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.
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.
Politicians are rethinking how Victoria’s house of review, the Legislative Council, is elected – with implications for how fair and representative the state’s elections are.
The nation has been through wars before, and history shows us that national governments have tended to let extractive industries dictate tax policy during these periods.
If you want to understand the limitations of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of wellbeing, then the latest figures for the March quarter are a great example. The overall picture saw the economy grow by 0.3% for the March quarter and by 2.5% for the last year. This shows slow growth but not as slow as some were predicting.
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.
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.
There was little in the Budget for Australia’s under-resourced integrity agencies, who by the government’s own assessment are not meeting their targets.
The government's changes to negative gearing and the CGT discount will reduce the enormous tax concessions that are encouraging people to speculate on the property market. Finally, we have a housing affordability policy that will make a real, positive difference.
Greg Jericho, chief economist at the Australia Institute, gives his thoughts and annotations on Treasurer Jim Chalmers' Budget speech
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