Peter Hartcher on why China is tanking its economy on purpose
For decades, a downturn in the Chinese economy has meant a boon for investors in the West. But then came an unwelcome announcement, earlier this month, from the Chinese government. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on why this announcement isn’t just bad for our economy, but …
The church, the Liberal Party, and the Tax Office raid
It’s a church that preaches a hatred of people outside of its own flock. Women are treated as second-class citizens. And homosexuality is not tolerated. So why does the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church have such extraordinary access to political power brokers? And does it actually perform the a…
Trump says he’s nasty. But can Kevin Rudd win him over?
Once one of our most popular prime ministers, before experiencing stunning and repeated political rejection, Kevin Rudd has been out of the spotlight for years. But that was before Donald Trump let rip with a string of invectives against Rudd, in an interview last week. It was a conversation that…
Nick McKenzie reveals the ‘priority target’ of Australian intelligence agencies
In the struggle for power and influence in the Pacific, there is one man Australian security agencies have their eye on. He’s allegedly a member of a powerful organised crime network spanning the Pacific. And, according to secret intelligence documents out of Canberra, he’s a potential threat to o…
Inside Politics: Another government abandons religious discrimination laws
It is an issue that has come up for the last couple of governments, and one that none of them have yet been able to resolve. Religious discrimination laws have been a contentious topic in our politics for the better part of a decade now, with the rights of gay and gender-diverse students and teac…
The world’s biggest tech firms are enabling the most nauseating crimes imaginable
The world’s biggest information and communications companies dominate our lives, in many ways. Google, Apple, Microsoft, among many others - we use their products to write up work reports, store our photos, and send messages to our loved ones. Sometimes hourly. And yet, these same companies, accor…
TikTok ban — US declares virtual war on China
Many know it as the platform of choice for people who love to share videos of themselves dancing, or, say, combing the fur of their toy poodles. But, to hear politicians and late night talk show hosts discuss TikTok, lately, you’d think the app was a one-way ticket to political and social chaos. I…
Lehrmann and Higgins: Following the evidence trail to discover the truth
It was just 45 minutes. But what happened in that short space of time has set-off a frenzy of news stories, an aborted criminal trial, and a multi-million dollar lawsuit. In that time, a young Liberal Party staffer says she was raped by her colleague. He says he is innocent. A court decision on w…
Going nuclear? Canberra divided, but support is on the rise
A new poll suggests that Australians no longer fear nuclear power the way they once did. Is this actually the case, and if so, how come? And are more young people open to nuclear power as a clean energy solution because they didn’t live through disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima? Today, e…
Inside Politics: The age-old problem of funding
Wealthy Australians should pay more for aged care, and use their superannuation to do so. That’s one of 23 findings from a government-appointed taskforce that has examined how the country covers its rapidly growing aged care costs. Meanwhile, the Albanese government is also mulling an overhaul of …