Opinions
September 2023
Voice to Parliament: If you don’t know, just ask
There are just a few weeks until Australia holds its first Referendum since 1999, on whether we should establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
August 2023
Australia’s emissions are rising at a time they need to fall quickly
The latest quarterly greenhouse gas emissions survey shows that Australia is heading in the wrong direction – and that needs calling out.
Why Does the RBA Want More Unemployed Aussies?
By chasing an invisible and moving target, the RBA’s theories on unemployment and inflation could jeopardise the jobs of 140,000 Australians.
Urgent Need for Australia’s Climate Industry Policy
For the first time in decades, Australia is talking about industry policy.
The Voice Will Help Us Discover a Rich History
As Aussies, we can get pretty riled up at the prospect of the destruction of public monuments, historic sites and places we consider important to the fabric of our national culture and identity.
C’mon Albo! Stop Native Forest Logging
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can stop the logging of Australia’s native forests, just as PM Malcolm Fraser stopped whaling in 1978.
For most workers, wages are still failing to keep up with inflation
While overall wages grew in line with inflation in the June quarter for workers in most industries real wages are still going backwards.
New political donations laws will help level the playing field and afford fairer elections to all Tasmanians
In June, a joint Parliamentary Committee published recommendations that would significantly reform Australian electoral law.
Multinational miners rue the day Palaszczuk and Dick delivered for Queenslanders
Queensland’s revised coal royalty system has delivered billions to the state, and NSW could be following suit. But as always, the mining industry is keen to let hysteria get in the way of a good policy.
Labor’s climate credibility is melting under the heat of scrutiny
Neoliberals are always worried about government ‘picking winners’, but strangely never seem to have a problem when governments back obvious losers, like perennial failure carbon capture and storage (CCS).
July 2023
We need more than a definition change to fix Australia’s culture of permanent ‘casual’ work
The surprising thing about the Albanese government’s announced reforms to “casual” employment is not that they’re happening.
Inflation is falling so let’s make sure we don’t let unemployment rise
Inflation is coming down fast so we should now shift our attention to making sure unemployment does not rise
Australia’s Climate of Discontent
Australia gives more aid to foreign fossil fuel companies than it does to our neighbours in the Pacific.
You must be coking! Are new coalmines OK if they help make steel?
Some critics argue we should lay off metallurgical coalmines because they’re used for steel, not energy. But that ignores the big picture.
Hollywood actors showing that unity is strength
When workers are united, and able to collectively bargain, they can win good outcomes
The key legislation changes that will help workers get a better deal
In recent years, workers have been held back from demanding better working conditions and pay by a lack of bargaining power.
If the unemployment rises to 4.5% who is likely to lose their job?
The RBA is currently targeting a 4.5% unemployment rate, and that is going to hurt young, low skilled and low paid workers,
More work needed despite launching of National Anti-Corruption Commission
Australia may finally have a national anti-corruption watchdog, but we still have a long way to go to reach genuine accountability and transparency in our system of government.
June 2023
ABC redundancies could harm the public’s trust in the reliable broadcaster
The latest redundancies at the ABC are a cruel blow to public interest journalism and its role in holding the powerful to account.
Australia’s greenwash plan to host COP31
Labor announced its desire to host a United Nations climate conference in the lead-up to the 2022 election. Officially called the Conference of the Parties, the UN describes its COPs as “the biggest and most important annual climate-related conferences on the planet”. They bring together nation states to negotiate on how best to tackle climate
Bolstered by a biased tax system, house prices keep rising
As interest rates rise, the gains from negative gearing increase.
The Australian War Memorial must remove Ben Roberts-Smith display
The Australian War Memorial is currently displaying the uniform of a soldier found by the federal court, on the balance of probabilities, to be a murderer, war criminal, a bully and a liar.
Blame Game on Inflation has Only Just Begun
Every inflationary episode embodies a power struggle within society over who benefits from inflation, who loses out – and who will bear the cost of getting inflation back down.
The economy is slowing as households get smashed by yet more rate rises
A slowing economy and households closing their wallets is bad news with a Reserve Bank determined to keep raising rates
The level of public housing needs to return to previous levels
Australia needs more housing, and we definitely need more public housing
May 2023
Defence Strategic Review: A case of ‘so much for so little’?
For a document that self-advertises as “the most substantial and ambitious approach to Defence … since the second World War”, the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) is neither.
Carbon capture and storage is a dangerous rort
There’s nothing politics loves more than a good rort or scandal, like the recent revelations of PwC’s misconduct, which is finally throwing a spotlight on the vast tentacles of the big four consulting firms into the business of government. But it’s concerning that one of the biggest and longest-running rorts in climate change policy—carbon capture
Ending Nazi Symbols: Let’s Get It Right
Australia needs legislation outlawing the public display of Nazi symbols in the service of white supremacist ideology, but it is critical that we get the free speech balance right.
Real wages falls and interest rates rises signal tough times for households and the economy
You can’t sustain household spending while real wages continue to fall, and households are starting to let everyone know
Green Wall Street Will Crash
The mania around markets and investment in nature has continued at the UN biodiversity conference (#COP15) with Australia promoting the outsourcing of conservation to the private sector and its proposed ‘nature repair market’. This builds on the government’s previous promotion of ‘Green Wall Street’ – a vision that describes the world investing in Australia’s ecosystems.
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