
Labor’s second-term defence priorities – could they include a pact with Europe?
An apt metaphor for the Department of Defence in Labors second term might be the Titanic. The good ship defence has hit an iceberg: the senior officers are reassuring all is fine, the band is playing and the crew are busy....

AI may be exposing jobseekers to discrimination. Here’s how we could better protect them
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly transforming the world of work not least, the process of hiring, managing and promoting employees. According to the most recent Responsible AI Index, 62% of Australian...

There’s no country more important to Australia than Indonesia. Trouble is, the feeling isn’t mutual
Making Jakarta their first overseas visit has become a set piece for newly elected Australian prime ministers dating back to John Howard in 1996. So, we should not be surprised that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flew to...

Follow the money: the organisations that spent the most on social media during the election
Social media advertising is an increasingly important frontier in election campaigns. Political parties, candidates and third-party groups such as trade unions, industry bodies and interest groups all spend big to push...

Can Murray Watt fix Australia’s broken nature laws? First stop, Western Australia
New federal Environment Minister Murray Watt is in Western Australia this week to reboot nature law reform. Reform stalled in the Senate last term, following stiff opposition from the states Labor government and mining...

The government wants to contain NDIS growth. But ineligible people with disability also need support
Ensuring the provision of high quality disability services will pose a significant challenge for the Albanese governments second term. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) cost A$43.9 billion in 202324 and is...

RBA cuts interest rates, ready to respond again if the economy weakens further
The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the official interest rate for the second time this year, as it lowered forecasts for Australian economic growth and pointed to increasing uncertainty in the world economy. The bank...