Society & Inequality
F1 Grand Prix: extracting private profit from a public park in Melbourne
The Melbourne F1 Grand Prix has already delivered another bill for Victorian taxpayers. The discovery of asbestos contamination during works in Albert Park has left taxpayers on the hook for a costly clean-up, adding to the already eye-watering public subsidy required to host the race. It’s a fitting prelude to an event that has spent decades running up losses for the state, and months of noise and disruption for local residents.
Will war in Iran push up petrol prices?
Any war or bombings in Iran always brings with it a reflex thought of what will happen to oil prices and in turn how much we pay for petrol.
Do more than half of voters really rely on the Government for 'most of their income'? (spoiler: no)
The claim that half of voters rely on the Government for 'most of their income' that has been repeated across the media and by politicians, simply isn't true.
Gender pay gap edges down, but men still dominate Australia’s highest salaries
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has released their gender pay gap data today and while we took a tiny step closer to pay equity, men are still almost twice as likely to be in the highest earning quartile – earning more than $220,000.
Mapped: The private gun stockpiles of inner-Sydney
If you live in Sydney, do you know how many guns are being stockpiled just down the road?
The simple question at the heart of the capital gains tax debate: who should pay more tax, minimum-wage workers or wealthy investors?
The debate over the capital gains tax discount comes down to a very simple question: who do you think should pay more income tax? Should a high-income executive who makes a $400,000 capital gain (that is, a profit) from selling an investment property pay a higher tax rate than a full-time retail worker on minimum wage who decides to pick up a few extra shifts?
Where's All the Community: Aboriginal Melbourne Revisited
An edited extract of Where's All the Community?: Aboriginal Melbourne Revisited by Julie Andrews, published 3 March and available at all good bookstores and online.
Four Corners case highlights a deeper problem in Australian healthcare
The Four Corners program aired on Monday night detailed how Melbourne gynaecologist Simon Gordon performed surgeries to remove the ovaries and uteruses of dozens of young women who did not need these highly invasive and life-changing procedures. But beyond these shocking examples, Australia has a widespread problem with unnecessary and inappropriate medical interventions.
Failure to tax extreme wealth will fuel far-right surge, warns Gary Stevenson
British economist Gary Stevenson, known as 'the People's Economist' has delivered blunt advice to Australian politicians during his tour of Australia, warning that living standards will continue to deteriorate unless they start taxing the “super-rich elite.”
Australia’s protections for NDIS whistleblowers are lagging - and people are paying the price
In recent years, the media has played a critical role in exposing abuse, exploitation, corruption and fraud within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Often this wrongdoing is left unaddressed until it reaches a crisis point – further undermining public confidence.
