A piece of paper with a number on it is not you or your child; it is a socially constructed measure of one aspect of knowledge at one point in time on certain – and not even the most important – criteria.

Some proponents are prepared to wait for the next election. But even if Malcolm Turnbull survives, the issue will fester and divide the community, with no guarantee of passage thereafter.

With a lavish and repeated mea culpa for the cameras over his decision to ban the greyhound racing industry, Premier Mike Baird asks us to believe his about face in granting a reprieve is all about principle.

The Herald called for Bill Clinton to quit over sexual misbehaviour in 1998 and Mr Trump's continued candidacy raises similar concerns.

It is a short jump from using politically savvy consultants to donating money to political parties.

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Revelations in today's Sun-Herald of evidence of an entrenched homophobic culture in a Sydney police Local Area Command are disturbing in their own right. That the LAC in question happens to be in Newtown, a hub of Sydney's large and vibrant gay community, is even more worrying.

In 2016, gender diversity should be a reality, not an aspiration.

The issue at hand is surely more than Rod White's reputation; it is about doing what's best for the RSL and those who depend on it.

Governments and vocational sector participants should have seen through the red tape and realised VET Fee-Help was corrupted from 2012.

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The weak questioning of Commonwealth Bank chief Ian Narev by government MPs was no match for a banking royal commission.

Any penalty rates discussion exposes the Labor Party as the conduit into power for unions, which represent only 11 per cent of workers in private enterprise and 39 per cent in the public sector.

A backlog of criminal cases in the NSW District Court, the engine room of justice in the state, is contributing to a record prison population.

The forces of good will ensure the Sharks beat the Storm, but even the hardiest Sydneysider must have a soft spot for the Western Bulldogs against the Swans.

Too often in recent years, league and Cronulla have made themselves hard to love.Yet they are tough and resilient, steeped in tradition and never to be counted out.

The Russian President's belligerence over MH17 is unbelievable, and his approach to Syria is costing lives.

His tragic death should remind Aussie men that it's OK to get your skin, prostate and mental health checked.

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It should not be a surprise that most observers judged Hillary Clinton to have won the first United States presidential debate.

A great opportunity for a fair go for all children has been lost - and the chances of it being recovered are shrinking by the day.

The nation's security and intelligence agencies should be adequately resourced and regularly modernised. We therefore welcome the planned independent review into the six agencies that make up the Australian intelligence community.

Underpaid, overworked and sexually harassed: some au pairs have been badly mistreated.

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The 2016 census will be remembered for the embarrassing website failure that left millions of Australians unable to fill-in online forms on census night.

Central bank governor Phil Lowe blames lack of supply but seems reluctant to discuss tax breaks that skew the market towards investors.

It is a worthy, albeit politically convenient and very modest, gesture. But the overarching argument about Australia doing more to help refugees is shaky.

At least the Turnbull government is making sure Australians knows what it means when by welfare reform and its new ideas beyond mere "mutual obligation".

Without sensible deal-making on business tax cuts, same-sex marriage and climate change, nothing much will happen in this parliament.

Turning away from innovation because the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his government messed up the messaging would be a grave mistake.

We know businesses will soon see that female sport offers enormous potential for sponsorship.

Sydney residents know all too well the costs of the easy option, increasing urban sprawl: the loss of the Sydney basin's green lungs as farming land is resumed for dwellings, and a never-ending need for more motorways.

The Syrian crisis is so complex, the civilian suffering so great and the options beyond sending in ground troops so limited that this peace plan is worth pursuing, even if the chances of success are slight.