A beginners guide to Australian aged care policy in 2025
Stereotypes about wealthy baby boomers are skewing aged care policy. New fees, the shift to Support at Home, and pressures on community services risk leaving many older Australians without affordable, safe support. The consequences will be felt across families, hospitals and future generations.
Recent articles in Politics
15 December 2025
Message from the Editor
As we hurtle towards the chaos of Christmas, we are taking a moment to reflect on the high and lows of 2025, and what it all means for 2026.
15 December 2025
Conflicts, corrections and confusion: pressure mounts on the NACC Commissioner
The Inspector of the NACC has received 90 complaints since 1 July. Most of these complaints concern the NACC Commissioner’s conflict of interests with Defence.
15 December 2025
Trump’s empire of hubris and thuggery
Donald Trump's latest National Security Strategy memorandum treats the freedom to coerce others as the essence of US sovereignty. It is an ominous document that will – if allowed to stand – come back to haunt the United States.
15 December 2025
If government won’t deliver reform, citizens can
Governments routinely ignore expert advice and community lobbying. Caroline Fitzwarryne argues that Australians must organise, draft reforms and lead practical projects themselves, rather than waiting for politicians to act.
15 December 2025
The next century will be shaped by resistance, not inevitability
Across six centuries, power has claimed inevitability while resistance has redrawn the possible. As the world enters a century defined by climate, inequality and democratic strain, the forces that push back from below may once again shape the future.
14 December 2025
Would Donald Trump pass an Australian Values test?
As the Coalition considers adding an Australian Values test to the Character Test, Abul Rizvi asks a simple question: what happens when you apply it to someone whose behaviour is extensively documented – like Donald Trump?
14 December 2025
Book extract: Understanding China: governance, socio-economics, global influence
China’s rise has reshaped global economics, lifted millions out of poverty, and challenged Western assumptions about governance. This extract from 'Understanding China, Governance, Socio-Economics Global Influence' argues that engagement, not confrontation, offers the only viable path forward.
14 December 2025
Degrowing the economy for people and planet
Imperialism, colonialism, racism and ecocide: the four horsemen of capitalism’s apocalypse? Climate change threatens the survival of migratory species, and China continues to dominate the supply of rare earth elements.
14 December 2025
How charitable are Australians? Three charts show how much we give
New data shows fewer Australians are claiming tax-deductible donations and our global ranking for generosity is slipping. Changing giving habits, the rise of online fundraisers and an ageing donor base all help explain what the statistics miss.
14 December 2025
Trembling before the religion of AI
We like to think we have moved beyond religion, yet our reliance on AI reveals a new metaphysics shaped by imagination, projection and fear. Adrian Rosenfeldt explores how digital systems have taken on the psychological role once held by the divine.
13 December 2025
How to navigate the Support at Home maze
Australia’s revamped aged care system was supposed to streamline access and improve support. Instead, older people are confronting long waits, rising costs, confusing assessments and opaque rules that too often leave them without the help they need.
13 December 2025
Don’t take it from us – here’s what great Australians think of P&I
At the time of writing, Pearls & Irritations is still $23,405 short of its critically needed fundraising target, with just four days remaining. Leading Australian thinkers explain why independent, expert-led analysis matters more than ever.
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