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The very idea of a casino was invented with the involvement of the American mafia. But for decades we’ve been reassured that everything at Australian casinos is above board.  They’re supposed to beheavily regulated, closely monitored, and operated by reputable, publicly-traded corporations. But what we were told about many casinos in Australia is now unravelling, and we’re getting staggering insig...

King Charles III is now Australia’s head of state. As with all members of the Royal Family, the appearance of Charles’ political neutrality will be carefully protected. Although, we do have some clues about some of his opinions through hard won freedom of information cases. How much do we know about what he intends to do with the throne? What does he believe in? And how will that affect Australia?...

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be in London on Monday, joining other world leaders at the funeral for the Queen. Parliament has been suspended in Canberra for a period of mourning that is longer than that of the UK parliament. So why is that? What are the rules for mourning the Queen, and who decides them? Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on Australia’s extended gri...

The Ukrainian army has swept across areas in north-eastern Ukraine. Russian troops appear to have been thin on the ground, unprepared and quick to retreat. The stunning collapse could be a turning point in the war, but it’s also increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin at home, with previously loyal politicians and media figures criticising the leadership and decision making by the Kremlin. Today, jo...

Across the country, rents are going up. But it’s not because the value of the properties has risen - in fact values are largely going down. Instead, it has to do with the mortgage repayments of landlords, and the fact there’s not enough supply of rental properties at the moment. Rental stress in Australia is at a crisis point, with mental health and homelessness services raising the alarm. Today,...

We could be in for another wet, cloudy summer.  The chances of another La Niña weather event are growing, and it’s now very likely the east coast of Australia will be drenched once again. That could make it the riskiest summer yet for flooding, with catchments still full and communities still regrouping. Today, climate scientist and lead author on the IPCC’s most recent climate assessment, Joëlle...

Late last week, news broke that England’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96.  During her 70-year reign the Queen has steered the royal family through immense social and political change, and there are many who mourn her death.   But there is also a complex legacy of colonialism to grapple with, and questions are already beginning over whether Australia should n...

This week, rates rose to seven-year-highs and inflation still won’t be easing off anytime soon. Cost of living is a problem the government has promised it’s aware of, but there will be increasing pressure for it to start implementing practical solutions that actually help people who are struggling. So what is the Albanese government doing, how is it different and what can we expect the government...

Rupert Murdoch’s son, co-chair of News Corp, Lachlan Murdoch is suing a small independent publisher in Australia over an article it published on its website. The defamation suit, filed against Crikey a couple of weeks ago, could test Australia’s new public interest laws. Crikey says it wants to defend it, and force Lachlan Murdoch to prove his claims in court. But, the stakes couldn't be higher fo...

Before he was voted out, the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison received a pitch from the Governor-General David Hurley: the taxpayer should fund a foundation for ‘future Australian leaders’. We don’t know much about the merits of the program, who would get selected and what kind of training they would get – but it was promised the funding. Now, with the secret ministries saga still hanging over...

The federal election marked a change in direction for the country but it also signalled the beginning of 35 new political careers. As parliament returns once again, many of these newly elected parliamentarians are making their first speeches, a permanent record of their intentions that their actions in Canberra will be compared against. So what are they saying? And what do their speeches tell us a...

Tanya Plibersek is arguably Labor's most high-profile female politician.  Once described as the next female prime minister, she rose through the ranks to become deputy leader at one point, and was most recently the party’s education spokesperson.  But Labor’s election to power after almost a decade in opposition has had unexpected consequences for Plibersek – she’s found herself in a new portfolio...

Today, journalist and author Jock Serong will be reading his piece from the latest issue. It's called ' Front-row seats to the end of the Reef ' - in it he chronicles his residency at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and what coral tells us about the past and future of our oceans. Guest : Journalist and author, Jock Serong Background reading : Front-row seats to the end of the Reef See...

Labor has been spruiking its Jobs and Skills Summit for months, but is the gathering live up to the hype?  Anthony Albanese has spent his senior political career insisting that what’s good for workers is good for employees – a belief that has allowed him, according to his colleagues, to build good relations with both unions and business leaders. Now Labor is attempting to put that assertion into p...

There are signs that Ukraine has begun its biggest counter-offensive yet to win back territory held by Russian forces. It's too soon to know if the operation will succeed or how concerted the effort will be - but there’s no doubt that a new battle in the war would be difficult and costly.   Meanwhile, Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelenskyy are also fighting the clock. Winter will make it di...

Amid the controversy over Scott Morrison’s secret ministry appointments a new question has emerged: did the former Prime Minister act unconstitutionally? Advice from the Solicitor-General released last week found that Scott Morrison was legally appointed to the Resources portfolio under section 64 of the constitution. But rather than that being the end of the matter, it has raised a new question:...

A crisis that began in China’s housing market is now threatening to drag down the country’s entire economy.  If that happens, the repercussions will be felt across the globe, and nowhere more so than Australia – where our economy relies on what China buys from us. So just how unstable is the Chinese economy right now? And how did things change for the superpower once seen as an unstoppable economi...

Diego Franco was a food delivery rider. He worked for Uber, DoorDash and Deliveroo, to transport food in Australia. What happened to him, and his subsequent case at the Fair Work Commission was supposed to set a powerful precedent for people who work across the whole gig economy – and give workers in these industries the same rights as employees. But instead, his case faltered - and the reason was...

The Solicitor-General’s legal advice on Scott Morrison’s secret appointments painted a complex picture. What Morrison did was legal, but it fundamentally undermined principles of the constitution. So is that it? Should the country and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese move on? Or are there more questions to be answered? Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the inquiry to come an...

Wages aren’t rising fast enough to keep up with inflation, and it means that many workers are actually falling behind. At the same time, the corporate profit share is going up – it's now at a record 31 per cent of Australia’s national income. These are the stakes for next week’s national job summit, where businesses, unions and economic experts will sit down with the new government to make their c...

With the balance of power in the senate, the Greens hold significant sway over what gets done under this government. But at the same time, the dynamics within the Greens party room have dramatically transformed – out of 16 Greens parliamentarians, five are now from Queensland. So how will they change the Australian Greens and what agenda do they represent?  Today, journalist Paddy Manning on the B...

Today, the Prime Minister will reveal legal advice on Scott Morrison’s secret appointment to five ministries. While the country waits to hear about what legal dilemmas the affair entails, the former prime minister’s colleagues are responding both privately and publicly. The explanations from Morrison have left some unconvinced and there are still questions over the purpose of such a ministerial po...

The spread of monkeypox is testing public health officials worldwide.  It’s a virus that is challenging both our ability to get vaccines and medicines to the people who need them most - and the ability of health authorities to send the right message. So what is the right health message? And how do we empower communities, after they have been through two years of a Covid-19 pandemic? Today, science...

It's the rolling scandal that has dominated the week in politics, and permanently marked Scott Morrison’s legacy. This week it emerged that while in power the former prime minister secretly swore himself into five different ministries: Health, Finance, Resources, Treasury, and Home Affairs. The public didn’t know, his former government colleagues didn’t know, and in most cases, the very ministers...

Australia’s wealthiest postcodes and the millionaires who pay no tax have been revealed in the latest data drop from the Tax Office. It gives us new insight into who has wealth in Australia, how they keep a hold on that wealth and whether the taxation system is fair. Today, author and professor Chris Wallace on who the real burdens are on our economy. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and...