Tanya Plibersek on the PM’s viral DV comments and calls for a royal commission

Australia is again being forced to reckon with the violence being inflicted on women and children.  The PM is adamant a royal commission isn’t the answer, dismissing the idea in an interview that’s gone viral. But his sudden disdain for royal commissions is out of step with what thousands of Austr…

The man who took the fight to Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest

The Federal Court has ordered Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue to pay the Yindjibarndi people $150.1 million. It is the biggest native title compensation payout in Australian history. But for Yindjibarndi leaders, the judgment is complicated. The payout is historic, but it is far below the $1.8 billion…

Is the budget backlash hurting Labor?

The federal budget has been hit by a fierce campaign from large sections of the media and a handful of high-profile millennial entrepreneurs. But so far, Labor’s polling has remained relatively unscathed. But that doesn’t mean voters are happy. People might not be shifting their votes over this bu…

Nightclub firebombings and ‘The Ghost’: Melbourne’s latest crime war

It started with a single nightclub attack and escalated into what’s been dubbed Melbourne’s hospitality crime war. More than 30 clubs, pubs and restaurants have now been targeted in drive-by shootings, break-ins and firebombings. And while dozens of arrests have now been made, the people behind th…

Jim Chalmers defends his budget

For two decades, we’ve had a tax policy that pushed up house prices, gave landlords huge advantages, and ultimately created an intergenerational wealth divide.  A week ago, the government said it wanted to do something about that and announced changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax.  B…

Keli Holiday and the new risk of touring Trump's America

You may know him as Keli Holiday, one-half of Peking Duck, or even as Abbie Chatfield’s boyfriend… Now, Australian musician Adam Hyde has become the latest high-profile victim of Trump’s tough border rules – after he was denied re-entry to the States in the middle of his North American tour. The …

Doped-up athletes and million dollar prizes: The Enhanced Games is here

This weekend in Vegas, athletes including Australian swimmer James Magnussen will take part in the Enhanced Games – a competition that freely allows doping.  It's the creation of controversial Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza, and it's bankrolled by Peter Thiel and one of Donald Trump’s sons. …

Eurovision, Israel and the politics of pop music

Over the weekend, Eurovision got a feel-good ending. Bulgaria won the contest for the very first time with their infectious song Bangaranga. And Australia came close - with Delta Goodrem placing 4th. But the controversy over Israel didn’t go away. Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished second, after …

AUKUS: This could only end in a very bad place

This week’s budget shows AUKUS is getting bigger. The government is putting more money into the agencies, workforce and infrastructure needed for nuclear-powered submarines. But the deal still relies on the US agreeing to sell them to Australia, and on a Trump administration that has already revi…

Why Labor's 'breadcrumb' budget feels like a meal

After Labor handed down its fifth budget, Anthony Albanese spent the week answering one question: had he broken his promise? The government wanted the budget framed as a fairness agenda built around changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts, and a pitch to younger Australians locke…