Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today

The Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet republic, is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova has wrestled with the attraction of closer ties with the West and its longer, deeper connection with Russia. There’s also Transnistria, a self-proclaimed independent region, a part of Moldova that lies along its border with...

For the first time, a woman will fly to the moon when NASA sends four astronauts on the Artemis 2 lunar orbit mission next year. More than 650 people have journeyed in space since the early sixties and of these nearly ninety percent are men. But the gender divide is slowly changing, and NASA’s lunar mission is a pivotal moment for women, with plans to send humans to Mars in coming decades.

Dozens of political parties have come and gone since Federation, although the three major parties of the post-war period are still with us today. One of those parties—the Liberal Party—is  struggling for support and some see its future in doubt. How do political parties emerge and why do they sometimes disappear?

Former Soviet republic Belarus is a key Moscow ally in the war against Ukraine, facilitating the initial invasion and more recently agreeing to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons. Yet there is little support among Belarusians for the war against their neighbour.  Instead, dictator Alexander Lukashenko is engaged in a high stakes game of cat and mouse with Russia. Has Vladimir Putin silently ach...

None of us need to be told that prices are going up or that interest rates are following. We are clearly now in a period of inflation which may or may not lead to a recession. But what exactly is inflation, why does it occur, how does it relate to interest rates and what if anything can we learn from past inflationary periods?

While the newly crowned King Charles has certainly been the focus of attention this weekend, his younger son, Harry, has also been in the media spotlight. Prince Harry’s decision to renounce his royal role was not the first time a member of the British monarchy decided to opt out. Almost a century ago, King Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. These two deci...

They say there are only two certainties in life – death and taxes. While we can’t do much about the former, the latter has been the focus of much attention in the lead-up to the Federal Budget. The Henry Review of Australia’s tax system in 2008 made over one hundred recommendations. What were they and what happened to them?

In Australia we haven’t developed a modern recycling industry and we’re still relying on dumping waste into landfill. But other nations do recycle successfully – countries like Germany and South Korea, to name just two. How do they succeed where we have failed?

The storage of radioactive waste has proved incredibly difficult. None of the high-level waste produced in more than half a century of nuclear power (including submarines) has yet been successfully permanently stored. Last month, Australia signed off on a security pact with the US and the UK – known as AUKUS – which gives Australia nuclear-powered submarines and, for the first time, we will have t...

For 40 years Medicare has been the foundation of Australia’s primary health care system. But with GPs hard to find, bulk billing rates declining and long waits at hospital emergency departments, just how well is Medicare serving us today? Does Medicare need fundamental reform and if so, what that reform might look like?

Since the referendum of 1967, federal governments have tried to establish representative Indigenous advisory bodies but none of these lasted. Each one was sidelined and eventually shut down by a subsequent government. Why have these bodies failed?

Until the 1967 referendum, First Nations people were not included in the census and so weren’t considered members of the Australian population. This referendum was the most successful in Australia’s history, with over 90 per cent voting in favour of changing the Constitution. It empowered federal governments for the first time to make laws that might improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Stra...

After World War II, Australia embarked on a massive immigration program. Between 1945 and 1965, two million immigrants came here, many from countries formerly excluded under the ‘White Australia’ policy. These 'new Australians' were expected to assimilate, become just like us, but by the late 1960s it was obvious many families were struggling. The introduction of multiculturalism in the 1970s tran...

In the current debate over the Voice to parliament, both sides agree on the need for a Treaty. What they don’t agree on is when. Both New Zealand and Canada have treaties and a complex history of implementing them. What, if anything, can we learn from their story?

In early January, 2020, news began filtering through from China about a previously unknown illness, perhaps a new kind of pneumonia that appeared to have a high mortality rate. Our lives were about to be upturned, with lockdowns, border closures, masks and even toilet paper shortages transforming our day-to-day lives in unimaginable ways. Three years later, we know a lot more about Covid-19 and th...

In just twelve months, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reshaped the political landscape in Europe. Finland and Sweden have applied to join NATO, perceptions of Russia in Central Asia have shifted, and the focus of Russia’s foreign policy has changed. Rear Vision explores the political fallout from the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia’s attempt to take its neighbour, Ukraine, by force has not gone according to plan. Many—including Russia—expected Ukraine’s capitulation within days. But, led by its charismatic president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and supported by NATO, Ukraine fought back, although at a terrible cost to its people. Why did Russia’s invasion go so spectacularly wrong?

Pope Francis is facing increasing criticism from conservatives within the Catholic Church. While conflict and ideological battles in the Church are not unusual it’s rare that they are aired so publicly. What’s going on?

n 2022, the Optus data breach, along with the Medibank hack, saw the theft of the personal information of millions of Australians. In the last decade, there has been an explosion in cybercrime, especially ransomware attacks. What can we do to protect our personal details from criminals?

Fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision effectively legalised abortion across the country. That decision was overturned last year by a very conservative Supreme Court. For over 100 years there has been a struggle between liberals and conservatives in America for control of the Supreme Court. The appointment by President Trump three conservative Justices to the Court has tipped t...

In November, 2021, Barbados, a tiny Caribbean island, replaced the Queen as its head of state with a Barbadian president. How did Barbados succeed where Australia failed and what does it mean to be a republic in the Commonwealth?

In Scandinavian prisons the focus is on rehabilitation not punishment.

As Australia’s borders opened after the Covid pandemic, there was an overwhelming surge in applications for passports as we travelled to see friends and family overseas or took up that abandoned holiday. Something like a passport goes back centuries but the modern version—a  little travel booklet with your photo in it—is a relatively recent phenomenon.

We take for granted the accuracy of predictions and warnings put out by our weather forecasters. Once, weather predictions were the butt of jokes but today the Bureau of Meteorology can accurately forecast the weather for the next seven to ten days. How did this happen?

Chocolate is one of our most popular indulgences but there is a darker side to the industry – one connected with colonialism, the industrial revolution and modern-day slavery.