Asking the difficult questions

If we want to honour the Bondi victims and heroes alike, and reduce the likelihood of recurrence, we should ask not whether someone was known to ASIO but perhaps how hatred has been allowed to harden into something that made violence seem possible at all.

Implementing Segal’s plan

The government is under pressure to do more to address antisemitism in Australia in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, but it is still to respond to the report by antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal released back in July.

Time to take responsibility

In a stark reminder of the strong Jewish backlash against the prime minister, Anthony Albanese was not invited to attend the Wednesday funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, among the first of the Bondi massacre victims to be farewelled.

On Bondi

The Bondi terrorist attack was a brutal assault against Jewish Australians; and the response must make Jewish Australians safer while strengthening, not undermining, the principles of a free society.

Australia let its Jewish citizens down

Anthony Albanese cut a lonely political figure laying a small bunch of flowers at Bondi on Monday morning, as the question confronted the nation: could more have been done by leaders, and the community, to prevent this tragedy?

Into the agora

Athenians understood that democratic speech was both a right and a responsibility, and that the quality of public life depended on the character of its citizens.

Time for change

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

Understanding “social frailty”

New research led by the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) has found that older adults experiencing social frailty – a lack of social connections, resources and support meet basic needs – face a significantly higher risk of developing dementia.

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.

Grasp the nettle of tax reform

The Albanese government can sit on its landslide win at the last election and enjoy the opposition’s self-destruction or it can finally grasp the nettle of reform to assure Australia’s future, including rebalancing our income tax system.

The precarious lives of older renters

Older Australians living in private rentals face ever greater housing insecurity, with women bearing the heaviest burden according to new Swinburne research.