The battle of the slogans

Voters have been bombarded by political advertising on their TVs, radios, social media feeds, and even on their phones, but which party has the most effective slogans?

All image, no vision

Scott Morrison ditched the hat, and Bill Shorten started smiling more, but it hasn’t helped either candidate generate genuine charisma. Australia’s image-conscious but visionless leaders have made for a dreary Federal election campaign.

It’s time to pin the blame for the Parliament hack

Whoever becomes prime minister after the election will face a sobering moment in Australia’s China policy.

Cricket balls and “shadow values”

Like the Cameron Bancroft and Steven Smith ball tampering scandal, Australia’s foreign aid spending exemplifies the disconnect between our rhetoric and the reality of who we are and what we value as a nation.

Here’s how to renew Australia’s democracy

Citizen juries, an independent speaker, and ensuring MPs get to sit with their opponents, not opposite them, are all proposals at the heart of a new push to improve how Australian democracy works.

The foreign policy impact of Australia’s growing Asian minority

Will Australia’s growing Asian minority mean the government’s foreign policy looks towards China rather than the USA?

Nice try Pauline but your crocodile tears won’t work on us

While the major parties scrap it out this month for office, the poor performance of Pauline Hanson’s “One Nation” in the polls may indicate a long term trend towards broader public acceptance of a multi-cultural Australia.

Foreign aid cuts are damaging our national interests

Given the geopolitical competition in our Pacific region, bolstering aid funding, rather than reducing it, would better serve Australia’s diplomatic, trade and security interests.

The tech policies that could change everything

As the Federal Election approaches, the Australian Computer Society has suggested 17 “gamechangers” to boost Australia’s digital economy and increase the number of technology jobs.

Australia’s aging voters may hold the key to election victory

If Labor is relying on a surge of younger voters to deliver it victory then its hopes may be misplaced as Australia’s voters are ageing.

A debate needs more than sloganeering

The first televised “debate” between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was dominated by the type of partisan sloganeering which turns voters off the election campaign.

Lies, obfuscation and fake news make for a dispiriting – and dangerous – election campaign

The integrity of Australia’s electoral processes is under unprecedented challenge in this federal election, and the campaign has already been marred by fake news and the political exploitation of social media falsehoods.