January 19, 2026

Best of 2025 - Charting Trump's decline

New polling reveals a clear and sustained decline in public approval of Trump and his policies that is already reshaping US electoral prospects, with significant implications for Congress and beyond.

October 9, 2025

Japan's likely new leader is a surprise, and not just because she is a woman

In the recent election held by Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party to find a new leader following the assassination of former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, an unlikely name to emerge was that of Sanae Takaichi.

February 5, 2026

Herzog’s visit "a terrible cruelty"

For Palestinian Australians who have lost entire families in Gaza, the decision to welcome Israel’s president to Australia is not diplomatic neutrality but an act of profound cruelty. As deaths continue despite a ceasefire, questions of grief, justice and political accountability can no longer be avoided.

November 15, 2025

China-phobia in Australia is endangering the country’s security

The toxic roots of China-phobia are deeply embedded in modern Australia’s cultural history. It has a firm grip on the minds of many of Australia’s policy wonks, politicians, media commentators, and the general public.

November 13, 2025

Burn it all down movements

When a 34-year-old democratic socialist defeats a political dynasty in the nation’s largest city, we’re witnessing more than another electoral upset.

February 17, 2026

How Iran’s current unrest can be traced back to the 1979 revolution

Repeated waves of protest show Iranians have lost faith in the promises of the 1979 revolution. But history suggests ideology can fail long before a regime does.

November 5, 2025

Zombie multilateralism: The undead world of APEC

After 20 years, APEC returned to Korea, but it feels different.

February 6, 2026

Why the governor-general should not be the prime minister’s choice

Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s remarks reveal a deeper flaw in Australia’s constitutional arrangements – one that weakens the independence of the head of state and undermines democratic accountability.

February 20, 2026

Dual nationals in Israel’s military face growing legal scrutiny over Gaza

Newly released data shows that tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers hold foreign citizenship, placing Western nationals directly within the scope of international war crimes law over Gaza.

February 10, 2026

One Nation surges to new high as Coalition slumps to record low

Multiple polls place One Nation ahead of the Coalition, raising the prospect of an historic realignment on the Australian right.

February 3, 2026

Gordon de Brouwer: A disappointing legacy

Gordon de Brouwer leaves as APS Commissioner having strengthened capability processes and leadership roles, but without the legislative and institutional reforms needed to restore integrity, independence and long-term resilience.

December 18, 2025

Cutting the Internet in Afghanistan is gender-based violence

The Taliban’s September Internet blackouts were not a technical disruption but a deliberate act of control. By cutting digital access, Afghan women were stripped of education, income, connection and voice – extending gender apartheid into the online realm.

November 24, 2025

A rare win-win for climate, farming and biodiversity – if policymakers act

Restoring Australia’s farm dams could slash emissions, improve water quality, boost livestock productivity, and enhance biodiversity – all at low cost.

February 16, 2026

Bad Bunny, good neighbour

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance was a cultural moment at the centre of American life that exposed a deeper political truth – while music celebrates belonging across borders, US foreign policy continues to enforce domination through sanctions, blockades and collective punishment.

November 6, 2025

Lancet study shows more than 3m years of human life lost in Israeli assault on Gaza

“To speak of three million years of human life erased is to confront the true scale of this atrocity – generations of children, parents, and families wiped out,” said the head of a US advocacy group.

March 10, 2026

Pacific economies exposed as war in Iran drives oil shock risk

An oil price spike triggered by war in the Middle East could hit Pacific economies hard. Heavy reliance on imported fuel and limited storage leave island nations highly exposed.

February 18, 2026

Judge pushes back on Trump-style ‘Ministry of Truth’

A Republican-appointed federal judge has ordered the restoration of slavery exhibits at an historic US site, rejecting claims that the executive can decide what historical truth should be.

November 28, 2025

Trying teenagers as adults won’t fix youth crime

Victoria’s proposal to send 14–17 year olds into adult courts ignores international law, expert evidence and decades of failed policy. Rehabilitation, not punishment, is what reduces future harm.

October 31, 2025

Open letter to David Marr on his interview with Chris Hedges

Well-known journalist Chris Hedges, whose talk scheduled to be delivered at the National Press Club was suddenly cancelled, was confronted by the ABC’s Late Night Live host David Marr in an unexpectedly ferocious interview. One reader took exception to this.

December 6, 2025

Refugees aren’t politically progressive by default – and policy needs to catch up

Australian settlement policy often assumes refugees will embrace progressive politics. Research and community experience show refugee political identities are far more diverse – with important implications for law and policy.

November 25, 2025

The ceasefire that isn’t: 400 violations in 40 days

Israel has violated the ceasefire in Gaza hundreds of times since October, using vague or unverified justifications to carry out strike in a recurring pattern of escalation and impunity.

March 6, 2026

Australia’s politics of consensus is stifling dissent and compassion

Governments sustain power by repeating stories about themselves. In Australia’s federal parliament, a narrow political consensus – marked by conformity, cruelty and evasion – is weakening democratic debate and eroding the principles of human rights and international law.

December 9, 2025

‘This will be my dream project’: How we got Frank Gehry to design the UTS ‘paper bag’

“I’m up for it” was the response of arguably the most famous architect in the world to our hesitant inquiry. “This will be my dream project,” he said.

October 21, 2025

'We can do this': Rio Tinto’s rapid switch to renewables shows path for quick exit from coal

You might be able to imagine the scene: An Australia sporting minister stands up in front of a vast audience to announce that something is simply not possible – it might be running 100 metres in 10 seconds, kicking a drop goal from 50 metres, or a swimming relay team beating a world record.

February 21, 2026

Board of Peace plans 5,000-person military base in southern Gaza

Leaked contracting documents detail plans by the Board of Peace to build a large military base in southern Gaza, including armoured towers, bunkers and a “Human Remains Protocol”.

February 7, 2026

Herzog’s visit exposes Australia’s legal weakness on human rights

As Israel’s president visits Australia, debates over protest, terrorism and antisemitism expose a significant problem: Australia lacks a coherent human rights framework.

December 15, 2025

Book Review: Merlinda Bobis explores four generations of colonialism and violence in the Phillipines

Merlinda Bobis’ In the Name of the Trees weaves four generations of Bikol women into a powerful exploration of colonial violence, language, land and survival.

October 25, 2025

Indonesia’s security depends on educating the minds behind its machines

Indonesia is investing in its regional influence — purchasing new fighters, drones, frigates and billions in defence contracts — while allowing its classrooms to deteriorate.

December 2, 2025

Indonesia’s Gaza peacekeeping bid raises more questions than answers

Indonesia has offered to send up to 20,000 troops to Gaza as part of an international peacekeeping force. The proposal highlights shifting regional politics – and unresolved concerns about military power, credibility and human rights.

March 5, 2026

The Liberal Party keeps losing women voters

The Liberal Party’s declining support among women is not a temporary setback. It reflects deep social change, rising educational attainment among women, and a growing disconnect between modern professional women and the party’s current values and positioning.

January 12, 2026

Best of 2025 - Israel’s response to the International Court of Justice

The ceasefire plan in Gaza has dominated our news in recent days and weeks. One aspect of the plan is the obligation of Israel in the first phase to release a number — a large number — of Palestinian prisoners.

January 8, 2026

Best of 2025 - A smart productivity play: Stop subsidising loss-making native forest logging

On 7 September 2025, NSW set the proposed 476,000-hectare boundary for the Great Koala National Park and halted native-forest logging within it (plantation harvesting continues), with formal gazettal slated for 2026.

December 5, 2025

Is the focus on NAPLAN’s ‘top’ schools a good idea?

This year’s NAPLAN results reveal encouraging stories of student progress, but headlines about ’top’ schools risk oversimplifying how improvement really happens – and what parents should take from the data.

October 29, 2025

The unvanquished will: Gaza’s triumph of spirit against the architecture of genocide

For the last two years, my social media algorithm has been relentlessly dominated by Gaza, particularly by the voices of ordinary Gazans, displaying a blend of emotions that centres on two core principles: grief and defiance.

December 2, 2025

AI and the news: how it helps, fails, and why that matters

AI is reshaping the news ecosystem in the fields of search, fact-checking and personalised feeds. If used well, it can support journalism and strengthen democracy.

January 29, 2026

Bazball in Australia: poor philosophy or poor execution?

England’s Bazballers have left our shores, having lost the Ashes series and with their playing code widely panned. But was it the code or the execution that was responsible for England’s defeat?

December 1, 2025

Trade and tariffs: how reciprocity turned into retaliation

Tariff powers once tightly constrained by Congress have steadily migrated to the US presidency. That shift is reshaping global trade – and exposing countries like Australia to greater economic coercion.

October 13, 2025

Fifty years of political economics at Sydney University – what has it meant for us?

Earlier this year The Journal of Australian Political Economy published a _special issue_ devoted to recollections and implications of 50 years of Political Economy courses at Sydney University.

March 14, 2026

The Age of Lies and the threat to civilisation

A global surge of misinformation – amplified by social media, AI fakery and organised disinformation campaigns – is corroding the foundations of democratic decision-making and public trust.

November 8, 2025

Computer still says no to Queenslanders wearing seatbelts

The ACT Government has just announced that from 3 November, “ACT traffic cameras will detect and issue infringements for seatbelt offences".

October 7, 2025

7 October 2023: shocking yes, surprising no

A new book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Road to October 7 - a brief history of Palestinian Islamism, by Erik Skare, shows how the seeds of the Gaza war were sown over decades.

February 24, 2026

Death tolls, settlements and the closing space for a two-state future

New research confirms that far more Palestinians have been killed in Gaza than first acknowledged, while settlement expansion and political rhetoric point to deeper structural realities.

December 3, 2025

Global campaign amplifies call for the release of jailed Palestinian leader Barghouti

An international campaign is calling for the release of Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti, arguing his freedom could reshape Palestinian politics and revive peace efforts.

December 22, 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.

January 15, 2026

Best of 2025 - The new political economy of innovation: Why Australian policymakers need better tools

When the Commonwealth Government reorganised its innovation responsibilities for the fourth time in a decade, public servants made jokes about updating their email signatures again.

November 4, 2025

The left wins the Irish presidential election in a landslide

Catherine Connolly (born 1957) only became involved in active politics in 1999. Michael D. Higgins, the outgoing president of Ireland (2011-2025), encouraged Connolly to join the Labour Party and stand for election.

November 18, 2025

‘My Viceroy’ - Part 5

“I thought it no bad thing that the public in Australia and, perhaps, also those in other monarchical Commonwealth countries, not excluding Britain, should have been reminded that the Crown possessed reserve powers.” Sir John Kerr to the British High Commissioner to Australia, December 1975.

March 3, 2026

The Russia–Ukraine war: Australia’s unanswered questions. Part 2

As Australia backed Ukraine into a catastrophic land war with Russia, serious questions about corruption, arms diversion and governance were visible in plain sight. In part 2 of his two-part series, Michael McKinley examines what was known, what was ignored, and why it mattered.

October 27, 2025

Australia’s role in the F-35 supply chain – what a tangled web we weave!

The government’s ducking and weaving about military exports to Israel went up a whole new notch this month, arguing in _Senate estimates_ that just because something was shipped from Australia, doesn’t mean it was exported from Australia.

Pearls and Irritations

John Menadue's Public Policy Journal