Australia must catch up with Papua New Guinea on how we tax gas
The way Australia taxes companies for gas projects now lags behind our closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea, which has reformed its tax system to ensure it gets money sooner.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
Creativity and resilience: how do war survivors make international justice work for them?
How are we to understand why people in different parts of the world continue to demand and participate in transitional justice institutions and processes in spite of the shortcomings?
Health Check: are cosmetics containing Vitamin A safe during pregnancy?
Anti-ageing cosmetics are common and many contain forms of vitamin A, but are there any risks using vitamin A on your skin during pregnancy?
Dutton’s demonisation of refugees is the latest play in a zero-sum game
Peter Dutton's allegations and their impacts will again demonstrate the zero-sum nature of political gamesmanship over refugees.
FactCheck Q&A: how much was spent on the Cambodia refugee deal and how many were settled?
After Australia announced a refugee deal with the US, Labor's Kate Ellis told Q&A that millions of dollars were spent on an earlier deal with Cambodia, yet very few lives were changed. Is that right?
Viewpoints: should Australian companies set executive pay to a US benchmark?
Two experts debate whether or not Australian executive pay should be benchmarked against that of US companies.
Why special tax breaks for seniors should go
The federal government could save about A$1 billion a year by changing three unfair tax breaks for older Australians, a new report says.
Reinventing density: overcoming the suburban setback
The front yards, footpaths and verges of Australian suburbs are spaces overdue for reinvention.
If we find ET, don’t talk to it, says the man who wants to find ET
We continue to search for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. But if we find ET there are those who question whether we should make contact or not.
Schools will teach ‘soft skills’ from 2017, but assessing them presents a challenge
Teaching students skills such as creative thinking and problem solving will become part of the curriculum from 2017. But in order to assess these capabilities, teaching styles will have to change.
Looking for health advice? Don’t consult health magazines, try Dolly
We chose ten magazines, based on their popularity, and judged the quality of the health advice in them.
When it comes to books and copyright, the government should leave things as they are
If the government decides to remove regional trade protections on the book industry, it should compensate Australian authors. But given how unlikely new funding would be, the best option – for everyone – is to leave well enough alone.
How the brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease: a new view
New research suggests a brain protein known as 'tau' might not be the bad guy in Alzheimer's Disease after all.
What is taurine and how can it improve psychosis?
People given taurine had significantly improved overall mental health symptoms, including those of psychosis, compared to those given placebo.
If the ‘bond market rout’ continues it could impact home prices
The bond market is a backbone of the global financial system.
VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on 457 visas
Looking to America, Australia's politicians are reaching out to voters feeling left behind in times of economic transition.
‘The single biggest reform to child welfare’ is a re-run of decade-old promises
The NSW government's latest promised solution to well-documented abuse in the out-of-home care system is, in fact, a re-run of promises made by the Carr government more than a decade ago.
Why won’t Australia ratify an international deal to cut mercury pollution?
Australia is lagging behind 35 other nations in ratifying the Minamata Convention on Mercury Pollution.
Pressure on Malcolm Turnbull to bend to conservatives is stronger than ever
The pressure on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to bend to the conservative right factions of the Liberal and National parties has been compounded by the election of Donald Trump.
Grattan on Friday: Trumpism has Shorten and Turnbull focusing on the politics of ‘disquiet’
Pauline Hanson knows how to hurt. She tweeted this week: 'When you look at Bill Shorten's recent rhetoric it seems Labor is now taking its cues from Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Good to see.'
Amazon’s new Grand Tour series could be the next illegal download victim
The new motoring series will be used to help launch another video on demand service in Australia. But will consumers find away to access the show and avoid paying another fee?
Reviving Indigenous languages – not as easy as it seems
The government's plan to prioritise the revival of Indigenous languages in New South Wales is a welcome first step. Truly achieving it will take several more.
New study finds common link across autism spectrum disorders
One of the big questions in autism research is whether autism is a single disorder or many different disorders that happen to present in the same way.
Drug rehab and group therapy: do they work?
Thousands of Australians go to residential drug and alcohol rehab programs every year. But is there evidence rehabs, as well as the group therapy they often rely on, actually work?
Small businesses get long-term financial boost from social responsibility: study
Research shows SMEs' engagement in corporate social responsibility depends on the strategic orientation of owners/managers toward CSR.
Friday essay: the arts and our still-born national identity
There was once a sense of excitement about creating a genuinely Australian culture and making our own way in the world. What's happened to that optimism?
Selfie is not a dirty word
Selfies are blamed for encouraging everything from risky behaviour to rampant narcissism. But selfies can be potent acts of self-communication – and anyway, is self-regard a bad thing?
Research and News
Deal on whistleblowers wins first double dissolution bill
The first part of the Coalition's industrial relations reform is in place following a late-night senate vote.
Nationals buck government line on Adler
Two Nationals crossed the floor and four others failed to vote on a motion from Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm to disallow the import ban on the Adler lever action shotgun.
Dutton hits back at criticism of his attack on Fraser refugee policy
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, under fire for criticising Malcolm Fraser's refugee policy, has sought to defend himself.
Senate targets Kitching’s ‘untruthful’ evidence to commission
The Senate has voted 35-21 to note that its newest member, Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching, was found to have provided untruthful evidence to the Fair Work Commission.
Brandis says Queensland Liberal National Party merger could be revisited
The Government leader in the Senate, George Brandis, has described the Queensland opposition as "very, very mediocre" and warned One Nation is likely to win "quite a few" seats at the state election.
Podcasts
Race to the White House
What you need to know about the 2016 US elections.
Listen to the podcast
Politics with Michelle Grattan
Talking politics with politicians and experts, from Capital Hill.
Listen to the podcast
Business Briefing
Brief analysis of what's making news in Business and Economy.
Listen to the podcast
Change Agents
A podcast series about change and the people who make it happen
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Speaking with…
Ideas and analysis from the sharpest minds in the academic and research world.
Listen to the podcast
Fake news
Facebook’s problem is more complicated than fake news
Even if fake articles could be curbed and filtered news modified, there's something built into Facebook's anatomy that foments partisan rage.
Facebook’s algorithms give it more editorial responsibility – not less
Making decisions about what people do and don't read is the traditional role of an editor, no matter what Facebook claims.
Trump and Australian politics
Grattan on Friday: Trumpism has Shorten and Turnbull focusing on the politics of ‘disquiet’
Pauline Hanson knows how to hurt. She tweeted this week: 'When you look at Bill Shorten's recent rhetoric it seems Labor is now taking its cues from Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Good to see.'
Pressure on Malcolm Turnbull to bend to conservatives is stronger than ever
The pressure on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to bend to the conservative right factions of the Liberal and National parties has been compounded by the election of Donald Trump.
Raimond Gaita on Donald Trump’s America: a cloud cuckoo land devoid of fact, evidence and argument
Politics podcast: Rory Medcalf on the security implications of Donald Trump’s presidency
Australia should assume Trump won’t step back from his campaign commitments
Does Trump’s arrival herald Australia’s middle power moment?
The Trump presidency may not be all doom and gloom for the region
President Trump will change the United States and the world, but just how remains to be seen
Cities
Why transport projects aren’t as good for your health as they could be
Transport infrastructure projects are conceived, planned and assessed in a way that makes it difficult to properly consider their major public health impacts.
New night mayors could make cities’ dreams come true – here’s how
Lovability: restoring liveability’s human face
How the UK and India can lead the development of ecologically smart cities
Preserving cities: how ‘trendies’ shaped Australia’s urban heritage
What makes a city tick? Designing the ‘urban DMA’
Columnists
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“ Will China replace the US as the international system’s ‘responsible stakeholder’?
Mark Beeson -
“ The unexpectedness of Trump’s victory was due to one phenomenon alone, the shy 3%
Clive Hamilton -
Brian McNair — “Left to the media, the slide into fascism will simply be another news story”
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Gwilym Croucher — “We need to reduce the number of PhD students being trained in Australia”
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Misty Adoniou — “Money for STEM education is wasted if language teaching isn’t part of the plan”
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David Glance — “It is hard to see how Snapchat parent Snap will live up to expectations after its IPO”
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Popular medicine
Looking for health advice? Don’t consult health magazines, try Dolly
We chose ten magazines, based on their popularity, and judged the quality of the health advice in them.
View on demand
Amazon’s new Grand Tour series could be the next illegal download victim
The new motoring series will be used to help launch another video on demand service in Australia. But will consumers find away to access the show and avoid paying another fee?
Health insurance
Explainer: why do Australians have private health insurance?
All Australian residents have access to Medicare, so why do half the population also decide to take out private health insurance?
US election
The Democrats must change – here’s how they can do it
Here are three key areas the Democratic Party must reform if they're to fix fundamental problems revealed by the shock election result.
Children in care
Nothing to see here? The abuse and neglect of children in care is a century-old story in Australia
We have decades of evidence showing the widespread abuse and neglect suffered by children in the out-of-home care system. The agencies responsible for allowing the abuse have little to fear.
US election
Raimond Gaita on Donald Trump’s America: a cloud cuckoo land devoid of fact, evidence and argument
Trump's demagoguery took political discourse in America to a place where it lost contact with reality.
Seismic event
What happened in New Zealand’s magnitude 7.5 earthquake
Early analysis of the New Zealand earthquake shows it may be a complex event, involving several faults on the South Island.
Asylum seekers
Turnbull’s asylum seeker ban violates Australia’s human rights obligations
The Federal Government's proposal to permanently ban asylum seekers and refugees who come to Australia by boat is in direct contravention of the Refugee Convention.
Remembrance Day
This Remembrance Day, digital commemoration makes it impossible to forget
The internet and social media are changing how we commemorate war. The hashtag #LestWeForget will be shared millions of times on Remembrance Day in tweets and Facebook comments.
US election
How Donald Trump used the media and the “industry of outrage” to win the US Presidency
The media as an institution in the United States is in a deplorable condition, and President-elect Donald Trump has been the beneficiary of its failings.
Polling
US election: how did the polls get it so wrong?
Many pollsters are now eating humble pie.
US election
Reports of the death of polling have been greatly exaggerated
People around the world were shocked when Hillary Clinton, ahead in many polls, didn't end up the U.S.' president-elect. But that doesn't mean the polls themselves were wrong.
US election
President Trump will change the United States and the world, but just how remains to be seen
Leading Australian academics respond to Donald Trump’s victory, and look ahead to what kind of president he might be. Much…
Job Board
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Assoc Professor / Professor (Small Animal Surgery)
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Lecturer in Computer Science and Software Engineering Level B/C
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Research Fellow, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute
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Ph D Scholarships In The School Of Science, Rmit University
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Research Program Manager, Cultural Development Network
Events
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Dignity Therapy: An introduction — Swinburne University of Technology
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Medical Assistance in Dying | Chancellor's Lecture — Swinburne University of Technology
How we are different
10 reasons
Most Read past week
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- If we find ET, don’t talk to it, says the man who wants to find ET
- Amazon’s new Grand Tour series could be the next illegal download victim
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