• COMMENT

Education Minister Simon Birmingham is right to question funding for wealthy private schools and Labor's politicking in response has been contemptible.

• COMMENT

The banks – which are among the world's biggest – argue their internationally high profit margins should be celebrated in the community as a sign of the robust health of this cornerstone of our economy and society. That is rubbish. The reality is that the banks' unduly high profit margins reflect the gouging of customers.

This mess has been a long time coming and the government deserves criticism for being slow to act.

Crackdowns, while necessary, only mark a piecemeal approach to the problem. The bigger challenge is to confront a mistaken mindset that would exploit endangered species on the false premise of culture and tradition, or as a symbol of wealth.

The planning powerhouse will minimise the potential for petty politics and pork barrelling to lead to wasteful and irrational spending.

Businesses must recognise that, whether they like it or not, they're on the potential front line of cyber conflict.

Any reform must meet the public policy test of being effective, efficient, transparent and well targeted. The issues surrounding welfare are serious and complex and ought not be reduced to slogans or quick fixes.

The question of marriage equality should be determined on the floor of the Federal Parliament by our representatives, without delay.

The term ‘Fairytale’ has been widely and wistfully uttered in recent days. Grown men and women have been seen to weep.

Mr Roberts has so betrayed public trust that he should have the honour and decency to resign from Parliament.

There is room to adjust education policy, but it would be short-sighted and a false economy to fail to deliver adequate needs-based funding. If the government cannot do that within its fiscal constraints, it should look at re-allocating to education some of the money set for other things including marginal company tax cuts, a plebiscite and wildly expensive offshore detention centres.

The first debate in the US presidential race left the whole world is wondering what dangerous strangeness might unfold should Donald Trump actually prevail.

Change will come. The government can do it the decent way, or be judged by history to have been craven and unworthy of high office.

Crucially, far from all of those who are given the means and knowledge to end their lives actually do it, but every one of them benefits from a reduction in fear and anxiety.

If every country adopted Australia’s present stance towards asylum seekers, the suffering would be enormous.

The biggest shift is likely to be forced by allowing and encouraging the growth of a revamped system that is increasingly decentralised. With the rapid falling cost of solar power and improvements in battery storage, this is now within grasp. This is a future in which households become “prosumers” – both producers and consumers.

The suicide rate for health professionals, and female practitioners in particular, is a major community concern.

Syria is at the heart of the refugee challenge. A resolution to this vicious conflict is sorely needed.

Treasurer Scott Morrison is short-changing Victoria by as much as half a billion dollars.