Australian democracy is pretty good – let's keep it that way ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The headlines about falling trust in democracy are ubiquitous these days. They normally come with a comforting caveat: the world is going backwards, but Australia is not.

But a new Grattan Institute report on the health of Australia’s democracy shows while there’s plenty to be proud of, we’re not immune to the pressures the rest of the world is facing.

As Kate Griffiths, Aruna Sathanapally and Matthew Bowes write, there are things the government, and the rest of us, can be doing right now to stop Australian democracy backsliding.

Erin Cooper-Douglas

Public Policy Editor

Today's newsletter supported by Melbourne Connect

To stop Australian democracy going the way of the US, here’s what we need to do

Kate Griffiths, Grattan Institute; Aruna Sathanapally, Grattan Institute; Matthew Bowes, Grattan Institute

Australia is one of the world’s leading democracies, but we’re not immune from the pressures causing backsliding overseas.

This Anzac Day falls on a Saturday – and these states will be getting an extra public holiday

Giuseppe Carabetta, University of Technology Sydney

If you live in these parts of Australia, you’ll get an extra public holiday this year. But millions of others aren’t so lucky.

Health-care workers risk their lives in warzones. Are we protecting them enough?

Melanie O'Brien, The University of Western Australia

Humanitarian personnel put themselves in harm’s way to help others. An international law expert explains how we can keep them safe.

Poetry for an anxious world: 5 experts share poems of grief, hope and restoration

James Ley, The Conversation; Jo Case, The Conversation

Sarah Holland-Batt, Fiona Wright, John Kinsella, Luke Johnson and Aidan Coleman share the poems they reach for in difficult times – offering hope, insight and beauty.

What actually is ‘civilisation’? The dark and loaded history behind Trump’s threat against Iran

Bruce Buchan, Griffith University

The concept of ‘civilisation’ emerged in the 18th century – and it has been cursed from the very start.

Quantum computers are coming to break our codes faster than anyone expected

Craig Costello, Queensland University of Technology

Quantum hardware and software are advancing rapidly – and our online encryption systems need to change to stay ahead.

From river stain to your cup of tea: the secret world of tannins

Gregory Moore, The University of Melbourne

Tannin stains on concrete, cars and decks may be unsightly, but that doesn’t mean tannins are unimportant.

Politics + Society

Second fuel security trip to Asia for PM

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Anthony Albanese will travel to Brunei and Malaysia to further shore up Australia’s fuel supply.
More Australian LNG to Singapore flagged as Albanese looks to strengthen oil supply chain

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The move comes following a meeting between Albanese and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Artemis II: as humans return to the Moon, which of these 4 futures will we choose?

Priyanka Dhopade, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

NASA’s Artemis II mission has revived lunar ambition – and a potential new race between nations. Very different visions now complicate the human future of space.
What will it take to get ships going through the Strait of Hormuz again?

Jennifer Parker, The University of Western Australia; UNSW Sydney

The ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran has done little so far to get shipping through the vital waterway. It’s going to take more than just words to fix.

Health + Medicine
What is andrographis, the cold and flu ingredient the TGA says can be fatal? Ian Musgrave, Adelaide University You can have a severe allergic reaction to this herbal medicine even if you’ve previously taken it without any problems.

Business + Economy
Who checks Australian theme park rides and roller coasters are safe? A risk expert explains David Eager, University of Technology Sydney An engineer who’s helped set the standards for Australian rides explains what tests are done each day on roller coasters – and why he let his own kids ride them.

Environment + Energy
NZ is surrounded by ocean energy. Just what would it take to tap it? Craig Stevens, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Earth Sciences New Zealand The oil shocks of the 1970s spurred marine energy innovation. Fifty years on, New Zealand still has vast untapped ocean power waiting to be harnessed.

Science + Technology
‘First contact’ that may have led to complex life on Earth finally witnessed by scientists Brendan Paul Burns, UNSW Sydney; Kymberley Oakley, Indigenous Knowledge Stromatolites might look like rocks. But they are living relics of ancient systems that thrived on Earth billions of years ago.

Arts + Culture
Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut, The Deb, has genuine warmth – but doesn’t quite work as a musical Mara Davis Johnson, University of Wollongong The Deb is an enjoyable Australian comedy with characteristically crude humour. It’s a shame it’s not as good a musical as it is a comedy.

Electric dreams
“Reading the article about 6 things Australia should do to tackle the energy crisis made me wonder how big the task is to ‘turn over’ the passenger vehicle fleet as the main candidate for conversion to electric vehicles. There are about 15.7 million passenger vehicles in Australia so increasing the proportion of EVs in new vehicle sales to 120,000 in six years is pretty small beer. A faster EV uptake won’t make much difference either as the task is too big for that. The government would need to think about re-introducing a domestic car industry that focused on changing existing vehicles to battery power. It would need to find a domestic supplier and promise subsidies and/or tariff protection for a manufacturer or several manufacturers who could undertake the task. If one million vehicles could be converted each year it would still take 10 years to complete two thirds of the task.”
John Elliott, Canberra

We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.