Explainers
EXPLAINER
Today’s China in Seven Life Stories
As China shapes the world, who are the people shaping China?
EXPLAINER
Five times freedom of information shone a light on secretive government processes
The Government is proposing to make the FOI process lengthier, more expensive, and more secretive. These examples demonstrate why that's bad news.
EXPLAINER
If the Opposition is not the alternative government, what is the point of it?
With Victoria on its third Oppostion Leader in a year, and speculation about pressure on the Federal and NSW Liberals, we're left wondering: what makes an Opposition Government?
EXPLAINER
Illegal smoking police raids are being done to raise tax
There is news this week of police raiding illegal tobacco shops in Sydney. This is an interesting story where the issue is not so much about crime as tax.
EXPLAINER
Interest rates cuts have reduced the cost of living for employee households
After last week’s inflation figures the government got some good news from today’s Cost of Living figures.
EXPLAINER
Private job agencies are capturing welfare payments
New data shows that only one-in-nine jobseekers (11.7%) found long term employment via a job agency in the financial year ending in June 2025. This is despite an increase in public funding through Workforce Australia, a Commonwealth Government service which pays private job agencies to help people who are unemployed find jobs.
EXPLAINER
Most Australians think university should be much cheaper than it actually is
According to recent Australia Institute polling, nearly three in five (58%) Australians think university should cost less than $5,000 per year, and half of these (29% overall) people believe that degrees should be free. In reality, university is much more expensive than this.
EXPLAINER
Two growing tax loopholes that are exploited by the rich – and how to plug the leaks
Those on million-dollar incomes should not be able to manipulate the tax system to avoid paying their fair share.
EXPLAINER
Why does the winner of The Block get their prize tax-free but the Archibald winner doesn’t?
This year, the winners of The Block took home $520,000 in tax-free prize money. Meanwhile, the winner of the prestigious Miles Franklin Award paid at least a quarter of the $60,000 prize to the tax office. How did we get here and what can be done about it?
