The Age Editorials
Surgeons, doctors must halt the culture of fear
12:15 AM The medical fraternity needs to instil and reinforce the message that, irrespective of sex, race or religion, every person deserves to be treated with respect
March 9
Good start on ice policy but so much more to do
Premier Daniel Andrews has honoured his pledge to act swiftly and introduce measures to reduce the terrible and often tragic harm being caused in Victoria by the increasing use of crystal methamphetamine.
March 8
Report fails on the environment
Early action to prevent environmental damage, rather than later action to remedy it, is likely to reduce long-term costs.
March 7
Lift the debate before we all grow old
Intergenerational reports should provide a vital contribution to a community-wide and non-partisan discussion about future policies. But the government has taken an unsophisticated and short-termist approach by enveloping this one in its immediate budgetary agenda.
MARCH 6
The target is clear: fix the RET, now
Several avenues of compromise have been proposed, and all sides in the impasse are to be congratulated for resuming discussions.
March 5
Increase the levy, but don't mess up Medicare
The cost of healthcare is rising rapidly in all areas and this is placing great strains on the government’s budget. Reconsidering the rate of the levy is a better plan to alleviate this pressure than the government's recent woeful efforts.
March 4
Keep tight rein on our commitment to Iraq
Australia must act swiftly and firmly and in conjunction with other nations to eradicate ISIL and its mad adherents, but we must not allow our nation and its military forces to be propelled headlong or recklessly into an endless venture.
March 3
In Putin’s Russia, critics are ‘traitors’
There is understandable fear among the country's political opponents and human rights activists.
March 2
Rethink draconian approaches to justice
Victorians are entitled to a clear and detailed statement from the Andrews government about what it plans to do to alleviate the multiple and increasing burdens on this state's justice system.
March 1
Providing dignity to the aged
Ageing is not dying. Yet, despite its axiomatic truth, debate and practice in this country towards its ageing population often falls into the shadows of reality.
February 28
Investing in the Indonesian relationship
Australian leaders need to view events through a larger frame.
February 27
Planning for a better Queen Vic Market
This could become a ‘city square’ in the north to equal Federation Square in the south.
February 26
The attack on Triggs is an Abbott stitch-up
The Human Rights Commission must be allowed to proceed unimpeded by intimidation from a cynical government.
February 25
Courage needed or reform is missing
If the fundamental problems are not tackled in this budget, then Australia will have endured three years of drift and equivocation.
FEBRUARY 24
Fanatics must not rob us of our liberties
The Lindt cafe gunman is not the person to use as an argument for curtailing our freedoms.
February 23
Cleaning up the finance industry
It is now very clear that there are serious and systemic problems within the nation's sprawling and lucrative financial advice industry, a sector that exerts enormous influence on how millions of Australians invest more than $500 billion of savings and retirement wealth.
February 22
We must invest in transport
The time is over for transport to be used as a battleground of ideology.
February 21
A chance for Joko to show true leadership
The President has the opportunity to use the case of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran to buttress the standing of Indonesia.
FEBRUARY 20
Another AFL season tainted by Essendon scandal
The AFL has pretensions of being Australia’s premier sporting code, but one of its clubs is making a mockery of this.
February 19
Stop, look, listen – and maybe save your life
Take off the headphones. Get your eyes and ears off the mobile phone. Look up and around.
February 18
Andrews must get Metro tunnel on track
Building the rail tunnel is vital, but it is only part of the transport picture, and the Andrews government must avoid the sort of nonsense that surrounded the East West Link.
February 17
Flagging a warning on PM’s rhetoric
Tony Abbott's jingoistic talk about bad people playing us for mugs is an embarrassment.
February 16
Train commuters deserve better guards
A 15-year-old girl is body-slammed to the ground at Flinders Street station by an authorised officer of Metro Trains after she apparently tried to evade paying for a ticket. Her friend, who protested about the treatment, has her head shoved downwards by a second authorised officer, who tells a policeman attending the incident: "I don't care, the skank's not getting another chance to spit on me."
FEBRUARY 13
Abbott fails another leadership test
On children in detention, it is the Prime Minister and his government that should be ashamed, not the Human Rights Commission.
February 12
This nation is failing its first people
Tony Abbott is right when he says that the failure of the Closing the Gap program to meet targets for improvement is ‘‘profoundly disappointing’’.
February 11
Submarine contract too big to get wrong
The contract for building Australia's next generation of submarines is too big and too important to be hostage to political games.
FEBRUARY 10
Change at top inevitable
The last thing Australia needs is another 18 months of the kind of dispiriting, inconsistent leadership that Tony Abbott has exhibited.
February 9
The very expensive road to nowhere
It does not matter how former state treasurer Michael O'Brien tries to frame his explanations for the side letter he provided to the East West Link consortium.
February 8
Broken culture needs repair
It would be funny if it were not so serious. For the third time in less than five years, a prime minister may be sacked by their own party.
February 7
The political price of betraying public trust
Mr Abbott is in a political crisis largely because voters have seen through – and rejected – the proposition that the government unexpectedly uncovered a budget crisis upon assuming office.
