Victoria’s machete ban sends an important signal, but the real enemy is disconnection, the absence of belonging, purpose, opportunity and hope.
Category: Politics
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The last Boomer
Somewhere around 2075, even the longest lived baby boomer will die. But their story is not, in the end, a story about age. (more…)
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How did Australian universities go from free education to $50,000 arts degrees in 50 years?
Australians think students are being asked to pay far too much for their degrees. Just under half (47%) of Australians surveyed by YouGov in June 2025 believe a worker on an average income should be able to pay off the debt for a standard three-year degree within five years. When it comes to the cost of a degree, 58% believe a student should pay $5000 or less per year – less than a third of what arts students now pay. (more…)
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Israeli settler attack on West Bank mosque draws international condemnation
Calls for justice grow as Israeli settlers set Hajja Hamida Mosque ablaze in latest attack on Palestinians in West Bank. (more…)
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‘A national humiliation’: Australia at bottom of new renewables ranking
As the Coalition abandons net zero, Andrew Forrest has quietly moved on not just to net zero, but to real zero. (more…)
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Mines over water: Melbourne’s largest and most important water supply catchment at risk
On 21 October 2025, the Victorian Government announced plans to protect Melbourne’s water supply catchments – the systems that deliver clean water to over five million people. It was welcome news for Australia’s largest and fastest growing city. (more…)
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If we don’t control the AI industry, it could end up controlling us, warn two chilling new books
For 16 hours last July, Elon Musk’s company lost control of its multi-million-dollar chatbot, Grok. “Maximally truth seeking” Grok was praising Hitler, denying the Holocaust and posting sexually explicit content. (more…)
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Forecasting the impact of Sino-Indian relations on changing world order
Geopolitics is in shock. Agile strategic thinking must acknowledge and respond to qualitative changes to the world order. A new “New World Order” is emerging. (more…)
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Banning nuclear weapons will require love to triumph over fear
Australia joining the majority of nations and signing the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons would build trust with our Asia-Pacific neighbours and strengthen the country’s credibility as a peacebuilder.
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Violence in prisons isn’t a surprise: It’s inevitable
In recent months, we’ve seen prisons across Australia buckle under the weight of the very system they were built to uphold. (more…)
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Trump’s ploy at the UN is American imperialism masquerading as a peace process
The Trump administration is pushing an Israeli-crafted resolution at the UN Security Council aimed at eliminating the possibility of a State of Palestine. (more…)
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Australia’s reluctance to rest its fast bowlers could prove disastrous during the Ashes
Australia faces a huge challenge before the Ashes even begin. (more…)
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Environment: Paris 2015 generated hope, but not enough climate action
Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, staying within the 1.5oC guardrail seems increasingly unlikely, even though there’s plenty of money to do it. Really, it’s legal to chop bits off the Great Barrier Reef and sell them? Microsoft is struggling to meet its promise to become carbon-free. (more…)
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From populism to progress: The Netherlands’ historic election
The Netherlands has been at the centre of a political shake-up in recent weeks, with the vote count only just finalised. (more…)
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‘Oh, the fog lying like a blanket over this sad town’: The Mushroom Tapes sees the humanity in an inhumane story
The Mushroom Tapes opens with a blunt refusal to accept a murder trial as spectator sport: (more…)
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Keating on the malevolence and brutality of The Dismissal
Paul Keating had just been appointed to his first ministry when the governor-general brought it all crashing down on November 11. The former prime minister is interviewed by Niki Savva. (more…)
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This Russian victory really is one for the little guy
The Castle remains good law in Australia. Almost three decades since the battling suburban solicitor Dennis Denuto introduced us all to the high legal concept of “the vibe of the thing”, the High Court has broadly endorsed the classic movie’s basic contention: a man’s home is his castle. (more…)
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The integrity of our media matters – please support Pearls and Irritations
We continue to see powerful interests shape the headlines and spread misinformation faster than facts in current times. That’s why your support of what we do matters. (more…)
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Trick or treaty? Don’t know, can’t say
The Indonesian print media covering the one-day visit of President Prabowo Subianto to Australia this month has dazzled its readers with some splendid insights into a serious issue. (more…)
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Gaza woman blinded in Israeli strike opens bakery to subsist and hope
Despite her injury, Warda Abu Jarad has started baking cookies and bread to help provide for her family. (more…)
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China-phobia in Australia is endangering the country’s security
The toxic roots of China-phobia are deeply embedded in modern Australia’s cultural history. It has a firm grip on the minds of many of Australia’s policy wonks, politicians, media commentators, and the general public. (more…)
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Defending the BBC
Legal threats against the BBC over an edited interview highlight that an independent, taxpayer-funded, public broadcaster is anathema to Trump and his administration. (more…)
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The ‘othered’ genocide: Sudan’s suffering and the world’s indifference
Sudan is enduring the largest humanitarian crisis on earth, with more than 25 million people needing urgent assistance and nearly nine million displaced as entire cities are reduced to rubble. (more…)
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Recovering moral imagination in a time of war
There is a moment in every conflict when language collapses. Words like justice, revenge, and security are repeated so often they lose their meaning. (more…)
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Tackling vehicle emissions – the next big climate task
Reducing transport emissions is fast approaching as the next big issue in Australia’s climate debate. (more…)
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The Whitlam agenda – the one thing we left out
Fifty years ago, the Whitlam Government was swept from power, leaving a policy legacy unmatched by any administration, before or since. (more…)
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Indigenous political candidates face less voter bias than parties might think: new research
When political parties consider potential Indigenous candidates, they often worry about voter backlash. (more…)
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China’s new climate targets show progress but lack ambition
On 24 September 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China’s updated targets for combatting climate change at the UN Climate Summit. (more…)
