Mental health is not a niche issue. It is the electorate
Australians are experiencing extraordinary levels of psychological distress while mental health services remain underfunded and overstretched. The political cost will be measured not just in health outcomes, but in deepening distrust of government.
P&I is growing. Help us keep up the fight – Message from the Editor
Another 250,000 readers found P&I over the past year. As our August fundraising campaign begins, we’re asking readers to help keep independent journalism free, fearless and growing.
New Zealand’s CEO prime minister survives for now – but is struggling with politics
Christopher Luxon has survived another confidence vote, but the failed leadership challenge has exposed a government under strain, a deeply unpopular political class and an electorate increasingly underwhelmed.
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PEARLS AND IRRITATIONS
John Menadue’s Public Policy Journal
ACT Attorney shows federal Labor how to resist a political pile-on
ACT Attorney-General Tara Cheyne’s measured response to the controversy surrounding Mark Parton offers a rare example of judging private conduct by its impact on public duties rather than its value as political ammunition.
A 321-diamond ring, a tariff exemption and questions for Trump
A diamond-studded ring given to Donald Trump weeks before Belgian diamonds received tariff relief has prompted Democratic senators to question whether gifts are influencing White House trade decisions.
Better education begins with better democracy
Australia’s increasingly segregated school system is weakening both educational equality and social cohesion. Breaking the policy deadlock may require giving citizens a greater role in shaping long-term decisions about education.
Children are spending days in police cells built for adults
Children are spending days – and sometimes a week or more – in police custody designed only for short stays. New research points to isolation, poor conditions and serious gaps in oversight.
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Jenny Wilkinson is on the money about good government
Jenny Wilkinson makes a strong case for evidence, pragmatism and intellectual rigour in the public service. But good advice also depends on ministers willing to hear it and officials protected from political pressure.
Twenty-five years after Tampa, Australia is still at sea
As Labor considers tougher migration measures amid pressure from One Nation and the Coalition, the legacy of Tampa still shapes how Australia treats refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
Less job mobility, lower productivity: the cost of cosy capitalism
Australians are changing jobs far less often than they did 50 years ago. Financial insecurity, debt and workplace barriers may be trapping workers in jobs – and helping entrench a low-productivity form of “cosy capitalism”.
The US$1.2 trillion bet that AI pays on time
AI may live up to the technological hype while disappointing investors. Vast infrastructure spending is being financed on fixed schedules even as returns remain uncertain and hardware ages quickly.
Public education should be a Liberal cause
A belief in merit, individual effort and opportunity means little if children begin life with radically unequal chances. Strong public education should be as much a Liberal commitment as a Labor one.
From Marat to Trump: what history tells us about terror and power
A new biography of French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat offers a lens through which to consider two very different reigns of terror – and what their histories might tell us about Donald Trump’s America.
America is fencing out Chinese robots – and may be fencing itself in
Washington says its restrictions on Chinese robots are about security. But shielding US manufacturers from their strongest competitors may leave Chinese firms to gain the scale, data and global markets that determine who ultimately wins.
Prosecutors' improper political push for a personal purpose
A collective show of support for NSW DPP Sally Dowling has raised questions about whether senior prosecutors used the authority of public office for a personal and political purpose.
From subscription traps to corporate power: government can fight back
A long-running subscription rip-off ended with refunds and a $10 million penalty. More importantly, it showed what government can achieve when it sides with consumers against corporate power.
Australia’s EV boom has caught policymakers napping
The rapid shift from petrol cars to electric vehicles is eroding fuel excise faster than governments expected. A replacement road user charge is inevitable, but a rushed or fragmented scheme could create new problems of fairness, privacy and administration.
How Australia’s electoral laws leave room for political trolling
A pro-Israeli YouTuber has registered a ‘Free Palestine’ party while opposing Palestinian liberation, exposing how little Australian electoral law does to police misleading political branding.
Washington let arms control die. Don't repeat the mistake with AI
Nuclear arms control worked not because rivals trusted each other, but because compliance could be verified. AI governance now needs the same kind of infrastructure before competition outruns our ability to contain the risks.
Count Binface is no joke – fringe candidates can change politics
Britain’s eccentric election candidates are easy to dismiss as comic relief. History suggests they can expose public discontent, influence results and help redraw the boundary between the political fringe and the mainstream.
Sanctions can be as deadly as war – and children pay the price
New research links unilateral economic sanctions to more than half a million deaths each year, with children under five disproportionately affected. Cuba shows how policies intended to punish governments can instead devastate civilian lives.
Migration targets need more than thought bubbles
Australia’s migration debate needs clear targets, credible delivery plans and honest discussion of the consequences – not caps that cannot work or promises that ignore visa backlogs.
Medical care is being made a target of war
A decade after the UN demanded protection for medical care in war, attacks on hospitals, health workers, patients and humanitarian aid continue with devastating impunity.
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
So make it clear … just tell me what to do
Frazer-Oakley Tessa — Penguin tasmania
Labor is inspired by Trump
Peter Henning — Melbourne
Trumpery? A position is fixed until it isn’t
Geoff Taylor — Boorloo (Perth)
Fossil fuel interests always win
Richard Barnes — Naarm / Melbourne
And pigs might fly
Bob Pearce — Adelaide SA
The antidote to today’s world
Alyssa Aleksanian — Hazelbrook
More on the South China Sea
John Curr — MANLY QLD.
Still not a light bulb moment
Hal Duell — Alice Springs
