Analysis & Opinion

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  1. Verrender: 2017 looms as difficult year for the Lucky Country

    Another anguished treasurer faces the prospect of a mid-year downgrade to his economic forecasts. Perhaps it's time to revisit our resources rent taxes.

    By business editor Ian Verrender

  1. What's next for NZ politics?

    NZ Prime Minister John Key is leaving as a leader, and not in defeat, and now the next election is looking more promising for Labour.

    By Grant Duncan, Massey University

  2. Financial abortion

    Men should be given the opportunity to decide whether to accept the rights and responsibilities of fatherhood before the fact.

    By Catherine Deveny

  3. Awkward Christmas party banter

    Take Deirdre Fidge's advice for dealing with cringeworthy situations at your work Christmas party.

    By Deirdre Fidge

  4. Best books of 2016

    Looking for that perfect summer reading list? RN's presenters have you covered.

Latest Analysis & Opinion news

  1. Going out in style: John Key leaves on his own terms

    For the past eight years John Key has so dominated New Zealand politics it seemed his rule as Prime Minister had no use-by date — but of course, as every political leader should know, all have one, but few recognise the signs it is time to go, writes Philip Williams.

    By chief foreign correspondent Philip Williams

  2. Failure to protect Tasmanian children common to both sides of politics

    The names and faces change but the problem seems to be the same — the system is not doing enough for Tasmania's most vulnerable children.

    By Richard Baines

  3. How to boost science performance in schools

    Australia's performance in science continues to slide due to ineffective, traditional teaching practices and an outdated curriculum. Here's what needs to change.

    By Professor Russell Tytler, Deakin University

  4. Father of the LNP Lawrence Springborg bows out

    It is a twist of political fate that Lawrence Springborg's personal success never matched what he achieved for his colleagues by merging the Liberal and National parties, writes Queensland political editor Chris O'Brien.

    By Chris O'Brien

  5. How a wasp could save Christmas Island's crabs from crazy ants

    Parks Australia will release a tiny wasp on Christmas Island in coming weeks to control the island's yellow crazy ant infestation.

    By Susan Lawler and Peter Green, La Trobe University

  6. Was a shock British by-election a sign of a Brexit-backlash?

    In a year of global political earthquakes, the Richmond Park by-election is barely more than a blip — but was it, as some campaigners and commentators claim, the first sign of a significant Brexit backlash?

    By Europe correspondent James Glenday

  7. Michelle Grattan: 'Strong-armed' Turnbull struggles to convince voters

    Five months after the election, voters are frustrated by what they see as lack of progress from the Government and deeply disappointed with Malcolm Turnbull.

    By Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

  8. Pill popping, post-it notes and hot dogs: How Americans are coping post-election

    Americans are wrestling with the anxiety felt about the election of Donald Trump the same way they always have — they're popping pills, getting up, and going to work.

    By Julia Baird

  9. How a focus on failure blinds us to Indigenous ingenuity

    Indigenous people have always sought to improve their lot, and waves of government policies have created impediments to that.

    By Elise Klein, University of Melbourne

  10. What to say if your child asks 'what's the point of maths?'

    The questions young people tend to ask about maths often relate to their personal experience of how they found maths in school.

    By Kevin Larkin, Griffith University

  11. Trump's infrastructure plan may put Canberra under pressure

    Policymakers in Canberra may come under pressure if US President-elect Donald Trump succeeds in his infrastructure building spree and turbo charges the US economy, analysts say.

    By business reporter Andrew Robertson

  12. OPEC gets its cartel mojo back to stop its members going broke

    Given the fraught political nature of "Big Oil" and low expectations of an outcome, the agreement hammered out by OPEC is quite a nifty bit of diplomatic wrangling engineered by Saudi Arabia.

    By business reporter Stephen Letts

  13. How can people survive deadly air disasters?

    A crash in Colombia killed 71 people but amazingly left six survivors. How some people are able to survive such a devastating disaster.

    By Professor Graham Braithwaite, Cranfield University

  14. If we're to catch up with Kazakhstan, we need better principals

    Often overlooked in the all-too-predictable Great Education Debate is the vital role played by the man or woman to whom every teacher and student answers.

    By Michael Rowland

  15. The share market explained ... simply

    Thought about share investing but not sure where to start? Business reporter David Taylor explains the basics, including the pitfalls and upsides, of jumping into the market.

    By business reporter David Taylor

  16. Why it's now Labor's turn to compromise on the backpacker tax

    With time running out until Federal Parliament pulls up stumps for the year, the backpacker tax ball is now firmly in Labor's court.

    By Joanna Howe, Alex Reilly, Chris Wright and Diane van den Broek

  17. Why the ACCC rejected the banks colluding to bargain on Apple Pay

    The banks could have used their collective bargaining power not only against Apple for Apple Pay but also to stall the adoption of mobile payments in Australia.

    By Steve Worthington, Swinburne University of Technology

  18. TIMSS: Australian schools continue to fall behind

    The latest TIMSS report shows that students in Australia make very little — if any — progress in maths from Year 4 to Year 8.

    By Sue Thomson, Australian Council for Educational Research

  19. Why we need a national approach to thunderstorm asthma

    Melbourne's recent thunderstorm asthma event caught services by surprise. So, is it time for a national health protection agency to coordinate our public health response?

    By Professor Guy Marks, UNSW

  20. What kind of Chief Justice will Susan Kiefel be?

    Susan Kiefel has been announced as the first female Chief Justice of the High Court, and a strong showing during her nine years on the bench has prepared her well for the role, writes High Court reporter Elizabeth Byrne.

    By High Court reporter Elizabeth Byrne

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