|
|
|
|
One Nation is surging. The Liberals are under existential threat. Could they potentially form a political marriage of convenience?
This is a key question arising from the results of the Farrer byelection, which saw One Nation’s David Farley easily win the party’s first federal House of Representatives seat. As Michelle Grattan writes, the problem for the Liberals will be that if they are not sure what their party stands for, it’s going to be difficult for them to know how closely they want to be aligned with the right-wing populist party.
Meanwhile, the Albanese government is gleefully capitalising on the Liberals’ terrible result in Farrer. It’s a welcome distraction from this week’s budget, where they will break some promises and hope a testy electorate doesn’t punish them for it.
|
|
Amanda Dunn
Politics + Society Editor
|
|
| |
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
With One Nation surging and the Liberals in serious decline, the prospect of a potential coalition will be high on the political agenda.
|
Josh Sunman, Flinders University
One Nation’s allure for disenchanted voters is now established, with the Liberals particularly at existential risk.
|
Ben Wellings, Monash University
Another British prime minister is in deep trouble – but simply replacing him won’t fix what is ailing the United Kingdom.
|
Thomas Lockwood, York St John University; Alia Middleton, University of Surrey; Bettina Petersohn, Swansea University; Ceri Fowler, University of Oxford; Hannah Bunting, University of Exeter; Karl Pike, Queen Mary University of London; Louise Thompson, University of Manchester; Marc Collinson, Bangor University; Murray Leith, University of the West of Scotland; Stephen Clear, Bangor University; Tim Bale, Queen Mary University of London
What do the results mean for Labour – and is it the end of two-party politics in the UK?
|
Abu Barkat ullah (Barkat), University of Canberra; Mohiuddin Ahmed, Adelaide University
A US-based education tech provider announced a cybersecurity incident affecting its Canvas platform, used by institutions around the world, including in Australia.
|
Kaveh Khalilpour, University of Technology Sydney; Tallat Jabeen
Electric vehicles promise cleaner transport. But unlike rooftop solar, which is spread through communities, wealthier Australian households are the ones buying EVs.
|
Erin Harper, University of Sydney; Marianne Fenech, University of Sydney
Ahead of the 2026 federal budget, Education Minister Jason Clare has announced plans for a new national commission for early education and care.
|
Jane Dahlstrom, Australian National University
Families understandably want to know why their baby died. A perinatal pathologist explains how they try to find out.
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The result will raise more doubts about whether, or for how long, Angus Taylor will survive as Liberal leader.
-
Adrian Beaumont, The University of Melbourne
David Farley’s win means One Nation has won its first election for a federal House of Representatives seat.
|
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Kevin Dew, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Chris Cunningham, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Elizabeth Dennett, University of Otago; Kerry Chamberlain, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Richard Egan, University of Otago
Doctors have to balance finite resources and uncertain evidence to decide who should get treatments. The decisions are not always based on need or clinical benefits.
-
Myfanwy Graham, Monash University; Suzanne Nielsen, Monash University
Anxiety, psychosis and paranoia are among adverse events people are reporting after using higher-strength medicinal cannabis, according to a new study.
-
Megan Willis, Australian Catholic University; Xochitl de la Piedad Garcia, Australian Catholic University
Often presented as a way to deal with narcissistic, abusive or toxic behaviour, the technique is straightforward: make yourself as uninteresting as a grey rock.
|
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Philip Laird, University of Wollongong
Inland Rail was meant to take 200,000 trucks a year off our roads – but it’s now been cut in half. Why is rail freight shortchanged compared to roads and city rail?
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Llewelyn Hughes, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Australia and Japan need an energy partnership fit for a new era, one that helps meet our shared goal of reaching net zero by mid-century.
-
Steve Urlich, Lincoln University, New Zealand; Alex Williamson, Lincoln University, New Zealand
An analysis shows forestry clear-cutting limits in Tairāwhiti have barely been applied, as new rules take a more permissive stance on slash risk.
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Victoria Lorrimar, University of Notre Dame Australia; Tim Smartt, University of Notre Dame Australia
What makes for a good life? Simple: grinding through tokens.
-
Vanessa Pirotta, Macquarie University
A new study highlights how noise pollution in the ocean is changing animals’ behaviour.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Aiden Magro, University of Sydney
It is perhaps the way Ken is brought forward by the bright yellow ochre background that gives the work its greatest sense of presence.
-
Ciara Smart, University of Tasmania
The term Fenian can’t be untangled from a dark history of anti-Irish racism. That’s why Kneecap chose it.
|
|
Books + Ideas
|
-
Brigid Magner, RMIT University
Fiona Wright’s genre-defying social satire will ring bells for people who are locked out of the housing market, and those who care about inequality.
|
|
|
|
|
The politics of fear
“How can we take a politician seriously if all she has is stirring up hate on immigrants and Indigenous people with no other stated policies? Apparently, it seems quite easy. In his book Goliath’s Curse, author Luke Kemp cites countless examples of individuals taking leadership roles by stirring up fear of external threats to take our 'lootable assets' (jobs, houses, and anything of physical value). Surveys across eight modern, high-income countries found that around 10–25% ranked as highly authoritarian. We, it seems, might be on the cusp of going the same way with the surge of extreme right-wing politicians in Australia using the external threat as their only
policy.”
Paul Campbell, West End QLD 
The great tax debate
“To tax or not to tax? Presently, the reason for not taxing gas exports as I understand it is to keep faith with our trading partners. From my experience in competitive markets, when economic circumstances change and costs go up, there's a choice. You can put your prices up and if that makes you more expensive, then the market will react and you then have the choice of accepting less market share and retaining profit margin or accepting a lesser margin and retaining market share. Either way, a tax will benefit the Australian public and industry, either from increased federal revenue or greater gas supply at lower prices.”
Hugh Kushner
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.
|
| |
|
| | |
