This morning at Parliament House in Canberra, I was honoured to help launch a public inquiry into AUKUS. This public inquiry is not optional. It is overdue and a response to the government’s failure to hold a Parliamentary one.
Global investment in clean energy technologies is expected to reach $US2.2 trillion this year, nearly double the amount flowing into oil, gas and coal, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
There was little to feel inspired about in Canberra this week. There is plenty to push Labor with, and instead we have overwrought, sky-is-falling discourse about structural tax changes, and culture wars.
Private schools are literally sending parents broke, with Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) labelling them as “emerging users of bankruptcy”. Astonishingly, private schools and training colleges file more bankruptcy cases than banks, insurers, and local governments…combined, according to FCA’s data.
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The backlash from vested interests was in full swing this week after the Federal Budget delivered real reforms that will make housing more affordable. They are trying to convince us that young people will be the biggest losers from these changes. The big problem with that is that it is entirely untrue. Young people get almost no benefit from the CGT discount.
Disability advocates have joined growing calls for a 25 per cent tax on gas exports, arguing the revenue could help protect Australians on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) from cuts to essential supports. The renewed push comes as Labor introduced the legislation into Parliament today, projecting the changes will save the government $36.2 billion over the next four years.
The Albanese government has been criticised as “cowardly” and accused of delivering a “timid” response to the landmark Murphy inquiry into online gambling, with advocates arguing it will do little to reduce children’s exposure to betting advertisements.
The Allan Government in Victoria has announced that it will accept 15 of the recommendations from the Rapid Review into Victoria's Firearm Laws, including introducing a citizenship requirement for firearms licence holders and tougher penalties for firearms tracking. Something they won't act on is limiting the number of firearms a licence holder can own, and they won't participate in the national buyback.
The latest greenhouse gas emissions data has been released, showing that in 2025, total emissions fell 2.1% compared to 2024. And while this represents good news, unfortunately the pace remains well below what is needed to reach the government’s 2023 and 2035 targets, let alone achieve the cut in emissions required for Australia to do its share to limit global warming to 2C above pre-industrial levels.
Australians elected climate and integrity super-majorities, giving Labor two paths through the Senate: with the Greens and crossbenchers, or with the Coalition. And while Labor is quick to blame the Coalition for Labor’s failure to act, the reality is that Mr Albanese has always been willing to negotiate with the Greens when he actually wants something to happen.
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.
Australia’s $368 billion AUKUS pact is facing fresh scrutiny as the Albanese government continues to deepen its investment in a program critics warn may never deliver promised nuclear-powered submarines.
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There’s no denying the power of music in bringing people together. What if that power was harnessed for social change? This is exactly what Planet Reimagined is doing in the United States, and around the world, through Amplify, which partners with artists, venues, and local climate organizers to turn live music moments into opportunities for meaningful civic action.
Last week’s mainstream and social media were full of handwringing about the Budget’s tax proposals, particularly changes to the capital gains tax (CGT) discount. A lot of this content focuses on the idea that the tax changes will stop young people from buying their own home by undermining their efforts to use the stock market or other ‘investment strategies’ to save for a house. This is nonsense.
Three quarters (76%) of parents with children at independent (non-Catholic private) schools think government funding for private schools should “increase at a rate closer to the consumer price index”, according to a new poll published by Independent Schools Australia.
The first calls for a boycott came in 1964. A young Danish left-wing activist stormed the stage holding a banner reading “Boycott Franco and Salazar”. Though, the most controversial part of the competition has long been the inclusion of Israel.
