The news of the largest-ever class action settlement in Australian history seems, in many ways, like the only fitting bookend to the awful ordeal of Robodebt. Some A$548 million (including legal and administrative costs) will be paid to more than 433,000 victims, once the settlement is approved by the Federal Court. It’s undoubtedly a win […]
Australia has watched on as authorities have searched for Dezi Freeman, a so-called “sovereign citizen” accused of killing two police officers in the regional Victorian town of Porepunkah. The case has put the spotlight on the sovereign citizen, or “sovcit”, movement and its extreme, often conspiratorial, anti-government ideology. It would be […]
The Albanese government is bringing forward by three months to October 1 implementation of its 5 per cent deposit guarantee for all first home buyers purchasing properties up to a specified limit. The universal guarantee was an election promise. The bring-forward, from January 1, is part of a flurry of […]
Recent images of an emaciated Gazan child, Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, provoked global outrage. Some sought to minimise this harm, attributing it instead to pre-existing conditions or disability. But framing starvation deaths in Gaza in terms of underlying disabilities or comorbidities is misleading. It is essential to recognise these conditions do not justify suffering […]
The bizarre summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska should sway all but the most credulous doubters that the White House is more interested in friendly relations with Russia’s dictator than achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine. An abridged program saw the two leaders swiftly conclude the meeting earlier than […]
The Productivity Commission’s latest data on Closing the Gap progress represents an unsurprisingly grim overview of the socioeconomic inequalities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Closing the Gap is the plan federal and state governments have to address Indigenous socioeconomic disadvantage. It sets specific targets across a range of areas. This […]
A new vision for Middle East peace emerged this week which proposes the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and the West Bank, the disarming and disbanding of Hamas and the creation of a unified Palestinian state. The plan emerged from a “high-level conference” in New York on July 29, which assembled representatives of 17 […]
Bold economic ideas are flowing ahead of next month’s roundtable convened by the Albanese government, aimed at boosting Australia’s productivity and economy, and repairing the budget. Among the biggest ideas to emerge is: should Australia resurrect its carbon price? Many respected economists say the answer is a firm yes. Among them are […]
The world’s highest court says countries are legally obliged to prevent harms caused by climate change, in a ruling that repudiates Australia’s claims it is not legally responsible for emissions from our fossil fuel exports. The landmark ruling overnight by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will reverberate in courts, parliaments and […]
