March 5, 2026

The Liberal review explains the defeat – but not the path back

The leaked review of the Liberal Party’s 2025 election defeat details campaign failures and organisational problems. What it avoids is the harder question: what policies or direction might rebuild support.

January 30, 2026

NATO is failing – and ANZUS is next

NATO is unravelling as shared interests and trust with the United States collapse. For Australia, this raises urgent questions about the future value of ANZUS and related security arrangements.

March 1, 2026

Michael Caine’s voice is iconic. Why would he sell that to AI?

Michael Caine’s decision to license his voice to an AI company is about more than technology – it’s about class, identity and what happens when a culturally “enregistered” voice becomes a digital product.

February 4, 2026

Abbott, Boyce and Trump – three ways to deny a warming world

Prominent political figures continue to dismiss or distort the evidence on climate change. Their claims collapse under even basic scrutiny, revealing resistance rooted not in science but in ideology and self-interest.

January 6, 2026

Best of 2025 - Labor says its second term will be about productivity reform. These ideas could help shift the dial

In his victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted social policy as a major factor in Labor’s electoral success, particularly Medicare, housing and cost-of-living relief. He was justified in doing so.

December 7, 2025

Bazball has revolutionised English cricket – Australia should be nervous

England’s ultra-aggressive “Bazball” approach has transformed its Test cricket record. Historical data suggests it could also give England its best chance in 15 years to reclaim the Ashes in Australia.

February 10, 2026

Why higher taxes make more sense than higher interest rates

Rather than cutting public spending to restore the budget balance and reduce inflationary pressures, it would be better to increase taxation.

October 18, 2025

DPP speaks out – budget crisis, blackmail or a balking of duty?

ACT director of Public Prosecutions Victoria Engel SC has upped the ante — dangerously so in the view of many in the legal profession — in a very public bid for further funds for her office.

March 16, 2026

Asia’s energy-reliant economies face ‘existential threat’ from prolonged Iran war

Asian economies heavily dependent on imported oil and gas face higher fuel costs, widening trade deficits and slower growth if disruption to Middle East energy flows persists.

February 26, 2026

President Trump: Give back the money and stop grabbing more

The White House and Congress can and should provide relief to American families who bore the costs of illegal tariffs. The administration has the responsibility to design such relief.

February 2, 2026

Mass layoffs continue to punish working class under Trump

Major US companies including Amazon, UPS and Dow are announcing large job cuts as employment growth slows, raising questions about the strength of the US labour market under Donald Trump.

October 20, 2025

Message from the editor

Readers are well aware of our special interest in calm and rational coverage of China. Often we focus on geopolitics, and the change in China’s position in a world of continual, swirling change is fascinating.

December 11, 2025

Why Pearls and Irritations matters – Eugene Doyle

Long-time contributor Eugene Doyle reflects on Pearls and Irritations as an open-ended think tank and calls on readers to support independent policy debate into 2026.

December 6, 2025

P&I provides a moral compass, keeps hope alive and spurs on action

‘Let me also take this opportunity to say thank you for what you are doing for Australia. P&I provides a moral compass, keeps hope alive and spurs on action." Dr Jane Anderson Adjunct Research Fellow – Population and Global Health The University of Western Australia

November 4, 2025

A tribute to Ali Kazak

I had the privilege, together with the late Frans Timmerman, of working with Ali a good deal from the mid-1970s till the mid-1990s in producing the newspaper/magazine Free Palestine, and as national secretary of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign for a decade.

December 17, 2025

How gun ownership works in Australia – and what may change

In the wake of the Bondi shootings, attention has turned to how firearms are licensed and regulated in Australia, and whether proposed reforms would address the risks they are meant to prevent.

October 27, 2025

Message from the editor

As I look out of my window this morning, I can see a very small proportion of the 34 million people who live in Delhi, 6.5 million more than inhabit the whole of Australia.

December 9, 2025

Pearls and Irritations is growing and changing – and needs your support

We need your financial support to raise an additional $58,500 to meet our $250,000 fundraising target by Monday 15 December.

March 17, 2026

Iran war exposes confusion at the heart of Australia’s foreign policy

Australia’s carefully calibrated but confusing diplomacy has struggled to cope with the political and strategic consequences of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

February 14, 2026

Message from the Editor

We’ve had a huge response this week to the news that John is stepping back from daily involvement in running Pearls and Irritations in order to write and enjoy life more.

January 29, 2026

The end of the lucky country’s security fantasy

As the post-war global order unravels, Australia’s long-standing reliance on great and powerful friends is proving dangerously hollow – and the country is unprepared for what comes next.

November 13, 2025

Another RSL dope wants to draw us into a major war

It beggars belief that the outgoing head of the RSL, Greg Melick, has abused the quiet solemnity of Remembrance Day to lecture and berate the Albanese government on its defence policy.

January 12, 2026

Best of 2025 - Blame and frame: How Chinese Australians are counted when blamed, discounted when needed

We say we want to understand China. Then we glance past a million Chinese speakers at home and start counting somewhere else.

November 27, 2025

Independent media is essential – and we urgently need your help

We urgently need your financial support. We have raised only $78,000 towards our goal of $250,000 by mid-December.

November 6, 2025

Trump turns the tables on Taiwan

When the razzle dazzle of the prime minister’s first face-to-face meeting with the mercurial US president is forgotten and the huge sigh of relief that nothing went wrong subsides, questions will be asked about what all the puffery achieved.

October 31, 2025

South Korea, Canada and a middle-power submarine: Can Australia join?

Sometimes, middle-power enthusiasts get overly excited about the potential for said states to work together. It’s almost as if you want to see those “little guys” grab the ball and run it all the way to the try line — or the end zone, for you Americans.

October 25, 2025

UN expert says all nations with ties to Israel ‘responsible in some measure’ for Gaza genocide

Francesca Albanese wrote that states that supported Israel financially and militarily “could and should be held liable for aiding, assisting, or jointly participating in internationally wrongful acts.”

January 7, 2026

Best of 2025 - If we want to win the Pacific, we must first listen – and stop blaming China for everything

A 9 September editorial in The Sydney Morning Herald, titled China and Australia in a high-speed race to win control of the Pacific, offered a vivid picture of the daily contest for influence in the region.

December 3, 2025

Brave ACT shows restorative justice for sex offenders can work

A major Australian Institute of Criminology evaluation shows restorative justice in the ACT has improved victim wellbeing and significantly reduced reoffending in domestic and sexual violence cases.

October 11, 2025

Judge allows Kostakidis ‘antisemitism’ case to proceed

Justice Stephen McDonald told the court, in the course of a six-minute hearing on Thursday, that the contention the Zionist Federation of Australia had no case against journalist Mary Kostakidis had to be determined at trial, reports Joe Lauria.

January 5, 2026

Best of 2025 - Jeffrey Sachs: Ending the genocide now

A UN Security Council vote to grant Palestine permanent UN membership would end Israel’s zealous delusions of permanent control over Palestine, write Jeffrey Sachs and Sybil Fares. But the US stands in the way.

January 17, 2026

Heatwaves, bushfires, and the words that save lives

As heatwaves and bushfire risks intensify, emergency language has shifted too. The challenge is to warn clearly without losing trust.

November 22, 2025

Working with PM Fraser - burying White Australia - Part 4

John Menadue stayed on as the most senior public servant in the land, after the trauma of the Dismissal. In this 5-part series he details what life was like working with PM Fraser. Given his closeness to Whitlam, some of his conclusions are surprising.

November 20, 2025

Nurturing the next generation of voices

One of the things that sets P&I apart is the seniority and deep experience of many of our authors. And that will not change, facts and historical understanding of issues are essential if we are to tackle the huge issues confronting us all. But the other essential element is fresh thinking and the kind of sparkling hope and action that young Australians bring to the table.

March 6, 2026

How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?

Public support for Israel’s war effort contrasts with doubts over its long-term military and economic sustainability.

January 15, 2026

Regime change riots in Iran fail faster than expected

Iran cut Starlink traffic and blocked communications as unrest faded and pro-government marches filled the streets.

November 18, 2025

Emergency powers and tariffs: The US Supreme Court’s test of the President’s authority

The Supreme Court is set to decide on the limits of executive power – and that decision will have practical implications for Australia.

February 12, 2026

Message from the Editor-in-Chief

Pearls and Irritations is entering a new phase, with Editor-in-Chief John Menadue stepping back from day-to-day leadership and new appointments strengthening our future.

December 8, 2025

Message from the Editor

Sometimes we run a piece that is much longer than our usual 1000 word upper limit because it is worth it.

November 3, 2025

Bewildered in Trumpland

What happens when militaristic shouts of “USA USA”, are combined with a blatant display of Trumpian boasting in an ersatz Japanese imitation of a 19th century German neo-baroque castle plonked down in a quiet Tokyo suburb?

February 27, 2026

Shen Yun and Falun Gong – belief, propaganda and division

The evacuation of the Prime Minister over a threat linked to a Shen Yun tour has drawn attention to the Falun Gong movement and its political evolution.

February 17, 2026

‘It’s my government’: Robert Reich's short note to Kristi Noem

To a current US cabinet secretary from a former one.

March 13, 2026

Former defence leaders say oil wars threaten our security, and climate change deepens the danger

In full-page statements in the national media today, 19 Australian security practitioners and former Defence leaders have published an Open Letter on why Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels is a critical economic and security vulnerability.

March 9, 2026

A growing Jewish challenge to Israel’s war narrative

Jewish organisations using social media are challenging dominant narratives about Israel’s actions in Gaza, framing the conflict through human rights, international law and Jewish ethical traditions.

January 22, 2026

Human rights: could Menzies help Albanese see the light?

Australia’s push for a federal Human Rights Act is stalled by political caution and media hostility. The path forward may depend on Coalition support – and reframing the reform as consistent with Liberal tradition.

December 4, 2025

The origin of Labor versus Green tensions

Claims that the environment movement almost cost Labor the 1990 election ignore the decisive role played by Democrat votes and preferences. A closer look shows the campaign helped deliver victory – and marked a turning point in Labor’s relationship with environmental politics.

October 13, 2025

Message from the editor

This month we are working hard on a new initiative, a P&I podcast series called Pearlcast. Pearlcast will kick off with a topic close to our hearts, the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam Government.

February 6, 2026

America’s bad emperor problem

History offers a warning about unchecked power. As Donald Trump reshapes US foreign policy, the risks of personal rule and predatory hegemony are becoming harder to ignore.

November 16, 2025

Australia’s reluctance to rest its fast bowlers could prove disastrous during the Ashes

Australia faces a huge challenge before the Ashes even begin.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal