In 2024, Australians appeared deeply divided with the two-party system reflecting widespread discontent. Independents and minor parties were affecting the preferential system as never before. Issues, however, seemed to be hardening - immigration, energy, the housing crisis and inflation adding to the cost of living crisis. On Tuesday 2 July 2024, Peter van Onselen who [...]
On 22 July 2014, Michael Stutchbury announced he would be stepping down as editor-in-chief of The Australian Financial Review after 13 years at the helm. He began at the AFR in 1982, rising to economics editor, covering the Hawke-Keating economic reform program of the 1980s. Between 2001 and 2006, he was editor of The Australian. In 2011, Stutchbury returned to the AFR to [...]
Neville Wran is the most electorally successful Labor premier in NSW history. In 13 years leading the Labor Party in Australia’s largest state, Wran did not lose an election or lose a seat at a by-election. Wran’s political influence extended beyond NSW. Despite this record, journalists now commonly describe the Wran Government as a “byword [...]
Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG is an international jurist, educator and former judge. It is his view that an Australian Criminal Cases Review Commission is needed due to the number of cases of suspect convictions occurring and that sometimes that demands are too heavy on judges to get to the bottom of the detail of the facts [...]
As a senior fellow at Federation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), Behnam Ben Taleblu focuses on Iranian security and political issues. Leveraging his subject-matter expertise and native Farsi skills, Behnam has closely tracked a wide range of Iran-related topics including: nuclear non-proliferation, ballistic missiles, sanctions, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the foreign and security [...]
Peter Lerner is the Director General of the International Division in the Histadrut, Israel’s General Federation of Labour. Before taking up this position he served for many years as chief spokesperson for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). Not only is Peter Lerner is an expert in the Middle East regional affairs and Israel’s national security, [...]
In 2024, Opposition leader Peter Dutton has opened up a discussion – indeed a debate – on Australia introducing nuclear energy as part of its zero carbon emissions targets. Should it win government, Peter Dutton has announced that the Liberal/National Coalition would establish nuclear reactors in several communities around Australia backed up by gas-powered electricity. [...]
The rise of the Teal independents in unseating long held Liberal MPs in once known as “blue ribbon” seats in the federal election of 2022 has given rise to questions about the Liberal Party’s base. Elected on ALP and Greens preferences, Teal candidates appealed to well off voters who are concerned about climate change and [...]
Transparency in government is an issue close to The Hon Mark Dreyfus’ heart. As Attorney General in the Albanese Labor government, he has been quietly working to increase the government’s transparency and accountability – what he refers to as the ingredient fundamental to democracy’s ability to self-correct. The reason also the democracy continues as a [...]
Following the October 7 Hamas invasion of southern Israel and the atrocities committed on the day, pro-Hamas/Palestinian demonstrations and protest about Israel has engulfed the Western world especially on university campuses. Jewish students have been attacked, vilified and made to feel unwelcome on campus. The protests have spread to affect the Jewish community at large [...]
