The political world is convulsing with complexity, but Cory Bernardi's resignation from the Liberal Party is a simple case of ego.

For far too long serious complaints about health care have been hidden from the public, putting people at risk of unsafe practitioners who continue to ply their trade.

The Catholic Church stands damned for the sheer number of paedophiles in its ranks, monstrous criminals it has finally admitted were in many instances protected by the church hierarchy.

Public sector options are minimal at best, forcing most people to either accept whatever the private sector decides they must pay, or avoid this aspect of their health until it becomes an emergency.

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Community safety, rightly a perennial and widespread concern, is a particularly potent topic in Victoria at the moment.

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Malcolm Turnbull should not have put himself in a position of being beholden to Mr Trump.

There are many loopholes and opportunities to disguise payments, and there is a ridiculously long lag between making a donation and it being publicly declared, if at all.

At a time of dwindling public trust in the political system, both Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten deserve to be applauded this week for delivering a genuine contest of ideas.

The world can seem darker than it really is. It is likely to keep improving - because most real power and change come from the bottom up, not from high political office.

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It is more than disappointing that Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop are cravenly endorsing such a stupid, unfounded policy as the US ban on citizens of seven countries.

The food industry is using highly sophisticated lobbying tactics to influence government, pushing to weaken or change public policy in its favour.

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Later this week, the Australian Football League women's competition commences, and it's about damn time.

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The two most fundamental changes required are building proper centres that have adequate high-security sections for recidivists who commit violence and other serious crimes, and then staffing them properly.

Donald Trump's first week has dashed any hope he can conceive of a world where nations prosper together.

On this national day, perhaps we should consider and comprehend that the world might be better were there a little less nationalism.

At the core of any discussion of the justice system is the need to balance public safety with the rights of those accused of crime.

Australia should emulate the "Housing First" policy proving so successful in the US. It has all-but solved homelessness in a number of cities.

This tragedy has united Melburnians in grief and compassion.

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Never has the US has elected a president so manifestly unfit for the job.