Inside Politics: The ‘dirty business’ of MP expenses

Today, we're delving into the expenses scandal, if indeed we are calling it a scandal, that has engulfed the Communications Minister Anika Wells. A $100,000 taxpayer funded flight to New York snow-balled into a drip-feed of information about flights to the Formula 1 grand prix, the Boxing Day tests…

Trump and the Caribbean boat strikes: Did a war crime occur?

The video is, according to those who have seen it, horrific to watch. Two sailors cling to the debris of a blown-up boat in the Caribbean, when they’re killed by a US military strike.  This occurred after the first strike on their boat failed to kill everybody on board. It has sparked outrage, an…

The sex offenders being protected under secretive orders

Our mastheads have discovered that a number of sex offenders have committed crimes - in our communities - after serving their time in prison. And here’s the thing. They committed these crimes while under a “supervision order”. This little known order, issued by a court, is meant to keep a “ring fe…

What happens when social media goes ‘dark’ for Australian teens

Parents across the country have been wringing their hands for months about how the social media ban will work – and more so, if it will work. So, what exactly does the ban cover? And how will it be enforced? Today, reporter Bronte Gossling on the main methods children plan on using, to circumvent w…

Blood on the ground: What’s happening in Sudan

When American author Anne Applebaum travelled to the frontlines of the Sudanese civil war this year, she gave herself a stern remit. Bear witness to, and report on, a lawless world that - since the United States has pulled most of its aid - is now run by warring militias, clans and families. Crucia…

$100k flights, uncomfortable truth about PM's wedding, and the fight over social media

This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on his honeymoon after his low-key Lodge wedding last weekend, while Senate estimates rolled on in Canberra, uncovering some interesting secrets. Notable was the head-scratching amount that Communications Minister Anika Wells spent on flights to Ne…

Kate McClymont on the fake accountant, the solicitor, and the stolen millions

When Mark Leishman and his wife Kathy first sought out the help of George Dimitriou, they were suffering with cash-flow problems at Mark’s business.  By the time their working relationship with Dimitriou finished - and after they discovered he was only pretending to be an accountant - their Newcas…

Will ‘gentle density’ help fix our housing stupidity?

New figures out on Monday show that the median house values in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane have become, well, kind of insane. They’re the kind of figures that make people who’ve been desperately saving to break into the housing market tear at their hair by the roots. But new research shows that …

Why shark attacks in Australia are increasing

It really was the stuff of nightmares. A Swiss tourist, who was swimming with dolphins off the NSW coast, was suddenly mauled by a three-metre bull shark.  The 25-year-old died from her injuries, despite her heroic boyfriend, an exchange student also from Switzerland, fighting off the shark and ca…

How real is the rise of One Nation?

When Pauline Hanson marched into the Senate last week wearing a burqa, it felt, for a moment, like we were back in the 1990s.  Those were the sorts of stunts – and anti-immigration rhetoric – that the former fish and chip shop owner from Ipswich used to pull when she first swept into power.  But,…