape the economy.
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Budget 2026: Leadership means more than keeping campaign promises – Message from the Editor
The obsession with whether governments have broken campaign promises is shrinking political ambition and discouraging the kind of leadership needed to tackle Australia’s deep structural problems, P&I Editor Catriona Jackson writes. (more…)
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Budget 2026: The biggest tax reform agenda in a generation
The government’s Budget reforms on negative gearing and capital gains tax will not solve the housing crisis overnight, but they represent the most ambitious attempt this century to rebalance Australia’s tax system and address intergenerational inequality. (more…)
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Budget 2026: It pains me to say nice things about politicians, but this is a good budget
The federal budget takes long-avoided steps to curb housing tax concessions, rein in spending growth and reduce intergenerational unfairness – despite the political risks. (more…)
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Budget 2026: Clean energy spending grows but gas giants still avoid reform
The federal budget increases investment in emissions reduction, batteries and clean energy infrastructure, but leaves major fossil fuel tax concessions and gas industry profits largely untouched. (more…)
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The war on Iran will likely end in American retreat
The US and Israel expected a rapid collapse of the Iranian regime, but the war has instead exposed the limits of American power, the rising cost of modern warfare and Iran’s capacity to impose regional consequences. (more…)
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Symbolic empathy is no substitute for tackling homelessness
Fundraising sleepouts may raise awareness, but homelessness is fundamentally a systems failure driven by housing shortages, inadequate support services and political inaction.
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Trump’s China visit watched in US for signs of stability – and tangible wins
Donald Trump’s visit to China comes amid mounting tensions over trade, AI, security and the Middle East, but both Washington and Beijing appear determined to prevent the relationship sliding into deeper confrontation.
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The rules-based order is breaking down before our eyes
In an edited version of a speech delivered at the Restoring Democracy launch in Melbourne, Gillian Triggs says that weakening respect for international law, human rights and democratic institutions is placing both global stability and Australian democracy under pressure. (more…)
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Farrer exposed a political divide the Liberals cannot bridge
The Farrer by-election revealed a deep political realignment, with One Nation consolidating support in regional Australia while multicultural and younger voters continue to move sharply against it.
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Is Australia America’s 51st state in Asia?
Both Labor and the Coalition are deepening Australia’s alignment with the United States, even as doubts grow about AUKUS, the rules-based order and the risks of being drawn into a US-China conflict. (more…)
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The old economics is failing – and the World Bank knows it
By coming out in favour of industrial policy after many decades of advising against government intervention in the economy, the World Bank has taken an important step. But it still has much further to go to translate real-world evidence into better policy advice.
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One Nation now represents two of Australia’s best wind and solar regions
One Nation’s victory in Farrer places the party at the centre of major renewable energy and transmission projects in regional New South Wales, despite its strong opposition to the clean energy transition.
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Labor should be worried about the Farrer result too
The Farrer by-election exposed not only the collapse of Coalition support, but signs that One Nation is also attracting disillusioned Labor voters.
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War destroys more than lives – it destroys cultural worlds
War, displacement and colonisation do not only destroy lives and communities, but also the cultural worlds, histories and shared meanings that give people a sense of continuity and belonging.
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One Nation’s win in Farrer leaves Liberals on the brink
The Farrer by-election result marks a dramatic collapse in Liberal support and signals a broader shift in Australian politics as One Nation surges. (more…)
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Australia’s ISIS cases test law, politics and fairness
Three women repatriated from Syria have been charged with serious offences under Australian law, but the response from political leaders risks undermining the right to a fair trial. (more…)
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Time to rob old relics to bring up new generations
The principle that those who are best off should be paying more tax as a proportion than those of more modest income is a fundamental one. That includes baby boomers. (more…)
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Trump raises voice – Vatican lowers heat
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Rome visit exposes the contrast between White House fury and papal diplomacy. (more…)
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The two-party system is breaking under the weight of capitalism
Election results in Britain and Australia point to a deeper crisis in the two-party system, as economic power drifts further beyond the reach of democratic control. (more…)