Insiders

One year on, there’s still debate about why Australians voted no in the Voice to Parliament referendum. There's even bigger debate about the path forward from here. David Speers speaks to Megan Davis, a co-author of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and one of those who was heavily involved in the Voice campaign about what this anniversary means and where Indigenous Australians go now.

Fatima Payman's new political party may not be troubling Labor, but it still has plenty of other headaches to worry about.

Tomorrow marks 12 months since the brutal Hamas attack on Israel. A year on – the Middle East conflict is only escalating, after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel this week. Social tension in Australia is only rising, and the political divide has dramatically widened. The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader have both condemned protests on the anniversary of October 7. But that's...

The flag of the listed terrorist organisation Hezbollah – and whether it should be against the law to fly it in Australia – has become the latest flashpoint in the domestic debate over the worsening conflict in the middle east.

Within the broad areas of agreement between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton lies an intensifying blame game over who's endangering national security here in Australia.

Israel kills the long-serving leader of Hezbollah – flattening buildings in southern Beirut and dramatically escalating its campaign against the terrorist group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an update of his nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. They could now be deployed – Putin says – if a nuclear-armed nation supports Ukraine in the use of long-range missiles against Russia. The west has been weighing whether to give Ukraine long-range missiles that can reach deep into Russia. Putin’s clear warning to...

Negative gearing and capital gains tax rules have sat in Labor's bottom drawer since the party's bruising 2019 election defeat.

New figures show housing affordability in Australia is now at its worst level on record. Interest rates remain high – property prices are still climbing – buying a house is simply beyond reach for many. This will be a major issue at the election. But during the week - Senators couldn't even hold a vote on Labor's latest measure – the Help to Buy scheme – which involves government co-ownership to h...

There’s been much debate in the Senate this week – and outside the Senate for that matter – over housing. But what are the answers to Australia’s housing crisis? When you look around for an example of a city that’s got it right – it turns out we don’t have to look too far. Auckland took a bold decision some years ago to adopt a more liberal approach to zoning laws – allowing more apartments and to...

We have reached that point in the political cycle where the parliamentary clock is running down and various efforts are underway to define the ground on which the election will be fought.

The two major parties have agreed self-funded retirees should pay more for their care. They're also in broad agreement on something else – banning children from social media.

This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his government would support a push to ban social media for children. There’s no decision yet on what the age limit should be – and there’s also no detail on how this will be done. But what evidence is there that it will improve the mental health of kids? 

Interest rates smashing the economy, the Reserve Bank hammering mums and dads – there is plenty of argument over who and what is to blame for the pain households are feeling. But what is actually going to get the economy moving again?

Apart from the pandemic years, GDP hasn't been this weak since Jim Chalmers was at school and Oasis was getting together for the first time.

With looming elections in the US and Australia, the online battle for truth is increasingly becoming more difficult as artificial intelligence and deepfakes become more sophisticated. David Speers speaks with the former Executive Director of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board and CEO of The American Sunlight Project Nina Jankowicz.

Labor's been testing the friendship with some of its traditional allies.

The government has hit the brakes on international student enrolments announcing new caps this week. It follows a post-pandemic jump in migration numbers which has caused Labor a political headache. But is limiting the foreign student intake - for a sector that’s been one of Australia’s biggest export earners - the answer?  Professor Michael Wesley is the Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University o...

Affiliation and donations to the ALP have been suspended, administrators forced in, and now Labor is using the bad stench around the CFMEU as a political weapon against the Greens.

In a busy parliamentary week, changes to the NDIS stand out as the most consequential and contentious.

A few weeks ago, the Government released its response to the Disability Royal Commission; an inquiry that shed new light on the discrimination and abuse faced by thousands of people with disabilities. 

Parliament descends into an even deeper divide over Gaza after another week of logjam on legislation.

Peter Dutton has never liked the idea of Australia accepting Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Gaza and has never been shy of saying so. Now, though, he's at odds with the spy chief.

Anyone who’s watched sport on TV will know gambling ads are pervasive and often targeted at young men; with the constant message that betting on the footy, the cricket, or basically anything is just what normal blokes do. 

While interest rates didn't go up, the Reserve Bank of Australia said they won't come down anytime soon. Are the Reserve Bank and the government both on the same page when it comes to what’s driving inflation?