Hold the line on terrorism laws

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is right to reject the removal of religious motivation from Australia’s terrorism laws proposed by the nation’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, as it rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of what those laws are designed to do.

Staying power beats firepower

In the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran, the Islamic regime has been materially weakened but appears politically entrenched.

Social cohesion in contested times

A new report reframes social cohesion as a shared governance challenge rather than a culture war, arguing that responsibility for holding an increasingly diverse nation together is distributed across government, platforms, civil society, media and communities.

If we can’t name China’s cyberattacks, we lose trust in ourselves

The West’s timid refusal to name and shame China’s constant cyber-attacks and espionage attempts encourages Beijing to escalate them and places little pressure on governments to tackle the problem.

How should Albanese handle Trump?

Anthony Albanese will meet Donald Trump in Washington on 20 October, the first official meeting between the two leaders since Trump’s inauguration in January, so how should Australia’s Prime Minister handle the encounter?

America’s place in a changing world

Democratic allies should call out America’s brutish approach to resetting its relations with them and work together in fields where the USA used to lead but Trump is at least addressing problems too many have left to fester for too long.

Security isn’t what it used to be

When people think of national security, it’s about spies, soldiers and submarines, but these days it’s about much more than those things.

The great white fleet

America’s “Great White Fleet” came to Australia in friendship in 1908, but China’s red flotilla had very different intentions earlier this year.

Amusing ourselves to death

Forty years ago, Neil Postman warned that we were entering a brave new world in which people enslaved themselves to television and technology-driven entertainment, and in this age of social media and AI, his book seems more prescient than ever.

Silence isn’t golden

The Federal Government’s habit of evading, ignoring or downplaying security threats undermines public trust, encourages conspiracy theories and emboldens our enemies.

China’s mobile security threat

Australia needs to list critical infrastructure and sectors from which suppliers of concern from China and Russia are prohibited, and that should start with electric cars.

Freedom and responsibility

We must hold ourselves and our democratic governments to account. But freedom of the press and freedom of expression are not enjoyed where one is only free to actually harm our own societies.