The government today issued a statement extending the travel ban for non-Australian's from China, and in doing so extended a priority on health and well-being over economy.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
China's leader is facing one of the greatest challenges of his presidency. But the extent of China’s controls almost rule out monumental change – or Xi taking accountability for his mistakes.
Differences among the 'Five Eyes' over the tech company's role in building 5G networks pose a threat to the long-standing Western consensus about how to manage relations with China.
In dismissing the case, Justice Wendy Abraham drew attention to a huge gap in the protection of journalists’ sources under 'shield laws', which don't apply to most search warrants.
The study is the first of its kind to gauge how people were impacted by the bushfire crisis and how it changed their views on a range of subjects, from climate change to the government response.
Australians have been working towards meaningful change for almost a decade. That cannot be derailed by reverting to symbolic recognition.
With a state election due in October, both Labor and the LNP in Queensland are on shaky ground.
Phil Gaetjens has released submissions to the Senate inquiry into the "sports rorts" scandal, the government continuing to resist releasing the formal report.
Michelle Grattan talks with Deputy Vice Chancellor Geoff Crisp about the week in politics, including the "sports rorts" affair, the future of Michael McCormack and the corona virus travel ban.
The Nationals face the "wicked problem" of how to subvert the uncertain fortnight behind them, with the possibility of further leadership spills constantly looming.
The Nationals would do well to remember they have been able to wield considerable influence in Australian politics, thanks in large part to stable leadership maintaining harmony in the Coalition.
Courts have had to consider whether an eggshell, a tractor fender, a petticoat hem, graffiti on a wall, and a poem might be valid wills. They've shown surprising flexibility in judgment.
The Democratic nomination is still very much up for grabs, with Bernie Sanders having a narrow win in New Hampshire.
An attempt to hobble Mathias Cormann in retaliation for the government's refusal to produce the Gaetjens Report on Bridget McKenzie failed after Pauline Hanson withdrew her support.
In recent years, state governments have become more sophisticated in service delivery and more accountable – in contrast to the federal government.
Steggall's new bill outlines how to bring Australia's carbon emissions down to zero by 2050.
The 12th Closing the Gap report shows disappointing results on key targets, including child mortality, school attendance literacy and numeracy, employment and life expectancy.
The case grappled with the deeper question of whether Indigenous Australians can be considered aliens and therefore excluded from the state.
Interviews in three Pacific nations revealed concerns over a lack of balance in the Australia-Pacific relationship and a certain level of racism and disrespect directed towards islanders.
The Indonesian president outlined four major steps to improve the relationship, two of which were quite unexpected.
Adam Bandt on Greens’ hopes for future power sharing
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Adam Bandt expresses his disappointment with Labor's coal rhetoric. He says they have a decision to make: work with the Greens, or determine whether they have more in common with the Liberals.
The federal government's bill is striking in one respect: it actively allows a person to discriminate on the basis of their religious beliefs.
People who do good voluntarily in their own time get the lowest awards. Others get rewarded for holding high-status jobs.
As this week showed, a clean end to a ministerial scandal is seldom possible. Even so, the aftershocks of the sports rorts affair have been major, and they’ll continue to plague the government. Deputy…
Parliament's first week for 2020 was a hectic one, with the fallout from the 'sports rorts' affair requiring a Cabinet reshuffle, and Adam Bandt being elected the new leader of The Greens.
Languages are always changing and evolving- largely because humans have alwasy been on the move.
Michael McCormack moves on from his near-death experience.
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On this podcast, the Nationals leader defends his new frontbench line up against criticism it's short on women, mounts a strong pitch in favour of coal, and rejects claims that he's a weak leader.
Whatever our differences, Australians’ essential empathy and yearning for connection always come out in times of crisis. We have a responsibility to make sure it stays that way.
While much of the focus is on the Iowa result, it is a small, largely white, state – the key results for the presidential nominee will come in on March 3.
Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders take the lead in Iowa after a debacle with the results reporting - now the candidates move on to New Hampshire, where Sanders is the favourite.
The Chinese government is accused of reacting too slowly to the health crisis and silencing its critics. Now, the public is angry and wants party leaders to be held accountable.
Amid the hyper-political debate on issues like religious discrimination, we sometimes lose sight of the broader direction of discrimination law and the need for thoughtful, strategic reform.
Scott Morrison dodged a bullet when the Nationals clung on to Michael McCormack. There was palpable relief when the news came through to the Liberals. “We still have a Coalition,” one MP was heard to say…
The Greens' new leader has his work cut out to make sure the party is not just viable, but grows.
If the PM continues to hide behind cabinet confidentiality and precedent, it won't just be his skin that sustains bruises, but that of his right hand bureaucrat.
The release of political donations data reveals the impact of wealthy individuals in the 2019 federal election campaign, as well as the importance of a sizeable war chest to claim power.
A strong ICAC – unlike the body the federal government is proposing – would have had the power to properly and impartially investigate the "sports rorts" affair.
The result will be a deep relief to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who stood to be a big loser if forced to partner with Joyce.
The Greens’ only House of Representatives member, Adam Bandt, is the party’s new leader, elected unanimously after Richard Di Natale’s decision to leave parliament. Bandt, 47, has held the inner city seat…
The Nationals' meltdown has been triggered by the forced resignation of Bridget McKenzie, and while only a new deputy needed to be elected, Joyce has seized the opportunity to make his leadership run.
As the 'palace letters' case heads to the High Court, there is much at stake for our understanding of this pivotal time in Australian political history.
Natale's shock resignation comes as former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce announced he would challenge Nationals leader Michael McCormack if there was a move for a leadership spill on Tuesday.
Research shows that when professional players rise to No. 1 in the world rankings, it often coincides with the broader development of tennis talent in their home countries.
Despite the Nationals deputy leader resigning, the so-called "sports rorts" scandals is far from resolved.
It's much harder to remove a minister these days than it used to be – and there's no sign Bridget McKenzie's departure will prove a damaging blow for the Morrison government.
Polls are showing Bernie Sanders leading in next week's important Iowa caucuses- but polls have been notoriously bad at predicting caucuses' outcomes.
Parliament will reopen in the final month of a summer of horror for the country in general and Scott Morrison in particular.
Given the summer we have had, media acquiescence in climate change denial, and failure to follow the weight of scientific evidence, looks like culpability.
Proposed laws in Queensland would stymie the work of charities. But if they're tested in court, they'd probably be constitutionally invalid.
The government’s approach to Bridget McKenzie reveals a remarkable misunderstanding (or perhaps a remarkable misrepresentation) of the respective roles of ministers and administrators.
Trump's "deal of the century" is not a realistic plan to resolve a decades-old conflict, but an invitation to Israel to expand its territory at Palestine's expense.
Surely the time has come to shift gears and ramp up the public pressure on both Australian diplomats and Iranian politicians to secure the academic's release.
Despite Morrison saying how much he respected the “professionalism”, “expertise” and “skills” of the public service, his remarks won't be lost on federal bureaucrats.
Morrison's hope for clear air for his messages is being stymied by the crisis around deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie, as more damaging information emerges against her in the sports rorts affair.
Americans didn't always have primaries and caucuses to choose presidential candidates. The system was meant to be more democratic, but it places too much attention on largely white, small states.
People still find ways to express old ways of speaking in a new language, so that language does not fundamentally alter their cultural identity.
Even by the European-centric standards of 18th and 19th century international law, Indigenous people here passed the test for having sovereignty.
The damaging longer-term risk for Prime Minister Scott Morrison is that some people have re-thought their view of him over the sports grants saga and his missteps in handling the bushfires.
New research shows how prime ministers typically frame national identity on Australia day: it's largely male, heterosexual, white and lacking class distinctions.
Our government has grappled for years to devise ethical standards for ministers and other officials. But codes are only part of the answer – MPs must also take responsibility for their own conduct.
Tennis Australia has faced criticism for its decision to celebrate Court's career next week. But at the same time, it's boosting its efforts at inclusivity with events like this year's Glam Slam.
Does a fair trial exist in the social media age? The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute has released recommendations around juries and their smart devices.
Crime rates are down, but they were decreasing while imprisonment rates were increasing, so that doesn't really explain lower numbers in our prisons.
Scott Morrison's salvo against the NSW environment minister, one of his party's progressives on climate change, was gratuitous and inept.
Assuming machines could take the place of judges belies their role as the third arm of government and makers of law.
Since 2003, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have combined to win 55 of the 68 Grand Slams that have been played. Is this the year for a new player to break through?
An audit office report has accused the government of using grants to influence votes. So what are the consequences?
Putin's proposed changes to the constitution appear to be limiting the power of the presidency. But his sights are set beyond 2024 when he'll no longer be president.
There have been scores of scams reported in Australia since the bushfires started in September. This is why fraudsters take advantage of those in need.
Many of the recommendations of previous inquiries and reviews have yet to be implemented. What we need is a better fire and land management strategy – not another royal commission.
Many believe a move to the winter would be beneficial for football, particularly as our summers grow hotter. But competing directly with AFL and NRL could pose a serious risk to the sport's future.
An old political maxim is to 'never waste a crisis', but sometimes a crisis isn't enough.
In a landmark case in the Netherlands, the courts have ordered the government to cut carbon emissions. A similar strategy would be difficult in Australia, but other legal options could bring change.
In recent decades, most nations have agreed on certain norms to ensure peace, including an end to assassinations. Trump's move to kill an Iranian general upends this carefully balanced system.
There is an obvious point upon which the LNP, Labor and Greens might agree to move policy forward: the national 'cap and trade' emissions trading system proposed by John Howard in 2007.
Morrison suffered a drop in his job performance rating, with 37% saying they were satisfied, down eight points from early December, and 59% saying they were dissatisfied, up 11 points.
Key evidence from the wreckage can show if the plane experienced engine trouble or was hit by a missile. But first, Iran must decide how much outside help it will accept in an investigation.
Although neither side apparently wants conflict, tensions remain over the presence of US troops in Iraq and Iran's decision to walk away from part of the 2015 nuclear deal.
The horror of the last weeks and months are a compressed version of the last 30 years in bushfire and climate politics.
President Tsai Ing-wen is being challenged by populist mayor of Kaohsiung City, Han Kuo-yu, in Taiwan's January 11 elections.
Disaster of any kind throws qualities of leadership – or the perceived lack thereof – under the spotlight. People respond most to leaders who show empathy and authenticity.
It's worth thinking carefully about how to give, to ensure you're not wasting your contribution or inadvertently making things worse.
A crisis of this scale requires a willingness to listen to the best sources of advice and generate bipartisan consensus. But Morrison has struggled to put the national interest above party politics.
Given the perils of direct confrontation with the US, the most likely recourse for Iran may be to mobilise its proxy militias to attack American assets in Iraq.
As the bushfire crisis worsens, the prime minister's fallback positions on climate change and lack of urgency on a federal disaster plan are no longer tenable – the public is demanding more.
We can teach young people to respond more critically to pornography, helping them assess and respond to pornography’s influence.
The Trump administration is only the latest to push the boundaries of the law to take out foreign adversaries.
The Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, founded in 1924, made several demands to protect Indigenous rights, including installing an Aboriginal board to sit beneath the federal government.
In commemorating firefighters as heroes, we can fall into the danger of overstating their ability to control fires, absolving ourselves of responsibility.
Here's when the law says it's okay to let rude words fly.
The introduction of the GST got off to a wobbly start, but has since become accepted as the Australian way of paying for things.
Since the second world war, every generation has worried that children are spoilt, cosseted, or being corrupted by new technologies. But, on many measures, today's children are doing just fine.
Active supervision of children at public pools is crucial. But with a few creative policy interventions, we can make it easier for solo parents to visit the pool with kids in tow.
The idealisation of Mary as a virgin has created a misguided and deeply damaging relationship between sex and sin within the Christian church.
Giving small gifts to children has become common around the world, though nowhere has Hanukkah reached the level of commercialisation that it has in the US.
As the prime minister finally reads the mood and returns home, the holiday affair reflects badly on him and his media team.
I'd hoped to keep my absence nice and private, especially from those quiet Australians fighting fires. Regrettably, despite best efforts, my press office wasn't able to keep a lid on the story.
In the Trump era, one crisis – even one as grave as impeachment – is simply replaced by another. In more tranquil times such crises may spell the end of a presidency – but not so in the age of Trump.
While the long-awaited Thodey Report makes many sensible recommendations, the detail is often missing and the analysis weak. And the government's response rules out key reforms.
At what point does good-natured inebriation become criminally-tinged intoxication?
Grattan and Martin on the year that was, in politics and economics.
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Michelle Grattan sits down with The Conversation's economic editor Peter Martin for a chat about the year that was, and to answer readers' questions.
Farmers seeking relief from the drought and firefighters stretched to their limits have turned to crowdfunding for help. But public appeal shouldn't replace good governance.
Research and News
Michelle Grattan on the week in politics, including the travel ban, the royal commission into the bushfires, and labor's stance on a compulsory superannuation guarantee and zero emissions by 2050.
Anthony Albanese will commit a Labor government to adopting a target of zero net emissions by 2050, in a speech titled “Leadership in a New Climate” to be delivered on Friday.
In a speech on older Australians released ahead of its Wednesday delivery, Anthony Albanese claims that, with economic growth and productivity, Australians could see higher super and higher wages.
Australia has long been at the forefront of human rights internationally, while side-stepping questions about its own treatment of Indigenous peoples and refugees.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Phil Honeywood on the corona virus and education in Australia.
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Michelle Grattan talks with Phillip Honeywood about the implications of the corona virus on one of Australia's top export industries - tertiary education.
In a speech on older Australians released ahead of its Wednesday delivery, Anthony Albanese claims that, with economic growth and productivity, Australians could see higher super and higher wages.
In a speech on older Australians released ahead of its Wednesday delivery, Anthony Albanese claims that, with economic growth and productivity, Australians could see higher super and higher wages.
The internal chaos of the Nationals has continued into the second week of parliament. With the minor party of the Coalition deeply split, the future of the government is uncertain.
Morrison says he referred the auditor-general report to the head of his department last week to determine if McKenzie breached ministerial standards in her sports grant dispersals.
After securing a condition which she cannot disclose "due to national security concerns", Jacqui Lambie has voted with the government on the repeal of the medevac laws.
The Commonwealth has conceded that its program of automatic debt collection was unlawful. It'll probably have to pay the money back.
The Australian Business Growth Fund will be backed by each of the big four banks.
With the government close to an agreement with Centre Alliance, its legislation to crack down on bad behaviour in the union movement is likely to pass.
The long-awaited review has pinpointed key flaw's in Labor's strategy leading up to the 2019 federal election, including a cluttered policy agenda and an unpopular leader.
After a damning interim report from the royal commission, the government will soon announce more money for aged care.
Michelle Grattan discusses the government's new family law inquiry, and Australia being banned from the speaking list at the upcoming UN climate change summit.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese appears to be distancing himself from his predecessor Bill Shorten with his pro-business rhetoric.
As the government starts its work on workplace change, it gave Pauline Hanson a win, for past and future favours, making her deputy chair of a joint parliamentary committee into the family law system.
As he leaves to take up his new post as Ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos warns that the Australian media landscape is becoming increasingly partisan.
Following a politically disastrous interview, Liberal MP Gladys Liu has issued a statement strongly proclaiming her loyalty to Australia and her support for the government's policy on China.
The former public service commissioner said the relationship between ministers and the Australian public service has transformed from a partnership to one more like “master-servant”.
Former national president of the ALP Mark Butler called for a root and branch overhaul of policy on Monday, in sharp contrast with the current ALP president, Wayne Swan.
Under the government's draft religious discrimination legislation, big companies would face tougher rules in relation to indirect discrimination.
Industrial relations in the 2019 election
Unions and Labor have a long history of working together, but if the ALP wins office, unions will have to compete with many other groups to get what they want.
It ought to be possible to replace Australia's minimum wage with a higher "living wage" without putting people our of work, but more will be needed.
At this election there is a stark choice between the two major parties on industrial relations: the "small target" approach of the Coalition and the ALP's more ambitious and detailed plan.
Overruling the Fair Work Commission will give Labor what it wants, at the cost of diminishing the commission.
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As Labor goes through the painful process of examining what went wrong at this year's election and how it might win the next, there are 10 key lessons to be learnt.
As China's challenges mount, can Xi Jinping continue to maintain economic growth and social stability without losing the party’s absolute political control?
Australia now has one of the most comprehensive ranges of anti-terrorism laws of any Western democracy. It's time to think creatively about solutions, rather than continually reworking old strategies.
As the divisive politician becomes the UK prime minister, many are wondering how much democracy he might be willing to sacrifice on the alter of English nationalism.
In the societies the Bible was written in, masculinity was the ideal. So it's astonishing there are moments of gender subversion and gender diversity found in the Bible’s pages.
Australian prime ministers have long been interested in the names they go by, and how others should address them. But will the "ordinary Joe" approach pay off for ScoMo and Bill?
Australia's initial drought policy was plagued with problems and gutted in 2009. Since then, there has been no further attempt at developing a comprehensive national approach to the problem.
As the bushfire crisis worsens, the prime minister's fallback positions on climate change and lack of urgency on a federal disaster plan are no longer tenable – the public is demanding more.
Many of the recommendations of previous inquiries and reviews have yet to be implemented. What we need is a better fire and land management strategy – not another royal commission.
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