Opinions

Saving the islands and world climate urgency: Less COPs, actions now, stop fossil fuels

Enele S Sopoaga

Climate integrity is a topic that seems to have been buried by other inhumane priorities, yet is so fundamental to our human existence. Indeed, climate integrity seems to be in very short supply. It is our moral and humane duty to save the islands and the world against climate change, as a matter of urgency.

Climate

So what's a new leader of Australia’s balance-of-power party to do?

Richard Denniss

The Greens' recent leadership change from Larissa Waters to David Shoebridge was both rapid and polite. But while the change might have come as a surprise, what is more predictable is the hand wringing from much of the commentariat and the Prime Minister about whether the Greens should be 'populist' or 'pragmatic', and whether they should act like a ‘party of government’ or a ‘party of protest’.

Democracy & Accountability

So what's a new leader of Australia’s balance-of-power party to do?

How native forest offsets helped greenwash a new coal mine

Rod Campbell

The NSW Government has just approved production from a huge new coal project out to 2045. The conditions placed on the approval would be funny if catastrophic climate change wasn’t so alarming.

Climate

How native forest offsets helped greenwash a new coal mine

Another botched execution in the US: How’s that for shared values?

Allan Behm

The botched execution of a Death Row inmate in Tennessee and her emergency transfer to hospital is a reminder — if we need one — of the brutality and callousness of much of America's approach to law and justice. For all the institutional and structural resonances between America and Australia, the differences between our civic values are as stark as ever.

International Affairs

Another botched execution in the US: How’s that for shared values?

Literary pioneer Hilary McPhee launched Helen Garner, published Cloudstreet – and inspired me

Alice Grundy

Hilary McPhee, who has died, aged 85, was already a legend when I started working in publishing, nearly two decades ago. McPhee Gribble, the publishing house she founded with friend Diana Gribble in 1975, was the first home for some of Australia’s beloved authors, including Helen Garner, Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette.

Lifestyle & Culture

Literary pioneer Hilary McPhee launched Helen Garner, published Cloudstreet – and inspired me

We don't need another inquiry to know that Australia is torturing its children

Satara Uthayakumaran

A landmark Senate Inquiry into Youth Justice and Incarceration has just handed down its latest report into Australia’s youth prisons. However, we must listen to the words of the children who survive behind its pages.

Society & Inequality

We don't need another inquiry to know that Australia is torturing its children

The government is finally looking at excessive specialist fees, but it could go further

Luke Slawomirski

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released a consultation paper on excessive specialist fees. The paper can be boiled down to a simple question: when a specialist charges far more than their peers, or far more than the Medicare schedule fee, could government do anything about it? The answer is yes.

Society & Inequality Health

The government is finally looking at excessive specialist fees, but it could go further

Australian households in a world of pain – but there’s an obvious answer to our budget crisis

Amy Remeikis

Domestic data does not support the decision to raise interest rates. Being wrong in the right company (the market and conservative economists) might make for easier dinner parties and congratulatory op-eds in the financial pages, but it does nothing to look after the welfare – economic and otherwise – of the Australian people.

Economy

Australian households in a world of pain – but there’s an obvious answer to our budget crisis

They don't make supervillains like they used to