One Nation’s win in Farrer leaves Liberals on the brink
David Solomon

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.

Australia’s ISIS cases test law, politics and fairness
Greg Barns

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.

Time to rob old relics to bring up new generations
Jack Waterford

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.

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Trump raises voice – Vatican lowers heat
Antonio Spadaro

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.

The two-party system is breaking under the weight of capitalism
Stewart Sweeney

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.

On-again, off-again war/peace rhetoric: just epic insider trading?
Stephen Prager

On-again, off-again war/peace rhetoric: just epic insider trading?

Epic insider trading by those who likely know Trump's plans is one characteristic of the US war on Iran, with some observers suggesting the on-again off-again peace deals are deliberately choreographed for the markets.

Is Earth on its way to becoming the ‘Forbidden Planet’?
Jeff Peck

Is Earth on its way to becoming the ‘Forbidden Planet’?

A 70-year-old science fiction film offers a stark warning for today’s AI race, showing how powerful technology can amplify humanity’s most destructive impulses.

John Menadue

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Is the renewed push for a Human Rights Act worth the effort?
Frank Brennan

Human Rights Act!

Is the renewed push for a Human Rights Act worth the effort?

A Commonwealth Human Rights Act must do more than help courts identify breaches of human rights; it must enable them to strike down offending laws and give relief to wronged litigants. The groundwork for an act with teeth is still to be done. 

Australia's naval defence without AUKUS pillar one
Michael Keating, Jon Stanford

Foreign Policy Rethink

Australia's naval defence without AUKUS pillar one

The AUKUS nuclear submarines are not going to be delivered on time and may never arrive. Delaying the decision for a better alternative risks Australia’s future submarine capability.

NDIS: the way forward
Peter Kent

NDIS: the way forward

To take the NDIS to the next level will require cultural and operational changes that give the National Disability Insurance Agency the tools, and the mindset, to properly manage its business.

Australia needs to retain women in STEM careers
Gillian Woodhouse

Australia needs to retain women in STEM careers

If we are serious about productivity, innovation and long-term economic resilience, we cannot afford to keep losing women from STEM occupations and leadership pipelines. We cannot afford to overlook experience. And we cannot afford decision-making structures that draw from only part of the population.

More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate
Genevieve McArthur

More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate

Australians spend more money per capita on education than most comparable nations. We should therefore have high levels of literacy but we don’t, with persistent levels of functional illiteracy among Australian adults. There is evidence to show how to fix this.

Farming in a flammable future
David Lindenmayer

Farming in a flammable future

Drawing on the on-farm financial experience of John Mitchell, a grazier in New South Wales who saved his family farm, this article sets out strategies farmers can use to prevent wildfire damage and deal with its consequences

Not much 'reform' in the National Health Reform Agreement
John Dwyer

Not much 'reform' in the National Health Reform Agreement

Australia needs an integrated health service model that is able to focus on the prevention of illness rather than just more money for hospitals, welcome though this is.

An irresponsible – and inexcusable – delay
Brian Burdekin

Human Rights Act!

An irresponsible – and inexcusable – delay

Not giving adequate protection to human rights, particularly to the most vulnerable people in our country, when the government has the political financial and legal resources to do so is a national disgrace. We need a Human Rights Act.

Looking for a home in a land of empty houses
Adrian Rosenfeldt

Looking for a home in a land of empty houses

Beneath the current political debates about housing demand lies an unavoidable reality. Empty dwellings sit alongside visible and hidden forms of homelessness, with many people attempting to create homes in inhospitable places rather than submit to overbearing regulation and continual intrusions into their personal lives.

Environment: Atlantic currents are slowing so let’s dam the Bering Strait
Peter Sainsbury

Environment: Atlantic currents are slowing so let’s dam the Bering Strait

When you’ve run out of options to solve the climate problem sensibly, do something ludicrous like damming the Bering Strait. All Norway’s new cars are EVs. Greenhouse gas emissions are up 50 per cent since nations decided to control them.

An acid test of Indonesia's democracy
Duncan Graham

Reclaiming Democracy

An acid test of Indonesia's democracy

An acid attack by four Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers on a human rights activist highlights growing tensions as President Prabowo reinstates military influence in Indonesia's civilian administration.  

India's farms dodged the Hormuz crisis, but its budget didn't
Siraj Hussain

India's farms dodged the Hormuz crisis, but its budget didn't

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels on 17 April 2026 came as a great relief for India. But the blocking of the strait revealed both how exposed Indian agriculture is to a single waterway and how heavily the government must lean on subsidies to insulate farmers from the consequences.

Trump’s tragedy of errors
Joseph E. Stiglitz

Trump’s tragedy of errors

Regardless of how long US President Donald Trump’s ill-advised war and today’s stagflationary conditions last, the long-run consequences will be profound. Fancying himself an absolute monarch, Trump has broken something he cannot fix and unleashed forces he cannot control.

New partner, new voices: message from the Editor
Catriona Jackson

New partner, new voices: message from the Editor

Pearls and Irritations is digging deeper into issues and, thanks to new partnerships, bringing you perspectives from leading thinkers both in our daily feed and in curated series about important topics.

Modi’s power grip, Japan’s regional pitch, Suu Kyi’s house arrest – Asian Media Report
David Armstrong

Modi’s power grip, Japan’s regional pitch, Suu Kyi’s house arrest – Asian Media Report

BJP’s historic state dominance, Takaichi’s ‘proactive’ Indo-Pacific role, AI’s emerging role in diplomacy, Pyongyang’s ‘normal nation’ push, Myanmar’s change without change, Taiwan’s national happiness win.

Reclaiming democracy: join the conversation
Joseph Camilleri, Eddie Kowalski

Reclaiming Democracy

Reclaiming democracy: join the conversation

Democracy is faltering. Elected government action is increasingly constrained by the preferences of powerful industrial, commercial and financial interests. To counter this trend, an ambitious initiative, Reclaiming Democracy Together, is being launched in Melbourne on 9 May. 

John Menadue's book on Israel's war against Gaza

Israel's war against Gaza

Media coverage of the war in Gaza since October 2023 has spread a series of lies propagated by Israel and the United States. This publication presents information, analysis, clarification, views and perspectives largely unavailable in mainstream media in Australia and elsewhere.

Download the PDF

Latest letters to the editor
It’s not all antisemitism

John Wallace — Melbourne

This analysis is welcome in recognising the impact of “the devastation of Gaza” on antisemitism. But it fails to recognise that much of what is commonly read as antisemitism can be seen in many cases to be merely an expression of anti-Israel sentiment. The case of anti-Israel graffiti on a wall illustrates the point. When the graffiti is on a wall in a public place, the graffiti is just anti-Israel graffiti. The same applies when it's on, say, an Israeli consulate building. When the graffiti is on a building linked to Israel by religion, it becomes problematic. In terms of...
Cost and competence

Les Macdonald — Balmain NSW 2041

This article enables focus on the systemic failure of the idea that capitalism and private markets produce the best social outcomes. That is due to the focus of capitalism on efficiency covering failures of effectiveness. As capitalism is focused solely upon profitability as the measure of success, the managerialists trained in the business schools, that have proliferated like flies at a barbecue, have taken that to heart and have focused on that to the exclusion of effectiveness. The obsessive concentration has been on minimising costs and maximising profits. We have thus become highly efficient at doing the wrong thing. Efficiency...
Rise in antisemitism?

Brian Bycroft — Evans Head NSW

How can the claim be made that antisemitism is on the rise in the absence of: • An agreed definition of antisemitism; • Actual objective, quantitative data I found much of the publicly reported evidence to the Antisemitism Royal Commission underwhelming, consisting of: • A reflection of fear of antisemitism, e.g., not wearing Star of David, increased security at Jewish schools • Unsupported anecdotal evidence, going back decades in some cases; unfortunately probably reflecting the experiences of any number of minority groups in Australia. We have already seen criminal elements take advantage of the fear of antisemitism for other purposes....
Australia's need for a national Human Rights Act

meg schwarz — Macclesfield

I refer to John Menadue’s article of 4 May advocating for a national Human Rights Act that properly protects basic rights and which is long overdue. We’re often told our Australian system and Parliament are enough, but when we see young Indigenous kids being locked up, or refugees left in limbo for years, I can’t help wondering what human rights they really have in practice. Right now, it feels like rights depend too much on the government of the day. A national Human Rights Act wouldn’t take power away from Parliament, but it would mean governments have to explain and...
Fred Zhang

Barry Smith — Hobart

I just want to compliment P & A on the contributions of Fred Zhang. His printed background provided is sparse, and a little vague. His contributions are always of a high standard, and his public profile and circulation should be far greater.
Watch Bessent

Geoff Taylor — Borlu (Perth)

Crispin Hull makes good points about any military response. The US is apparently now belatedly seeking UN approval for a method to clean up the mess it has created. On the financial side US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has been busy, imposing sanctions on some Chinese oil refiners, and on international payment structures relating to those countries such as China dealing with Iran, while US Minister for Defence Pete Hegseth has been busy interdicting oil shipments headed to eastern countries’ refineries which supply Australia with fuel. But here is the illogic. Bessent is now calling on China to help clean...
Privatisation Elephant

David Griffiths — Mordialloc, Victoria 3195

Explicit and/or implicit privatisation of services continues to threaten the sustainability of the NDIS since its establishment i.e. private ownership and control of services. The ideology of privatisation is assumed superiority i.e. more efficient and effective. The reality of privatisation, however, is the drive to maximise profitability and minimise services and increase rewards for owners,shareholders and managers. Privatisation of aged care, employment services and child care has also compromised service provision.
What if...

Bill Morris — Perth Western Australia

An excellent article in which many issues are analysed accurately and succinctly but there is one sentence of particular concern which necessitates further analysis. That sentence is….“But the allies, in promising a Jewish homeland, insisted the new colonisers would have to make peace with the inhabitants and respect their rights.” This is a reference to the short but concise “Balfour Declaration” which included the words “….it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine…” Every Israeli Prime Minister and Israeli government has consciously ignored these obligations,...

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