The court case that could derail Turnbull’s election plans

George Williams   The High Court will hear a challenge on Monday and Tuesday to Australia's new rules for electing senators. If the case succeeds, it will have the impact of a sledgehammer on the 2016 election.

Comments 63

Barangaroo is more insult than icon

Peter Mould   Are we prepared to sacrifice public benefit for private profit so that Sydney gains an "icon" of questionable merit?

Comments 12

A building that embraces the future

Chris Johnson   The word icon was interpreted entirely differently by those opposing Barangaroo  and its supporters at a public hearing on the development application for the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort last week.

Comments 7

Being crazy serves Trump well

Michael Kinsley   It’s his entertainment value that explains the rise of The Donald.

Comments 7

View from the Street: Got a solution for Manus Island yet, guys? No?

Andrew P Street   Australia is so, so, so much better than this, friends. Your news of the weekend, reduced to a heartbroken rant.

Comments 7

The budget must begin to repair Australia's foreign aid program

We know Scott Morrison values foreign aid. He and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should start repairing the recent damage to Australia's overseas aid program in next week's budget.

MAY 2

'Tony' Turnbull: public letdown No.1

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the only reason the Coalition dumped Tony Abbott last September was to prevent the ALP running attack ads before the upcoming election showing Abbott making all those promises on the eve of the 2013 poll, which he later broke.

Column 8

"Help, please!" begs John Christie, of Oatley. "How do I undo the fiddly wrapper on a Band-Aid, while elevating the cut hand to assuage the bleeding?"

Budget-night parties call for model behaviour

Annabel Crabb   There has never been a more exciting time to be an accountant. Really.

Trump and Hillary's battle of the sexes

Peter FitzSimons   TFF writes from New York, where everywhere I look is Presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Political clickbait may prove elusive

Kirsty Needham   It's the video that has broken the internet and propelled a NSW politician into a global star.

It's Morrison's moment, but can he deliver?

Adam Gartrell   If Treasurer Scott Morrison delivers a great budget this week, he'll cement his status as a potential future prime minister.

Comments 37

How education helps criminals earn more

Matt Wade   And they say crime doesn't pay. A study of last century's mafia has proven to be revealing.

When minds turn to courtroom legends

Charles Waterstreet   The greatest tool of the trade, the cross-examination, is of no interest as it is like explaining rules of soccer to your grandmother. Who's the best advocate, people want to know?

Women athletes making gains equality race

Academic David Rowe this week cautioned that the fight to eliminate sexism from sport was a marathon not a sprint. But the Sutton allegations are a reminder it's also an obstacle race.

MAY 1

Letters to the Editor

Climate change, gay marriage, Indigenous recognition and the republic might be the big key election issues for Peter FitzSimons, but I'm not sure the PM or his office would agree.

New Turnbull becomes the old Abbott

Peter Hartcher   The Prime Minister has exhumed Tony Abbott's scare campaign against Labor's carbon tax, launching into electoral battle with the reflex action of "oppose".

Shouldn't arbitrary detention bother us, too?

Dominic Knight   As someone who was briefly detained after the botched execution of a Chaser prank, I'm a fan of the rule that people shouldn't be locked up without a good reason.

Comments 10

Where are all the non-Anglo MPs?

Sean Nicholls   In recent years, the issue of cultural diversity has come a distant second to the number of women in parliament.

Negative gearing put ahead of childcare

Anne Summers   A forward-looking government would axe negative gearing and invest in an educated and socially skilled population.

Teenage boys are Big Soda's softest targets

Sarah Wilson   Boys aged 14 to 18 are consuming up to 38 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Coalition must exorcise demons of 2014 

The coalition government mark II has overpromised and underdelivered. This is its big chance to outline a vision and restore trust.

APRIL 30

Letters to the Editor

Voters will be confused by the government's Smart Cities infrastructure plan ("Turnbull's blueprint for our cities", April 29).

Comments 5

Column 8

"Want to impress the neighbours?" asks Peter Riley, of Penrith. "Well, go to the MYPLATES.COM website, do a custom search, and you'll see that the numberplate 'C8PHD' is still available.

The case against an interest rate cut

Jessica Irvine   Heard the one about how Australia is suddenly suffering a bout of deflation?

Comments 32

Crossbench cull won't improve Turnbull's Senate woes

Mark Kenny   Poor polling is making the decision to defer the election until July look increasingly questionable.

The Australian territory China has its sights on

Anthony Bergin   We sometimes forget that we assert sovereignty over 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent, roughly the size of mainland Australia minus Queensland.

Comments 8

Why it's impossible to actually be a vegetarian

Andrew Smith   In case you’ve forgotten the section on the food web from high school biology, here’s a quick refresher.

Homelessness tugs on the nation's purse strings as well as the heart strings

Catherine Yeomans   We've heard much noise from the government about the need for savings as we approach next week's budget.