The polls keep bouncing. The destination doesn’t change
Kos Samaras

The polls keep bouncing. The destination doesn’t change

One Nation is up. One Nation is down. What the weekly polling movements are actually telling us and what they are not.

Is Trump actually helping? Message from the Editor
Catriona Jackson

Is Trump actually helping? Message from the Editor

arts,  china,  politics,  usa

Wouldn't it be ironic if Donald Trump made us see sense.

Japan’s arms sales, fatal law, and the K-pop community – Asian Media Report
David Armstrong

Japan’s arms sales, fatal law, and the K-pop community – Asian Media Report

Tokyo’s new weapons export rules, the never-ending China-Japan rift, Thucydides Trap’s historical flaw, Global South’s central ceasefire role, Asian fossil-fuels fall, and BTS manager’s arrest warrant.

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Listen to our latest Pearlcast Latest from founder John Menadue Latest from editor Catriona Jackson Latest from editor-in-chief David Armstrong Read our latest book reviews Latest on Israel and Palestine
The return of great power relations: limits to middle power diplomacy – Part 4
Geoff Raby

Foreign Policy Rethink

The return of great power relations: limits to middle power diplomacy – Part 4

china,  usa,  world

As part of the Foreign Policy Rethink series, Geoff Raby sets out how middle powers can navigate a world of competing orders – and why a more independent, cooperative strategy is needed.

The Anzac story is bigger than we remember
Mainul Haque

The Anzac story is bigger than we remember

The Anzac tradition honours sacrifice, but the broader, global contribution to the war effort remains under-recognised in Australia’s national memory.

NDIS and the moment Labor blinked
Stewart Sweeney

NDIS and the moment Labor blinked

The NDIS overhaul is not just about costs and governance – it is a test of whether Labor still believes in the social guarantees that have defined its reformist tradition.

Bill the Bastard – An ANZAC legend
Greg Latemore

Bill the Bastard – An ANZAC legend

A personal Anzac Day reflection on service, sacrifice and the enduring lesson that war should be remembered, not glorified.

John Menadue

Support our independent media with your donation

Pearls and Irritations leads the way in raising and analysing vital issues often neglected in mainstream media. Your contribution supports our independence and quality commentary on matters importance to Australia and our region.

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Anzac Day: remembering the perils of imperial subservience
Douglas Newton

Anzac Day: remembering the perils of imperial subservience

As Anzac Day approaches, the history of Gallipoli offers a warning about the risks of uncritical loyalty to powerful allies and the consequences of decisions made elsewhere.

The return of great power relations: Xi Jinping’s global dream – Part 3
Geoff Raby

Foreign Policy Rethink

The return of great power relations: Xi Jinping’s global dream – Part 3

china,  politics,  usa,  world

In the third part of his piece for the Foreign Policy Rethink series, Geoff Raby examines how middle powers can navigate a world of competing great powers – and why Australia’s current approach is becoming more vulnerable.

Australia has a teacher shortage – and an untapped workforce
Sun Yee Yip

Australia has a teacher shortage – and an untapped workforce

Australia faces acute teacher shortages, yet thousands of qualified migrant teachers remain underemployed due to systemic barriers to entry.

The real budget problem is what we call “spending”
Crispin Hull

The real budget problem is what we call “spending”

Debates about debt and deficits overlook a central issue – large amounts of “spending” are hidden in tax concessions, subsidies and underpriced public resources.

The Iran War is driving a global fertiliser shock
Brad Reed

The Iran War is driving a global fertiliser shock

Disruption to fertiliser supplies through the Strait of Hormuz is driving up costs and raising the risk of a global food crisis, particularly in vulnerable regions.

Fuel security needs a rethink – and rail is part of it
Philip Laird,  Geoff Smith

Fuel security needs a rethink – and rail is part of it

Australia’s reliance on imported fuel, declining reserves and road-heavy transport system have created vulnerabilities that require urgent policy reform.

Turning waste into wealth
Julian Cribb

Turning waste into wealth

A vast “circularity gap” is driving resource depletion and risk, but closing it could unlock trillions in value and reduce pressure on the planet.

The return of great power relations: a world of bounded orders – Part 2
Geoff Raby

Foreign Policy Rethink

The return of great power relations: a world of bounded orders – Part 2

china,  politics,  usa,  world

In the second part of his piece for the Foreign Policy Rethink series, Geoff Raby examines how China is constructing a competing global order and reshaping the institutions that underpin international relations.

Poorly designed campaign finance laws weaken our democracy
Simon Holmes à Court

Poorly designed campaign finance laws weaken our democracy

The High Court’s ruling on Victoria’s electoral laws shows how poorly designed campaign finance rules can undermine both fairness and the reforms they were meant to achieve.

The forgotten war Australia would rather not remember
Paddy Gourley

The forgotten war Australia would rather not remember

Michael Piggott's 'New Feller Master: Beyond the Trenches Australia’s Neglected WWI Story', details Australia’s occupation of New Guinea and challenges familiar national narratives – confronting uncomfortable truths about power, race and legacy.

Lovin’ democracy? You’re probably doing all right, then
Ross Gittins

Lovin’ democracy? You’re probably doing all right, then

Australia remains one of the world’s stronger democracies, but rising economic stress and inequality are shaping how people feel about it.

Tune in, turn on, and drop out: the case for legalising psychedelics is stronger than ever
Greg Barns

Tune in, turn on, and drop out: the case for legalising psychedelics is stronger than ever

Decades of prohibition have failed to stop psychedelic drug use while blocking research and treatment options, raising questions about the basis of current laws.

Non-discrimination is a core Australian value. We must defend it
Steph Cousins

Non-discrimination is a core Australian value. We must defend it

Policies which link migration to “values” undermine a fundamental principle of Australia’s immigration system – fairness without discrimination.

Tehran demands hundreds of billions in reparations. Guess who will pay?
Eugene Doyle

Tehran demands hundreds of billions in reparations. Guess who will pay?

If Iran succeeds in extracting reparations for the US–Israeli war, it would mark an historic shift in how power and accountability operate in the international system.

The return of great power relations: What can middle powers do? Part 1
Geoff Raby

Foreign Policy Rethink

The return of great power relations: What can middle powers do? Part 1

As part of the Foreign Policy Rethink series, Geoff Raby examines how Trump’s shift to great power politics is reshaping the global order and forcing middle powers to rethink their strategy.

A prime-time hit job on renewables falls apart under basic facts
Giles Parkinson

A prime-time hit job on renewables falls apart under basic facts

Spotlight's TV report on renewables and EVs collapses under basic fact-checking, highlighting how misinformation is shaping Australia’s energy debate.

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
The Weekly

Alan Pinsker — Canberra

Thanks for another engaging Pearls and Irritations. My friend George Browning ignores some of the big picture realpolitik in his piece, including that the extreme Islamist Iranian regime is an existential threat to Israel, the region and beyond through its terrorist proxies and its nuclear ambitions, Trump’s clear military success so far and its potential to reshape the Middle East for the better. Kos Samaras makes some interesting points about pivoting the Libs' immigration policy attack to the clear negative impacts of mass migration, but perhaps misses a point that when people blame “The Government “ in surveys rather than...
UAE and Australian arms sales

Richard Barnes — Naarm / Melbourne

Thanks to Eugene Doyle for bringing to readers' attention the fact that the UAE is a powerhouse of self-interested destruction on the world stage. Most readers were probably unaware that the glittering towers of Dubai are funded by arms sales and exploitation. I was stunned recently to learn that the UAE is by far the largest purchaser of Australian arms exports. (Yes, that is not an error: the largest - by far). Ignoring the concerns raised by many NGOs, Austrade recently stated that the UAE’s extensive and ongoing defence procurement program represents real opportunities for Australian suppliers”. Worsening the ignominy,...
Australian Values – who would pass ?

Andrea Coney — Port Fairy

Jocelyn Chey states the sad fact that not all Australians would pass a test based on the Australian Values Statement as once again we hear Angus Taylor pontificating on…“Australian values protecting the Australian way of life and making Australia Great!” Not only do I agree with Jocelyn Chey but I would suggest that most of our politicians would not pass the Australian Values test. I would like to take this opportunity to provide readers with a brief outline of the “Australian Values” published by the Department of Home Affairs. Respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual Freedom of...
More nuance needed in covering South Korea

Michael Bennett — Queensland

Mr Armstrong, I have learned to pay attention to South Korea because a relative of mine is a long term member of Army, the enormous fan base of BTS, whose comeback concert you covered on 16 April. At the time you wrote that the Korea Times reported only 46,000 attended the concert and suggested that was a reason for a drop in the share price of the parent company. These claims, repeated not just by your good self, but my many media outlets around the world outraged Army fans who knew that the true figure was much larger. There is...
Federal election reviews

David Griffiths — Mordialloc VIC 3195

Three books about Labor since 2022 and the 2025 Federal Election have missed the point about voters wanting fighters – not managers. Landslide – the 2025 Australian Federal Election, Ed by Marian Sawer, Jill Sheppard and John Warhurst, ANU Press Promise and performance – Albanese's First Term, Ed by Scott Prasser, Connor Court Publishing The First Albanese Government - Governing in an Age of Disruption and division 2022-2025, Ed John Hawkins, Michelle Grattan and John Halligan, UNSW Press The books agree on the Labor pursuit of stability, safety and competence and the Liberal incompetence and arrogance. Two other books, however,...
Big oil earnings bonanza

Fiona Colin — Melbourne

Who would be Chris Bowen, especially now as the hounding from the further-emboldened fossil fuel hawkers and climate-change ignorers intensifies? “We must dig, and we must drill” says Angus Taylor. Pauline Hanson wants more oil and gas production. The Murdochs and Rineharts of this world are all on board. Fossil fuel profits are soaring. In 2019, such was the antipathy to our energy transition that the Coalition promoted the highly dubious hydrogen car and shamelessly denigrated EVs. Now those same nay-sayers simply double down in confected outrage that Labor is not doing enough to build oil security. From 2012 governments...
Stop making our forests more flammable

Ray Peck — Hawthorn

It is shocking that only 0.47 per cent of Alpine Ash forests in the Central Highlands is old growth. You would think that statistic alone would be enough to preserve these forests, yet research by David Lindenmayer, Chris Taylor and Phil Zylstra shows current practices such as thinning, fire breaks and prescribed burning are making forests more flammable. Old forests are less flammable because their dense canopy keeps them moist, and they contain fewer fine fuels and more decomposed material, reducing ignition and spread. Climate change is making conditions more favourable for severe thunderstorms and “dry lightning,” increasing bushfire ignition...
Improving the Greens vote

Byron Comninos — Waverley, NSW

Drew Hutton's article on how the Greens could significantly improve their vote is insightful, sympathetic and in my view spot-on. As a relatively longstanding member of the NSW Greens, a veteran of decades of dissent and an exile from the Labor Party, I have also been concerned with what I consider an arrogance, intolerance and narrow mindedness on the part of some Greens – these very same attributes that are sometimes levelled at their adversaries. There are numerous voters in the broader electorate that have a range of opinions that mix what might be considered Left and Right wing views...

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