Shifting the Australian housing dream

At the cultural level, our past tradition of home building was largely laissez-faire. The Australian way of leaving it to the developer must change. For this massive renewal, Government must direct, guide and be part of it like no time before.

Peace in our time?

“Peace in our time” said Neville Chamberlain on his return from Germany in late September 1938 after signing the Munich Agreement that effectively handed Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany. The circumstances of this “deal” are uncannily like those that Ukraine confronts today.

Trump in the world – Is it time to panic?

From Ukraine abroad to immigration at home, Donald Trump has wasted no time in implementing his radical agenda, so what are the results likely to be?

Lessons for Ukraine

As representatives of the United States and Russia hold talks on the terms for peace between Ukraine and Russia without inviting Ukraine to participate as its own fate is decided, it is worth drawing parallels with the Irish settlement in 1921.

Why Trump won

Donald Trump’s chaotic first term exposed a litany of faults to the American people, yet his bombastic style and calls for change secured re-election at a canter this year. What can an in-depth analysis of his first term and a Guardian survey of voter attitudes in 2024 tell us about the man who, for better or worse, now stands at the cusp of four more years of power?

Will big storms threaten Melbourne’s “Big Build”?

Melbourne’s rapid growth in recent decades has created a much-publicised range of infrastructure and congestion problems, but is stormwater drainage the Cinderella who doesn’t get to go to the ball?

The flood risk at Kensington Banks

Floods have caused disastrous property damage in the Eastern States in recent years, with Melbourne’s Maribyrnong River incident in October 2022 offering a case study of foolish planning decisions and an abdication of responsibility in recognising and mitigating the danger of future events.

Maribyrnong River blues

Expert commentators are warning of an increasing flood risk along the lower Maribyrnong River in Victoria. Is this a case of the boy “crying wolf” or is there a need for urgent intervention?

The frequency of catastrophes – why accurate language matters

The media’s misuse of the term ‘hundred year event’ gives the public a misleading impression of the true likelihood of major floods and other disasters.

Taking the pulse on immigration

Opinion polls show that most Australians think immigration rates have climbed too high, but more nuanced polling could help inform the government’s range of strategies to address this complex issue.

Reflections on the Voice Referendum

The dust has begun to settle after Australia’s contentious Voice Referendum, but amid the accusations of bad faith and ignorance, how many people on either side bothered to read or understand the report which laid out how the Voice would have worked, and the problems it raised or failed to address?

Looking beyond the referendum

Australians tend not to spend time contemplating their own navels, and despite vociferous advocates on both sides of the debate, the Voice referendum has failed to grab the attention of the Australian public. Whatever the result on Saturday, the media and the political class should shoulder their fair share of blame for this widespread lack of engagement.