Analysis & Opinion

Former WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls departs politics beaten but unbowed after a war of attrition with the mining industry sparked by a potential miscalculation, writes Andrew O'Connor.

There are hard lessons to be learnt from political defeat, especially one as devastating as the electoral catastrophe that wiped out the Barnett government in Western Australia.

Two elections, a world apart in the same week, has some delivering the last rites to the wave of populism that has dominated global politics, writes Stan Grant.

Criticism of Donald Trump's health care plan seems to be bipartisan. The leak of his 2005 tax return turned out to be a useful distraction.

Before Ranchi, Glenn Maxwell's doubters far outweighed the believers — but with this ton, it's time to admit we were wrong and hope the best is yet to come.

For couples, families or friends who share a significant song, the effects of music can be powerful and persistent, lasting well into old age, even piercing through dementia.

Restrictions on gambling advertisements may be effective in helping those with problems manage their urges to gamble.

Multinational gas companies have played Australian customers. It's hard not to conclude LNG producers are cheating the system.

The Coopers Brewery brouhaha, energy policy and the WA election dominated the week's news, but who ended up on top? Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas pick their winners and losers.

A planned expansion to the Snowy Hydro scheme is grabbing headlines — but a new plan could build oceanfront hydro power in places without mountains, including South Australia.

Voters in the Netherlands may have turned their back on the anti-establishment populist candidate Geert Wilders, but do not assume this means France will do the same.

He may have led in the polls, but on election day in The Netherlands, anti-Islam, anti-EU candidate Geert Wilders fell well short. Steve Cannane explains why.

We may be about to see one of the greatest intergenerational hospital passes in Australian history if the Federal Government allows first home buyers to access their super for a deposit.

It's tempting to dismiss the extraordinary verbal blow the SA Premier landed on the Federal Energy Minister as an unprompted brain explosion. But the reality is quite different — this was calculated, writes political reporter Nick Harmsen.

Talk of a power "crisis" in South Australia is due to a misperception about the root causes of the state's recent blackouts, which actually have little in common, Daniel Keane writes.

The relationships of two Australian corporate high flyers with their staff highlight how the immense pressures of life at the top can dramatically affect personal life choices.

Fear of repercussions and the feeling of not being taken seriously are a few reasons why children who are bullied don't seek help from teachers.

Australia's Reserve Bank may be on hold this year, but the latest US Federal Reserve interest rate hike will push up your mortgage costs.

Scotland could get another chance to vote on independence from the UK — but this time Brexit has raised the stakes even higher, Barbara Miller writes.

The build up to the reveal of Donald Trump's 2005 tax returns was breathless, but all we got was a reminder of the difference between US and Australian media, writes Connor Duffy.

Many are embarrassed to publicly show too much grief over the death of a dog, but research has shown just how devastating the loss can be.

Those whose parents own a home are able to take advantage of a wider set of opportunities than others, HILDA survey data shows.

Shaman have used the psychoactive effects of ayahuasca for spiritual and healing purposes for hundreds of years. But a new breed of tourist has discovered this plant-based drug.

In a world where educational opportunity is unjustly distributed, there are questions as to whether private schools should be exempt from paying income tax.

The Australian economy is pretty decent at surfing, and would be tough enough to ride out another "dumper" of a financial crisis if one came crashing on our shores, writes David Taylor.