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…)
Category: Top 5
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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…)
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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…)
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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…)
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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…)
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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…)
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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…)
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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…)
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Labor’s migration mess is a failure of planning, not just politics
Labor’s latest migration crackdown may bring numbers closer to government forecasts, but years of piecemeal reform have left the underlying problems of planning, administration and public confidence unresolved. (more…)
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The Big Steal: Paul Barry probes how steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta hoodwinked the powerful
Paul Barry’s ‘The Big Steal’ traces the wreckage left by Sanjeev Gupta and Lex Greensill – and the bankers, regulators, politicians and journalists whose credulity helped them along the way.
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Australia’s China policy is trapped in the rear-view mirror
While China builds influence through BRICS, the SCO and economic ties across the Global South, Australia is pouring almost $1 billion into Solomon Islands amid fears of a Chinese military presence. Australia’s China policy risks being overtaken by the regional order taking shape around it. (more…)
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P&I is growing – and its independence still depends on you
P&I is reaching more readers, attracting younger voices and becoming an increasingly important part of Australia’s democratic conversation. But as John Menadue writes, our independence still depends entirely on reader support. (more…)
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Australia needs migration with dignity, not scapegoating and political panic
The government’s new migration measures tighten rules for students, visa overstayers and protection claims. A fair migration system should address genuine policy challenges without turning vulnerable communities into political scapegoats. (more…)
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Age usually changes what matters. Pauline Hanson has spent 30 years rewarded for grievance
Emotional priorities often change as people grow older. Pauline Hanson’s latest remarks raise a more troubling question about what happens when grievance is repeatedly rewarded instead. (more…)
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AI apocalypse? – Message from the Editor
Warnings from AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton make the risks of artificial intelligence harder to dismiss – and the case for robust controls much harder to postpone. (more…)
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Barnaby Joyce exposes the gaps in One Nation’s migration plan
One Nation promises negative net migration and a major reduction in temporary entrants, but its policy leaves crucial questions unanswered about permanent migration, skilled visas and how its headline targets could be delivered.
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Rolling out the pork barrel again
A $560 million invitation-only grants program heavily favoured Labor-held seats, according to the Centre for Public Integrity. The controversy raises a broader question: should the Commonwealth control community grants at all? (more…)
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The case against me is over. The fight for political speech is not
After more than two years of legal proceedings, the case has been withdrawn without apology, deletions or restrictions on future commentary – but the wider battle over political speech continues. (more…)
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The NT’s dangerous addiction to punishment
The Northern Territory’s soaring imprisonment rates, punitive youth justice policies and rejection of expert advice reveal a system failing Indigenous communities and strengthening the case for urgent Commonwealth intervention in justice. (more…)
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AUKUS, deterrence and the questions Kevin Rudd left unanswered
Kevin Rudd calls for greater Australian self-reliance while defending AUKUS and the US alliance, but key questions about sovereignty, deterrence and China remain unresolved. (more…)
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Both opposition parties have superannuation in their sights
The Coalition and One Nation are again targeting Australia’s superannuation system, despite evidence it has reduced pension reliance and warnings that early withdrawals could fuel inflation and weaken retirement savings. (more…)
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The writers and readers who remind us why P&I matters – Message from the Editor
From superannuation and Gaza to the gig economy – this week’s writers and readers show why independent journalism matters, and why P&I will remain free to read. (more…)
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Lower house prices should be welcomed
Restoring home ownership requires substantially lower house prices – and for most existing homeowners, falling property values need not leave them materially worse off. (more…)
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I am a Sydney delivery rider. Here’s what the new minimum wage won’t fix
A new minimum hourly rate is a major improvement for delivery riders, but platform incentives still reward speed, dangerous conditions and risk-taking. (more…)
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One Nation is the symptom. Labor must treat the cause
One Nation’s rise reflects deeper economic insecurity, political alienation and distrust in institutions. Defeating it requires more than condemnation. (more…)
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AI slop is learning to tell us what we want to hear
AI-generated misinformation is not only exploiting anger and fear. Increasingly, it is feeding people comforting stories tailored to their politics and values. (more…)
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What Paul Keating wants for a country ‘swimming between sharks’
Paul Keating says Australia should resist strategic subordination to the United States without accepting Chinese dominance, and instead preserve its own sovereignty. (more…)
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What antisemitism and homophobia have in common
Antisemitism and homophobia have different histories, but both can cast minorities as threatening, subversive or powerful – and both belong in a broader response to prejudice.
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Free in two senses – keeping P&I independent
Pearls and Irritations depends on its readers to remain free and independent. David Armstrong explains why their support is vital as P&I reaches a growing audience seeking progressive perspectives. (more…)
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The danger of not knowing what you don’t know, part two: Why Trump’s Board of Peace is floundering
In the second of a two-part series, Connie Peck explains why Trump’s Board of Peace is struggling to turn its Gaza plan into reality as implementation stalls and critical institutions remain undeployed. (more…)