Explainers
EXPLAINER
Five ways to strengthen democracy in Victoria
We're one year out from the Victorian state election - policies to strengthen the state's democracy could define next year’s election.
EXPLAINER
Parliament sits for less than half the year – what do politicians do the rest of the time?
The Government has announced 18 sitting weeks for 2026 - should they be sitting more and what does the rest of the year look like?
EXPLAINER
Timeline: How Australia’s failed COP bid overshadowed our climate action failure
Why did Australia, the world’s second-largest exporter of fossil fuels by emissions, want to host COP?
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.
