Kostakidis case strikes a blow for free speech
The case against Mary Kostakidis has been discontinued without any finding that she breached the Racial Discrimination Act, ending a two-year legal battle over political expression and criticism of Israel.
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.
Albanese’s credibility problem is becoming a political liability
Repeated reversals and broken promises are feeding a broader collapse of trust that reaches from economic policy to government transparency and defence.
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PEARLS AND IRRITATIONS
John Menadue’s Public Policy Journal
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.
Australia has a skills shortage. Why are we wasting the skilled migrants already here?
Australia is struggling to fill critical skills gaps while hundreds of thousands of qualified migrants work below their capabilities. A longer-term migration strategy could help unlock that wasted talent.
China’s clean-tech glut poses risks. But Australia can turn it to its advantage
Australia can use low-cost Chinese clean-energy technology to accelerate decarbonisation, strengthen energy security and build domestic industry without pursuing costly self-sufficiency.
Australians want capable government – not simply smaller government
Australians still expect government to solve big problems and provide universal services, and evidence suggests they will pay more tax if it is fair and well spent.
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Australia needs nuclear submarines – but not AUKUS
Australia needs a larger, self-reliant nuclear-powered submarine force, but AUKUS is too costly, too dependent on the US and too uncertain to deliver it.
Aged care report card: 4/10 – not good enough
Nearly a year into Australia’s aged care reforms, access remains difficult, waiting lists persist and costs are unaffordable for many, while flawed assessment and funding systems continue to undermine care.
When menopause becomes a digital marketplace
Women seeking answers about menopause are entering a digital health landscape where intimate data, algorithmic predictions and aggressive marketing increasingly influence medical decisions, raising serious questions about privacy, autonomy and care.
Population growth, environment and Australia’s economy
Australia’s population debate cannot be separated from environmental decline, inequality and economic wellbeing. With continued growth adding pressure, zero population growth deserves a serious place in the national conversation.
A visit to the West Bank: homeland and legal apartheid – part four
In the final part of a four-part series, expanding Israeli settlements and land acquisition reveal how security, law and political power are reshaping Palestinian life across the occupied West Bank.
Blaming China for building better value is not a strategy
China’s manufacturing advantage cannot be explained by subsidies alone. Tariffs may offer temporary protection, but rebuilding Western industry requires investment in skills, capacity and competitiveness rather than simply blocking imports.
Xi’s diplomatic push puts China’s global ambitions on display
As Xi Jinping travels from Central Asia to Egypt and India ahead of a planned US visit, China is promoting its vision of multilateralism, security and South-South cooperation more broadly.
Fixing the APS remuneration mess
Australia’s public service pay system remains fragmented after decades of failed reform. Fixing it requires a coherent APS-wide approach to classifications, labour markets, remuneration and the merit principle itself.
Paul Keating’s AUKUS hostility reflects his passion for hard‑nosed realism over subservience
James Curran’s 'Grand Ambition' traces Paul Keating’s attempt to reshape Australia’s place in Asia – and the enduring realism behind his opposition to AUKUS.
Environment: Fossil fuels, children and a changing climate
Fossil fuel companies gain access to children through education sponsorships, Barclays eyes opportunities from El Niño, while climate change brings increasingly destructive consequences to communities from the Himalayas to islands.
Luna Park and Neville Wran's bum
A chapter in Helen Pitt’s 'Luna Park' revives claims that Neville Wran blocked a lease for personal reasons, but official tender records point elsewhere.
A visit to the West Bank: security apartheid – part three
Israel’s expanding security regime across the West Bank is reshaping Palestinian life. In part three of a four-part series, Jeremy Webb considers whether these measures amount to institutionalised apartheid.
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.
A case for free and fair elections
The High Court has recognised an implied freedom of political communication. The same constitutional principles could support a broader guarantee that Australian elections themselves must be free and fair.
Trump is hastening the decline of American power
Trump’s threats against countries trading with Iran expose the limits of US economic power, as allies resist Washington’s demands and the global economy moves towards a less American-dominated order.
Netanyahu’s political future is now tied to the genocide in Gaza
Israeli voters are choosing between competing approaches to war and security, while Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continue to bear the consequences.
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 PDFLatest letters to the editor
Stand in our shoes
Alyssa Aleksanian — Hazelbrook
Speak up on climate
Amy Hiller — Kew
Not only fossil fuel coys invading our schools
Jo Vallentine — coolbellup, W.A.
Fantasy and reality
Les Macdonald — Balmain NSW 2041
Good clear thinking beats fear mongering any day!
Les Macdonald — Balmain NSW 2041
Free Speech Precursors
David Griffiths — Mordialloc VIC 3195
Fixing Australian politics
Oliver Raymond — Canberra, ACT
Driving ourselves into bankruptcy
Les Macdonald — Balmain NSW 2041
