Society & Inequality
Paid an arm and a leg to see a specialist? Fee transparency could help
The 78% fee increase since 2010 shows that specialists are simply charging what the market will bear.
Melbourne fashion week hints at the potential of a circular fashion industry
The 2026 Melbourne Fashion Festival is on this week. This year’s event marks a major milestone as the festival celebrates its 30-year anniversary. It's one of the biggest fashion events in Australia, and it puts Australian design, talent, innovations, skills, trends, and workers in the international spotlight.
Climate change is exposing coffee-growing regions to dangerous heat
If worsening natural disasters and soaring energy and insurance bills haven’t been enough to raise the alarm about climate change – its threat to the world’s coffee supply just might.
Was the Adelaide University merger really worth $185 million in consultants?
The first full academic year for Adelaide University – the product of a merger between the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia – is about to start. The merger cost a total of $500 million with a significant portion of that going to consultants. It was Deloitte that won the contract worth $185 million to manage the merger.
'Rage, paranoia, kleptomania: the future of art, culture and technology
The future of art, culture and technology and the future of humanity are intertwined – but that’s not how most people working in the field understand their influence. This was the key insight from last week’s Future of Art, Culture And Technology symposium – or more aptly, FACT.
Why do the media treat rising wages as dangerous — but $200m sponsorships aren’t?
Perhaps the most screwed aspect of how the media covers economics and business is how profits and business expenses are written about as though they are glorious things with no losers, while wages growth is always a danger that actually will hurt customers.
Record loans, soaring house prices, another windfall for banks: new housing policy did exactly as expected
The Commonwealth Bank has delivered a staggering profit update amid a surge in first home buyers trying to crack the property market.
Australia’s tax concessions benefit men more than women
Budgets are about choices, and as the Federal Budget approaches in May, it’s a good time to ask who the Australian Government has in mind when they make their choices.
Calls grow to end unpaid ‘placement poverty’ for nation's healthcare students
A chronic shortage of healthcare workers has intensified calls for the Albanese Government to end unpaid “placement poverty” and extend government financial support to include medical and allied health students.
Australia’s Winter Olympians are overwhelmingly private school educated
Australia’s privatised schooling system makes our high schools the most expensive in the developed world. These high costs have far-reaching consequences for inequality in our society, including in who ends up in Australia’s Olympic squads.
