Tom Greenwell
Last year, the South Australian Government banned ads for sugar-sweetened drinks, confectionery, snacks, desserts, ice creams and fast-food restaurants on the interior and exterior of state-owned buses, trains and trams. The question, twelve months on, is why haven’t other Australian governments followed South Australia's lead?
The second reading of the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026 was heard in the House of Representatives yesterday. The Bill would require medical specialists to publish their fees on the Medical Costs Finder (MCF) website, giving patients comparable information about how much procedures like a joint replacement or colonoscopy will cost them in the private sector.
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If allowed to continue their spread across Australia, fire ants could cause significant environmental, social and economic damage – to the tune of more than $22 billion by the 2040s. And every year, they could cost households over $1.08 billion.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the unemployment figures for May. Unemployment in May dropped from 4.5% to 4.4%, which is good news. Although, for now, the broader trend seems to be one of increasing unemployment.
Today, the ABS has released its latest survey on barriers to work, and more than a quarter of women aged 18-64 who were not retired but would like to work, or would like to work more hours, cited child care as the main reason for not doing so.
Politicians can be too cynical for their own good. As I argued in The Point, they would often do better with the common good, not apparent political advantage, as their guide. Here are six times when politicians paid the price for pursuing short-term self-interest.
Australia’s total foreign aid budget was $5.097 billion in 2025-6. According to Animal Medicines Australia’s major survey and study of pet ownership, Australians spent $21 billion on their animals in the year to March 2025.
It isn’t always easy to keep up with what’s happening in the US. “Shorter America” is a series where Dr Emma Shortis loops you in on what’s going on in America and shares news and analysis that you can trust.
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The Albanese government has been warned thousands of Australian pets could die and households risk facing more than $1 billion in annual costs unless it significantly boosts efforts to eradicate fire ants.
Australia’s 538 local councils have united at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA)’s National General Assembly to call on the Australian Parliament to deliver an immediate increase in untied funding, warning the financial sustainability of councils and the services communities rely on are increasingly at risk.
On the face of it, Hanson is right that the 2021 census reported 872,000 people spoke English either “not well” or “not at all”. But that number hides details that make Hanson’s claim highly misleading. For example, of those who reported speaking English “not at all”, most are Australian citizens. And about half of those have a pretty good reason for not speaking English – they’re babies.
A star Socceroo has delivered a powerful message to the world about multiculturalism, diversity and the contribution of refugees, ahead of Australia’s next game at the football World Cup. Adelaide-based winger Awer Mabil, one of four Socceroos who came to Australia as refugees before finding their way into the national soccer team, spoke to journalists in the build-up to the clash with co-hosts the USA on Saturday.
