A national Newspoll, conducted June 3–7 from a sample of 1,232, had Labor and the Coalition tied at 50–50, a two-point gain for the Coalition since the post-budget Newspoll, three weeks ago. This is Labor’s worst position in Newspoll since last November, following the fallout from the defeat of the Voice referendum. […]
Government
Last week’s budget was Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ third and – for practical purposes – final for the current parliamentary term. Even if the 2025 election is delayed long enough to give Labor another budget, that speech would represent more of an election manifesto than any deliverable legislation. We are therefore […]
A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has dropped dramatically from its peak of 7.8% just 18 months ago, but the last mile – getting from the present […]
A contentious new Bill proposing sweeping powers for the Australian government to impose country-wide travel bans has been labelled “racist” and “inhumane”. The proposed legislation, which faces vehement opposition, is under scrutiny as calls grow for it to be scrapped entirely. Protests against the Entry Ban and Deportation Bill, slated […]
The federal government’s push for tougher deportation laws is facing renewed criticism in the wake of a recent ruling by the High Court. The ruling, delivered last Friday, authorises the indefinite detention of non-citizens who resist deportation, stirring fresh opposition from political adversaries and community organisations. In March, the Government […]
The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down this week by a senate committee that reviewed the bill, showed why. The report lays bare the potentially devastating impacts of this hastily drafted bill. These impacts would go well beyond the cohort of former […]
Melbourne mum Kathryn Ram has opened up about grief and healing after the tragic death of her toddler son, Isaiah. In an exclusive interview with BACKCOVERNEWS.COM, Ram has spoken about her struggle to find forgiveness after little Isaiah died following a harrowing two-hour wait inside a Victorian emergency room. It […]
Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask themselves whether they are equally happy for courts in China, Russia and Iran to determine what Australians can see […]
The New South Wales government has announced plans to conduct a review of a child protection tool that has a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal children and has remained unchanged in the state for over a decade. The system in question, referred to as “structured decision making” (SDM), has been utilised […]
The Albanese government came to power with a promise to be “strong on borders without being weak on humanity”. But there was little humanity in parliament yesterday as the government tried to force through some of the most draconian migration laws this country has seen in decades. The draft legislation was distributed […]