Easing the slow grief of dementia

The growing burden of dementia in Australia’s ageing population is also borne by those who care for them, and the nation’s army of family caregivers deserves recognition and support as well.

Time for change

Do the high-consumption lifestyles enjoyed in the west today violate our ethical obligations to the planet and future generations?

What happens to moral responsibility when algorithms judge people?

Morality is forged between us, woven from the relationships, obligations, and shared vulnerabilities that mark us as human. Whatever the administrative attractions of AI interactions, we cannot cede moral decisions to machines.

Policy can’t grant what only hearts can give

Truth-telling is an institutional acknowledgment of responsibility. It requires governments to listen, not dictate; to admit wrongdoing, not justify it; and to document harm, rather than obscure it.

The case for veganism

Veganism reduces the animal suffering and environmental footprint associated with food production, making it one of the most effective personal actions for protecting the planet, while also boosting personal health.

The language of conflict

When history is written about the Gaza conflict and other modern wars, it will not matter which flag flew over the rubble, but whether humanity can still see itself in what it has done.

Why regulation alone won’t fix early childhood quality and safety

Australia must do more than merely respond to incident reports and regulatory failings in the early childhood sector. We should aim higher and build the high-performing, high-trust, high-impact system that our children and our national future deserve.

Accountability and dissent in a just society

Freedom demands that people be able to speak without disproportionate consequences; accountability demands that people be answerable for how their words affect others. Neither principle can be realised without the other.

The moral duty Australia’s media can no longer ignore

Australia faces a choice: allow our public square to be shaped by those who shout the loudest, or reaffirm that moral responsibility lies at the core of democratic communication and not every idea deserves a national stage.

Confronting knife crime

Victoria’s machete ban sends an important signal that violent crime cannot be tolerated, but additional police and legal measures will only restore calm to Melbourne’s streets if paired with deeper and sustained investment in social infrastructure.

The ballad of the feathered front

While farmers successfully drove the Tasmanian tiger and many other native animals to extinction, the Great Emu War failed to eradicate emus from the wheatbelt of Western Australia in 1932, despite the best efforts of Royal Australian Artillery soldiers to mow down the flightless birds with lewis guns.

The sky that remembers the dead

Another lyrical poem on contemporary issues from Open Forum’s poet laureate Roger Chao.