By avoiding means testing, the government is giving handouts to the rich Australia’s highly targeted tax and transfer system is being eroded by a shift toward universal benefits – redirecting support away from those who need it most.

Australia’s tax and welfare system has long targeted support to those who need it most.
But a shift toward universal benefits is redirecting resources to higher-income households, Robert Breunig @Austaxpolicy writes.
#auspol #Economy #TaxPolicy #Inequality #Welfare

China doubles down on state-led tech – and delays reform China’s latest Five-Year Plan doubles down on state-led investment in high-tech sectors, strengthening national power while sidelining structural reform and consumption-led growth.

China’s new Five-Year Plan prioritises high-tech dominance and economic security.
But it doubles down on state-led investment while delaying the shift to consumption and structural reform, Anthony Saich writes.
#auspol #China #Economy #Geopolitics #Technology

No one likes the Job-ready Graduate scheme – so why does it still exist? The architect of the HECS scheme Bruce Chapman, says economists agree, the Job-ready Graduate scheme is bad economics.

The Job-ready Graduates scheme was meant to shape student choices and fix the labour market.
It has done neither – and economists agree it’s bad policy. A better, fairer model is already available, Bruce Chapman writes.
#auspol #HigherEducation #HECS #Economics #Policy

Climate change, the community and the Coalition: going slower
 The Coalition’s abandonment of net zero by 2050 marks a retreat from climate action, putting it at odds with public opinion and weakening Australia’s long-term response.

The Coalition stepping back from net zero by 2050 puts its policy at odds with public opinion and weakens Australia’s long-term response, Chas Keys writes.
#auspol #ClimateChange #NetZero #EnergyPolicy #Environment

Trump deletes image of himself as Jesus-like saviour after backlash Donald Trump is facing criticism from church leaders, conservatives and political figures after posting an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure and attacking Pope Leo XIV.

Donald Trump is facing backlash after posting an AI image of himself as a Jesus-like figure and criticising Pope Leo XIV.
Church leaders, conservatives and political figures have all condemned the remarks, Elizabeth Melimopoulos and Reuters report.
#auspol #Trump #Religion #Politics #USPolitics

Voters no longer want managers – they want fighters Across Western democracies, voters are abandoning consensus politics in favour of leaders willing to fight, name enemies and prosecute a cause – a shift now reshaping both left and right.

Voters are no longer looking for political managers – they want combatants.
Across democracies, leaders who name enemies and fight for a cause are reshaping both left and right, Kos Samaras writes.
#auspol #Politics #Elections #Democracy #GenZ

Stagflation risk puts tax reform back on the table This budget will be especially challenging. Given the risks of stagflation, fiscal policy needs to be tightened. But in a cost-of-living crisis the main burden should fall on those who are relatively well off and that requires tax reform.

Australia faces a difficult budget as stagflation risks grow.
Cutting spending alone won’t be enough – tax reform is needed to raise revenue and share the burden fairly, Michael Keating writes.
#auspol #Budget #Economy #TaxPolicy #Inflation

A costly rewrite of R&D – with no price tag Proposed changes to Australia’s R&D tax system would expand eligibility beyond genuine research, concentrate benefits among a narrow group of firms, and proceed without clear costings.

Australia’s proposed R&D overhaul would fund development and commercialisation – not just research – with no clear costings.
The result: large tax breaks, narrowly targeted and largely unexamined, John H. Howard writes.
#auspol #Economy #Innovation #R&D #TaxPolicy

Orbán out – Hungary votes to end 16 years of rule Hungary’s election has ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, with voters backing a conservative challenger promising a return to democratic norms and a closer European path.

Hungary has voted Viktor Orbán out after 16 years in power.
The result marks a decisive shift, with voters backing a conservative challenger promising democratic renewal and a closer European path, Brett Wilkins writes.
#Politics #Europe #Hungary #Democracy #Geopolitics

Pope Leo reframes the moral language of war Leo may help break a trend that has dominated American Catholicism – less religion as national glue, more faith as a critique of power.

As war rhetoric intensifies, Pope Leo XIV is offering something different – a precise, measured challenge to the moral logic that makes conflict seem inevitable.
Not against leaders, but against the idea of war itself, Antonio Spadaro writes.
#auspol #Vatican #Geopolitics #War #Ethics

Australia’s pre-emptive strike against Iranian asylum seekers A new law allows Australia to block entire groups of visa holders from entering the country – a sharp break from past practice with major consequences for asylum policy.

Australia can now block entire groups of visa holders from entering the country – even after granting them visas.
It marks a clear break from past practice and reshapes how asylum claims can be made, Peter Hughes writes.
#auspol #Immigration #Asylum #Migration #HumanRights

Albo’s signature secrecy will ultimately bring him down A court-ordered release of the Pezzullo report is a win for transparency – but it exposes a deeper culture of secrecy and institutional failure.

The release of the Pezzullo report is a win for transparency – but it comes after costly resistance and ongoing secrecy.
The deeper problem is a system that still shields power from scrutiny, Jack Waterford writes.
#auspol #FOI #Transparency #PublicService #Accountability

Defund, don’t debate – the playbook for silencing dissent The closure of the Grace Tame Foundation exposes a troubling pattern – dissent isn’t debated, it is defunded through pressure applied behind the scenes.

The closure of the Grace Tame Foundation raises a bigger question – when did disagreement become grounds for shutting someone down?
This isn’t about debate, but a pattern of pressure, defunding and quiet silencing, Sue Barrett writes.
#auspol #GraceTame #FreeSpeech #Accountability #Politics

Iran debacle is Suez moment for US-Australia alliance While there is already introspection both in the US and among its allies as to the long-term effects of this crisis on American capabilities and capacities, will Canberra seize the moment to reflect?

America’s credibility is under pressure – but Australia has rarely questioned what that means for its own strategy.
The real challenge is not emotional reaction, but hard thinking about the future of US power, James Curran writes.
#auspol #ForeignPolicy #ANZUS #Geopolitics #Australia

Overpopulation is pushing Earth past breaking point Scientific evidence shows humanity has exceeded Earth’s long-term carrying capacity, placing growing strain on the systems that sustain life and increasing the risk of global instability.

Humanity is living beyond the planet’s limits.
Scientific evidence shows we have exceeded Earth’s carrying capacity, with rising risks for food, water and global stability, @JulianCribb writes.
#auspol #Climate #Population #Environment #Sustainability

Punishment alone won’t fix youth crime Tougher penalties dominate the politics of youth crime, but without addressing how young people – particularly First Nations children – learn, relate and develop, punishment risks deepening the very problems it seeks to solve.

Tougher penalties are the default response to youth crime.
But without understanding how young people – particularly First Nations children – learn and develop, punishment risks deepening the problem, John Frew writes.
#auspol #YouthJustice #FirstNations #SocialPolicy #Crime

The world acts for oil – but not for human life Global powers moved quickly to end a war that threatened energy supplies, while years of mass civilian suffering in Gaza has failed to prompt meaningful action.

The world moved quickly to end a war that threatened energy supplies.
But years of mass civilian suffering in Gaza and beyond have failed to prompt action, Refaat Ibrahim writes.
#auspol #Gaza #MiddleEast #HumanRights #Geopolitics

Why “drill baby drill” won’t solve Australia’s energy problem Calls to expand fossil fuel production ignore Australia’s real energy vulnerabilities, while electrification and renewables offer a clearer path to lower costs and greater security.

Calls for more oil and gas won’t deliver energy security.
Electrification and renewables offer a cheaper, more reliable way to shield Australia from global price shocks, Sophie Vorrath writes.
#auspol #Energy #Renewables #ElectricVehicles #CostOfLiving

Job-ready Graduates has failed – a first step to fixing it is on the table The Job-ready Graduates reforms have increased student debt, failed to shift enrolments, and entrenched inequality across Australia’s higher education system.

The Job-ready Graduates reforms were meant to align degrees with workforce needs.
Instead they have increased debt, failed to shift student demand, and entrenched inequality, Adam Lucas and James Guthrie write.
#auspol #HigherEducation #Universities #EducationPolicy

Closing Afghanistan’s embassy serves no Australian interest Australia’s decision to close the Afghan Embassy risks aiding the Taliban, undermining diaspora communities, and weakening future diplomatic options in a volatile region.

Closing the Afghan Embassy in Canberra risks aiding the Taliban while harming Afghan-Australians and limiting future diplomatic options.
It's move with no clear national interest, William Maley writes.
#auspol #Afghanistan #ForeignPolicy #Taliban #Diplomacy

When the world changes, economic policy must too A new geopolitical shock is exposing the limits of economic orthodoxy, echoing past crises where sticking to old rules only deepened the damage.

As geopolitical shocks reshape the global economy, clinging to old monetary rules risks repeating the mistakes of the 1930s, Gareth Bryant writes.
#auspol #Economy #Inflation #CentralBanks #GlobalEconomy

Do people still care about opera? An insider raises some doubts A new book on opera’s future raises important questions about relevance and access, but misses the deeper case for why the art form still matters.

A new book asks whether opera still matters – but in focusing on relevance and access, it misses the deeper question of why we value art at all, Peter Tregear writes.
#auspol #Arts #Culture #Opera #Books

Pentagon threatened Pope after he condemned Trump’s military attacks Reports that US officials warned the Vatican to align with Washington highlight growing tensions between military power and moral authority as the Pope continues to speak out against war.

Reports that US officials warned the Vatican to take Washington’s side highlight growing tension between military power and moral authority.
As the Pope continues to speak out against war, that pressure raises serious questions, Julia Conley writes.
#auspol #USPolitics #Vatican #ForeignPolicy #War

Environment: Nature is in decline – and we are funding the damage Glaciers are disappearing, biodiversity loss is accelerating, and governments continue to spend far more destroying nature than protecting it.

Glaciers are disappearing and biodiversity loss is accelerating.
But governments and business continue to spend far more destroying nature than protecting it, Peter Sainsbury writes.
#auspol #ClimateCrisis #Biodiversity #Environment #Climate

Robodebt for the environment? AI will not fix Australia’s broken environmental laws Using artificial intelligence to speed up environmental approvals risks entrenching flawed laws, poor data and declining biodiversity outcomes.

Artificial intelligence is being proposed to speed up environmental approvals in Australia.
But the real problem is weak laws, poor data and under-resourced systems – not slow processes, David Lindenmayer writes.
#auspol #Environment #Climate #Biodiversity #AI

China’s response to war is strategy, not opportunism As war disrupts the Middle East, China is focused on stability and long-term strategy – but much of the commentary in Australia continues to misread its intentions.

China’s response to the Iran war is being cast as opportunistic or threatening.
But its focus is stability, long-term planning and economic resilience – not escalation, Jocelyn Chey writes.
#auspol #China #ForeignPolicy #Geopolitics

Australia is giving away billions in gas profits Australia’s failure to properly tax gas exports is costing billions in public revenue, even as other countries capture windfall profits for national benefit.

Australia is forgoing billions by under-taxing gas exports while other nations capture windfall profits for the public good, Matt Pollard and Tim Buckley write.
#auspol #Energy #Gas #TaxPolicy #Economy

Populism grows where inequality is ignored Populism is often dismissed or ridiculed, but its rise reflects decades of policy choices that have deepened inequality and left many Australians behind.

Populism is often dismissed as irrational or dangerous.
But its rise reflects decades of policy failure, growing inequality and a widening sense of exclusion, Allan Patience writes.
#auspol #Populism #Inequality #CostOfLiving #Politics

Cost of living? We should be more concerned about something else While cost-of-living pressures dominate headlines, deeper shifts are reshaping Australian politics – with Labor consolidating the centre and the Coalition struggling to respond.

Cost of living worries may dominate headlines.
But the deeper story is a political realignment, with Labor occupying the centre and the Liberals struggling to define their place, Ross Gittens writes.
#auspol #CostOfLiving #AustralianPolitics #Elections #OneNation

Ending Israel’s war on peace To make lasting peace in the Middle East, the US must end its blank cheque to Israel’s perpetual wars and join with the rest of the world to force Israel to live within its internationally recognised borders of 4 June, 1967.

Peace in the Middle East will remain out of reach while the US continues its unconditional support for Israel’s wars.
A shift in policy is essential to any lasting settlement, Jeffrey D Sachs and Sybil Fares write.
#auspol #MiddleEast #ForeignPolicy #Israel #Iran