Queensland has legislated remote camps for children, while Victoria has made it easier to sentence young offenders as adults. Victoria once kept more kids out of jail by investing in community alternatives. That hard-won approach is being lost in the race to sound tough.
(more…)
Category: Politics
-
Kids in jail: Victoria is heading down Queensland’s road
-
Gaza: 57% of surveyed Democrats back prosecuting Biden and Trump officials
A new poll finds majority support among surveyed Democrats for pursuing criminal prosecutions of officials from both the Biden and Trump administrations over Gaza. The finding points to demands for accountability that extend beyond party allegiance. (more…)
-
Trump’s nuclear threats against Iran must be taken seriously
Trump stood before the United Nations and threatened to “annihilate” Iran. With the authority to order a nuclear strike resting in the hands of one US president, the consequences of treating such threats as mere bluster could be catastrophic. (more…)
-
The rational fool, the cultural dope, the stranger and the voting booth
It’s easy to dismiss people who vote differently from us as selfish or brainwashed. But our own choices are shaped by self-interest, values and culture too. As Victorians prepare to vote, whose lives and interests are we willing to consider beyond our own? (more…)
-
Environment: Wind and solar are increasing but so are fossil fuels
Solar panel imports are surging across Africa, but the global shift away from fossil fuels remains too slow. Meanwhile, Australian environmental groups unite behind ten principles to protect native forests, and a tiny wallaby makes a rare appearance. (more…)
-
Don Dunstan’s cookbook and the lost ambition of social democracy
One hundred years ago Don Dunstan was born and 50 years ago, in October 1976, the then South Australian premier published a cookbook. It sounds like a charming eccentricity of the era. It was actually a small expression of a much larger political idea. (more…)
-
What if we’re going to the shops for the people, not the shopping?
We go to shopping centres for more than the shops. They offer somewhere to meet, wander, sit or simply be among other people. What can these commercial spaces teach us about the places we need to feel connected? (more…)
-
Settlement outcomes of permanent migrants are much better than media tells us
New ABS data show high employment, qualifications and earnings among skilled migrants and their accompanying families. The findings raise questions about calls for deep cuts to Australia’s permanent skilled migration program. (more…)
-
The danger for CNN isn’t being shut down. It’s being silenced from within
CNN is set to join CBS News under the Ellisons’ ownership. With Trump openly hostile to critical coverage, the concern is not that the network will disappear, but that its journalists will face pressure to stop asking difficult questions. (more…)
-
‘Dishonest and delusional’: Dowling’s narrow parliamentary escape
Mark Latham’s bid for an independent inquiry into NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling was defeated 19–14. But the allegations aired in Parliament – and Labor MLC Stephen Lawrence’s criticism of her conduct – have not gone away. (more…)
-
Albanese vs Miliband at Climate Week: it was no contest
Two leaders shared a Climate Week stage, but their speeches revealed contrasting approaches to climate leadership. Albanese spoke about Australia’s climate efforts; Miliband set out how governments must prepare for climate threats. The question is where Australia’s plan is.
(more…) -
Coalition panned after vowing to scrap renewable, EV and climate policies
The Coalition has unveiled plans to scrap Australia’s legislated climate targets, industrial emissions rules and vehicle efficiency standards, while reopening the door to nuclear power. It promises cheaper, more reliable energy – but has yet to show how its proposed changes would deliver lower bills. (more…)
-
If we asked the Americans to leave, would they?
Canada is looking for ways to protect its independence from Washington. Australia has embedded itself so deeply in the US military system that it risks being drawn into America’s next war – whether we choose it or not. (more…)
-
Neha Kale’s ‘A Foreign Return’: a life told through art
In A Foreign Return, Neha Kale uses paintings, photographs and installations to explore migration, memory and belonging. Joanna Mendelssohn reviews a book that finds the meaning of home in art, relationships and the places we carry with us. (more…)
-
Politicians keep talking about immigration. Voters keep talking about their bills
Housing costs, falling living standards and distrust of politicians are driving deep frustration among voters. Yet immigration dominates the national debate, obscuring the economic pressures behind the drift away from the major parties. (more…)
-
Enough. Australia is a successful nation of migrants – Message from the Editor
I spent a day in Parliament House last week. It was the day Immigration Minister Tony Burke was to make his long-delayed speech to the National Press Club on migration, and that issue hung heavy in the air. (more…)
-
The Intergenerational Report’s rosy outlook hides some hard budget choices
Australia’s 40-year economic outlook rests on a productivity rebound that may never arrive. Without it, governments face bigger deficits and harder choices about funding the services Australians need. (more…)
-
The real test of the Trump–Xi summit comes after the handshakes
A Trump–Xi agreement on trade would be welcome, but lasting stability will depend on what follows: reliable implementation, open crisis channels and practical cooperation on risks neither country can manage alone. (more…)
-
Can Australia curb big-money elections without shutting out new candidates?
Australia’s new election spending rules will cap the money flowing into campaigns. But the proposed limits may leave established parties with ample room to spend while making it harder for newcomers to reach voters. (more…)
-
The expensive business of making Australians wait for help
Delaying aged care, disability support and other public services may contain spending in one part of government, but the costs don’t disappear. They move to families, hospitals, review systems and the people left waiting for help. (more…)
-
Korean submarines may save us from the AUKUS shambles
Canada’s decision to acquire conventionally powered submarines raises a question for Australia’s AUKUS program. Could South Korea’s KSS-III offer a more affordable and timely alternative to the planned nuclear-powered fleet? (more…)
-
Chinese cars under the bed: a new and dangerous conspiracy
Chinese electric vehicles have become the focus of a new security scare, but connected cars from every country carry cybersecurity risks. Australia needs stronger protections without allowing fear of China to derail the clean energy transition. (more…)
-
We’re heading past 1.5°C. Now we need a plan for what comes next
As the world heads towards overshooting 1.5°C, reaching net zero remains essential but will not be enough to bring temperatures back down. Governments must accelerate emissions cuts while investing in adaptation, carbon removal and research into the risks of geoengineering. (more…)
-
Albanese, AUKUS and the broken promise on nuclear weapons
As Albanese receives an international award for his leadership on security, Australia remains outside the nuclear weapons ban treaty he once championed. Meanwhile, expanding US military access raises new questions about Australia’s exposure to nuclear conflict.
-
A roadmap for the next UN Secretary-General
The next UN secretary-general will inherit an organisation facing geopolitical division, financial strain and unfinished reform. The first 100 days offer an opportunity to set clear priorities, rebuild trust and make international cooperation more effective.
-
Australia’s flu season is running late – and cases are on the rise
Influenza cases are rising as Australia moves into spring, following an unusually quiet start to the year. Here’s what is driving the late surge, how this season differs from previous years and what it means for flu vaccination.
-
Australia says a settlement trade ban could hurt Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority wants one
Australia declined to join 12 countries backing action on trade with illegal West Bank settlements, citing concerns about Palestinian livelihoods. The Palestinian Authority supports the restrictions – and Australia’s past approach to apartheid South Africa offers a pointed historical comparison. (more…)
-
Australia keeps consulting Indigenous people. When do they get to decide?
As the Productivity Commission begins its second Closing the Gap review, the question is not simply whether Indigenous voices are being heard, but whether governments are willing to share the authority, resources and decisions needed to turn consultation into meaningful change. (more…)
-
Is Australia’s military still a political sacred cow?
The military’s standing in Australian public life has become more complicated, but recent controversies involving One Nation and veterans’ healthcare show that military service continues to command considerable political respect. (more…)
-
Could industrial AI be the answer to Australia’s productivity problem?
Australia’s biggest AI opportunity may lie not in building ever-larger language models, but in transforming manufacturing and industrial systems. Realising that potential will require investment in skills, research and access to computing power. (more…)