2025 in Review: The fading West, a cautious Labor win and an uncertain world
From the erosion of Western authority to Australia’s election result, 2025 exposed deep shifts in global power, alliance politics and the limits of domestic reform.
Recent articles in Politics
22 December 2025
Message from the Editor
I hope you have had time to read our offerings on the terrible shootings at Bondi this week. Amidst a thicket of coverage, here and overseas, many readers were struggling to process the tragic events.
22 December 2025
This one’s on Netanyahu, not Albanese
The Bondi massacre sits within a wider international context that has reshaped public attitudes to Israel, antisemitism and protest, complicating how grief, fear and responsibility are understood in Australia.
22 December 2025
New Year’s Day and the promise that does not last
New Year’s Day promises renewal, then lets it slip away. That fleeting openness may be the point – not a failure, but a reminder about how meaning actually appears in our lives.
22 December 2025
What Australia’s teen social media ban could mean for reading
As under-16s are locked out of major social media platforms, online book communities that helped many teens discover reading are disappearing too. What’s being lost, and what might replace it?
22 December 2025
Vulnerability at the heart of Christmas
Christmas begins with fragility rather than power. The story of Jesus’ birth places vulnerability, dependence and shared humanity at its centre.
22 December 2025
Ten threats, one emergency: how to become Earth Citizens
Humanity is facing a compounding crisis driven by population growth, consumption, pollution and power. These interconnected threats cannot be addressed one by one if civilisation is to endure.
22 December 2025
Australia’s roads are full of giant cars, and everyone pays the price
Australia’s growing love affair with SUVs and utes is reshaping road safety. Larger vehicles don’t just cause more harm in crashes – they may also change how drivers behave.
22 December 2025
Cost of wind and batteries fall as CSIRO finds new way to show renewables are cheapest
CSIRO’s latest GenCost report shows battery costs falling fast, wind costs stabilising and coal, gas and nuclear lagging well behind. For the seventh year running, firmed renewables remain the lowest-cost path for Australia’s electricity system.
21 December 2025
Holding on to hope – a Christmas reflection
In the shadow of the Bondi massacre, Christmas and Hanukkah sit side by side this year. Acts of courage and faith remind us how light is kept alive in dark times.
21 December 2025
A defence of 'doing nothing'
Public safety can be strengthened without turning fear into a political performance. When protection becomes theatre, institutions weaken and social division deepens.
21 December 2025
Assange sues Nobel Foundation to stop war-promoting Machado from receiving Peace prize cash
Julian Assange has filed a legal complaint seeking to block Nobel Peace Prize funds from being paid to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado over her support for US military actions.
21 December 2025
Environment: More good recycling is needed – emphasis on good
Low levels of plastic recycling are bad for human health and the environment. For lead, high levels of dangerous recycling are doing the damage. Northern Australia’s vast, ecologically relatively intact savannas are undervalued.
Catch up on other sections
More from Politics
18 December 2025
Climate hot takes for 2025
17 December 2025
A beautiful mosaic: celebrating multicultural Australia
