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SMH Editorials

Petrol bills could fall but the cost of new cars could climb under any tightening of Australia's fuel standards.

We need to clear the air on fuel emissions

We Australians love to reflect on our good fortune, on the things that make our country special and precious and among the best places in the world to live. For example, that we get to breathe some of the cleanest air in the world. How good is that?

Christmas and the inner child

The fun and true meaning of the season, without the burden of adult life.

They are unscarred by the anger and hurt caused by disappointments, bad decisions or broken promises. They lack a deflating knowledge of the fears and frustrations that accompany grown-ups through life.

Turnbull right to get tough over Badgerys Creek

Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have various options should Sydney ...

With interest rates at record lows, governments should take on so-called "good debt" to build productive assets then sell them off later. And plenty of super funds would be interested in the new project.

Value for money puts the joy back into Christmas giving

When it comes to Christmas gifts, an expensive surprise may not be the answer.

Here we are in the busiest shopping week of the year. We are spending billions - $48.1 billion to be precise, according to retailers' predictions - on gifts for each other, on food and drink to load up our Christmas tables, and on bars, restaurants and fast food to celebrate the festive season. Thursday is expected to be the busiest day of the week, but peak frenzy will be the fifteen minutes after 1pm on Friday, according to the National Australia Bank, which expects to process 360 transactions per second in that brief interlude. To avoid the rush, shoppers are advised to brave the aisles in the early morning or late afternoons.

Great schools focus on student needs

There's a fine line between raising standards and putting too much pressure on students.

The question is often whether a preference to support public education and the local community is strong enough, and whether the neighbourhood comprehensive high school is still the best option.

Robust state finances give Baird government a year-end glow

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It's been a rough year for the Baird government. But the latest Half-Yearly Review which updates the state's financial position provides us with the opportunity to step back and look more broadly at the 'core' of how the government travelling.

Turnbull buckles on effective climate action

 Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, pictured with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, said the only reason for power ...

Look at last week's appalling capitulation on constructive climate policy debate to see how dysfunctional and beholden to the Abbott right that the government purportedly led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has become.

Politicians the main threat to growth and budget repair

Treasurer Scott Morrison says the GDP result is more than a wake-up call for Australia.

Australia needs a policy circuit-breaker to find economic drivers to replace the mining investment boom. Despite claims of agility and innovation from the Turnbull government, they haven't emerged yet largely because so many proposals are ruled out on purely political grounds.

We've waited too long for media law reform

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in a 2GB radio interview: media reform has been dogged by political inertia.

The media loves a debate; it thrives on the vigorous interplay of competing views. But we have to say, there's one debate that has dragged on quite long enough. We are long overdue for reform on media ownership laws.

Why we need more Australian stories on the big screen

Teresa Palmer and Mel Gibson at the Australian premiere of <i>Hacksaw Ridge</i>.

Nothing says hot days are coming more than the launch of the much hyped summer movie blockbuster. While Australians flock to cinemas not just as a way to escape the heat, we also go to escape from the daily grind and to be entranced by stories. But increasingly, this year at least, we've been drawn to films not made on our own shores.The  top three grossing films  in 2016 in this country came out of Hollywood: Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory and Zootopia, all made by Disney.

Sydney v the regions: our two-speed state

NSW Premier Mike Baird and former deputy premier Troy Grant were stunned by angry and economically fearful voters in Orange.

The growing fear of regional torpor and the backlash against conventional politics bring potentially self-defeating solutions, like a lurch back into protectionism.