Hooked

Commercial gambling has become deeply entrenched in Australia over the last fifty years, leaving a shameful legacy of social and financial harm across our communities.

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.

The rest of the snake

The attack on Iran will certainly change the leadership in Iran, given the killing of the country’s supreme leader, but whether it leads to the collapse of the Islamic regime itself remains uncertain.

Drawing the line

A Victorian court has drawn that line in a landmark decision. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has found chanting “all Zionists are terrorists” at a Melbourne rally amounted to unlawful racial and religious vilification.

The ‘soft power’ of positive thinking

Australia fell 4 places to 14th in the 2025 Global Soft Power Index but perhaps an extra dose of optimism can help restore Australia’s global appeal.

A public convenience

Everyone needs one at some point, but public conveniences are an increasingly rare sight in the nation’s towns and cities.

Who watches the watchmen?

In the concluding part of his essay on contemporary Australian politics, Bernard Paul Corden calls for the Labor Party to grasp the nettle of radical reform, rather than merely manage the current economic and social settlement slightly better than the Liberals.

The room where the lawyer knows your name

If we starve legal aid, underfund community legal centres and treat “access to justice” as a rhetorical flourish rather than a practical necessity, then the law will no longer protect the weak but revert to its oldest form as a weapon for the strong.

Weathering the storm

The Royal Family is nothing if not resilient and has weathered many storms before, from the abdication of Edward VIII to the death of Princess Diana, but the disgrace and arrest of the former Prince Andrew may demand a complete rebrand.

Middle powers can lead the way

While there will be challenges and risks ahead, there is a path for middle powers to lead a new world order given the United States’ decision to ape the imperialist, authoritarian approach of Russia and China, rather than oppose them.

Could Andrew’s fall topple the monarchy?

The monarchy survives because it represents stability, dignity and something slightly removed from everyday life but the scandal surrounding former Prince Andrew, on top of successive problems in recent years, risks puncturing that aura forever.

The immigration question

Both political blocks have encouraged immigration to boost economic growth for decades but right wing parties are now riding high on the public backlash, forcing a rethink on immigration policy, and very different rhetoric than before.