It is day one for me as editor and I want to express my thanks to editor-in-chief John Menadue and board members Michael Keating, Mike Gilligan, Joe Camilleri and Jocelyn Chey for placing their trust in me.

I will do my best to repay it in full.

I am also keenly aware of the high expectations of the very engaged Pearls and Irritations readers and now almost 1000 contributing authors. It is a privilege to work with you and I look forward to getting to know you all better.

I have enormous respect for what John and Susie Menadue have built. In just 12 years, Pearls and Irritations has become a powerful venue for evidence-based debate and the airing of important news and opinion that struggles to find a place in the mainstream media.

Pearls and Irritations has grown to 24,000 readers, inside Australia and reaching into our region, with numbers getting larger each day. And each day there is a greater need for independent, reliable sources of information and analysis, as corrosive global and local uncertainty become the norm.

We do not pretend to be disinterested observers. We look at issues through a progressive lens, and seek truth through evidence and honest debate. We seek, in leaders, the moral courage required if we are to tackle existential threats.

Pearls and Irritations has built its solid reputation with an extraordinary group of Australian leaders, sharing their wisdom and experience with readers. I bring with me a wide network of senior women, and a strong commitment to making their voices more clearly heard. Attracting a wider range of authors and readers, women and others from more diverse backgrounds, is a key priority for me.

I look forward to building on the solid foundations laid by John and Susie, to ensure that Pearls and Irritations remains a venue for robust, evidence-based debate.

Pearls and Irritations is important today. It will be crucial tomorrow. With your help, we can make sure that it grows and thrives.