Articles & Opinions
Gender parity closer after federal election but “sufficiently assertive” Liberal women are still outnumbered two to one
Now that the dust has settled on the 2025 federal election, what does it mean for the representation of women in Australian parliaments? In short, there has been a significant improvement at the national level. When we last wrote on this topic, the Australian Senate was majority female but only 40% of House of Representatives
Support for super tax reform among young, women makes Coalition’s dissent a real puzzle
Predictably, the Liberal Party is opposing reforms that would reduce tax concessions on money made from superannuation balances above $3 million. But its stance is out of touch with the public mood.
The system is working, but big parties must heed voters and engage with minor parties
Tasmanians keep voting for a power-sharing parliament over the wishes of the major parties.
Polling – Superannuation
YouGov conducted a national survey of 1,535 voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 6 and 11 June 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements. The margin of error on the effective sample size is 3.2%.
Where the ACT could claw back more than half a billion dollars
The GST was supposed to solve the states and territories’ financial problems.
A fair go for temporary workers from the Pacific
On a whistlestop tour of Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu in May, Foreign Minister Penny Wong wanted to focus on climate change, security, and aid funding.
Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so
“You just [expletive] shot the reporter!” Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in
Hearing voices: why the Nats should be watching their backs
The community independent movement did not begin in Sydney or Melbourne, but in the bush.
Unfettered gambling advertising means young Australians are losing big
If you’re sick of ads for sport betting interrupting the footy – or anything else you watch on TV – you’re probably not alone.
Australia must resist US bullying to increase military spending
The US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, may not be the sharpest tool in President Trump’s tool kit. But, in the great American tradition, he is a top hustler. In an arrogant display that would have won Trump’s approval, Hegseth blustered his way around the Shangri-La conference in Singapore’s clammy weather last week in what resembled an ugly American charm offensive. He omitted tariffs, though these were front of mind for everyone else.
Australians should be proud of our preferential voting, but there is an alternative
A record number of Australians voted for independents and minor parties at the most recent federal election election.
Video Report: The Fight to Save Murujuga
An on-the-ground video investigation into the priceless aboriginal rock art at Murujuga, and the damaging effect of gas industry emissions.
May 2025
Great gas giveaway: $215 billion in royalty-free gas for Woodside’s North West Shelf project
A 50-year extension to the North West Shelf (NWS) project in Western Australia would see huge amounts of gas given away with no return for Australians.
Great gas giveaway: $215 billion in royalty-free gas for Woodside’s North West Shelf project
A 50-year extension to the North West Shelf (NWS) project in Western Australia (WA) would see huge amounts of gas given away royalty-free. While the exact volume and value is hard to predict, a basic estimate is that up to $215 billion worth of gas could be given away, royalty-free. The NWS liquefied natural gas
Why the election’s closest seat went unnoticed: Too close to Calwell
Updated 30/05/2025 The outer-Melbourne electorate of Calwell was named “Australia’s most unpredictable seat” by The Age after the election and was – aside from those going to a recount – the last seat to be called. The AEC labelled the counting process for the seat “likely the most complex in Australia’s history”. The count is
The election exposed weaknesses in Australian democracy – but the next parliament can fix them
Australia has some very strong democratic institutions – like an independent electoral commission, Saturday voting, full preferential voting and compulsory voting. These ensure that elections are free from corruption; that electorate boundaries are not based on partisan bias; and that most Australians turn out to vote. They are evidence of Australia’s proud history as an
Why you shouldn’t be scared of these super changes
The election might be over, but the next big scare campaign is just getting started. The subject this time is the Albanese government’s planned changes to taxes on superannuation.
How the government is setting everyone up to fail on green claims
If a private company ran a scheme that misled consumers, inflated investor confidence, and exposed its clients to legal risk, we would expect the government to shut it down.
The rise of early voting in Australian elections
Are voters missing out on more than their democracy sausage?
One way to improve the “dumpster fire of dumb stuff” which is Australia’s housing policy
Everyone agrees we need to do something about housing in Australia. But first we need to ask a very obvious, but often ignored question: what is housing is for?
Coalition’s on-again, off-again ‘situationship’ has even those closest baffled
If anyone knows what is going on in the National party, could you please stand up? Interested parties in the Nationals would love to know.
Soft plastic recycling is back in supermarkets!
For many of us, the end of June will mark the return of soft plastic recycling run by the Soft Plastics Taskforce (SPT), which is made up of the three major supermarkets: Woolworths Group, Coles Group and ALDI. But this may be premature since the joint recycling strategy from the Ministry of the Environment and
Why Dutton’s ‘one tune’ division and animosity didn’t work for Australians
Friends, Australians, countrymen, we come to bury Peter Dutton, not to praise him.
What will Labor do with power? And what happened to the Greens? | Richard Denniss on ABC News
Richard Denniss joined ABC’s Afternoon Briefing to reflect on what the election result means for policy reform in Australia. Interview with Tom Lowry.
Business groups want the government to overhaul the tax system? Excellent – we have some ideas.
The landslide win by the ALP has seen business groups come out demanding the government listen to their demands despite having provided them no support, and plenty of opposition, over the past 3 years.
Australia rejected the Dutton-Murdoch agenda, now we’ll see if Labor does the same
We are about to see who the Australian Labor Party really is, in 2025.
Big Gas is taking the piss | Television Ad
Australia, Big Gas is taking the piss. We made this TV ad to make sure people know.
Knee-jerk anti-Chinese redbaiting in Australian elections
In the final days of the campaign, independent MP Monique Ryan and Labor’s housing minister Clare O’Neil faced questions about the support of the Hubei Association for their respective campaigns.
More senators for the ACT: Unity ticket, bar one
A four-way debate on ABC Radio Canberra on 1 May produced a rare moment of unity between election candidates. The main candidates for the ACT’s two senate seats agreed that Canberra needs more senators.
University is expensive, especially so for humanities students
The PM and the education minister have made big noises about easing cost of living pressures for Australians with large HECS/HELP debts. But they’ve been very slow to do anything about the high cost of getting a degree in the first place.
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