Opinions

Emma Shortis

As the Treasurer acknowledged on Budget night, “the world is throwing a lot at us”. Chalmers is certainly right about that. As he said: “War in the Middle East has been pushing up prices, pushing down growth, and punishing Australians”. That passive construction of “war”, though, is doing an awful lot of heavy lifting.  

Gemma Killen

When it comes to tax, the Labor Government wants us to believe they have an appetite for reform. Since their election in 2022, they have restructured the Stage 3 tax cuts, increased the taxation of very large superannuation balances and raised the low-income tax offset threshold. Each of these progressive reforms have improved equality and women’s economic security. With this week’s budget, they have stayed on trend and announced significant reform to capital gains tax and negative gearing.

Leanne Minshull

Direct funding for environmental protection in this year’s budget is just 0.3% of total budget expenses. Alarmingly, it then falls off dramatically over the forward estimates. Such low levels of direct investment in the environment used to be a feature of Coalition rather than Labor governments.

Angus McFarland

Every day, I see the extraordinary work being done on the frontlines of domestic violence - one of the most urgent crises facing NSW. I also see a system under strain. Thousands of workers in women’s and family and domestic violence services across the state are supporting women and children through violence, trauma and homelessness. They are helping women and children find safety, navigate complex systems, and rebuild their lives.

Louise Morris

Coming back from Santa Marta, where nations were planning a fossil fuel phase-out, to the Australia of new gas permits and Japan’s gas-fired diplomatic arm-twisting, is like stepping backward through the looking glass.

Amy Remeikis

Much of One Nation’s Farrer victory will be put down to right-wing, grievance-fuelled anger. As ever, politics will move further to the right to accommodate it. But politics-as-usual won't cut it with under-45s who are fed up and happy to show it.

Richard Denniss

Ever since the Liberals and Nationals split and reunited twice, the combined vote for the Coalition parties has collapsed, and support for One Nation has surged. But, it’s not just the Coalition whose once safe seats are no longer safe.

Skye Predavec

The Devil Wears Prada 2 loses all of the commentary of its predecessor, and most of the chic.