From Smart Cities 1.0 to 2.0: it’s not (only) about the tech
Australia has lagged behind some other countries in its investment in smart cities, but in retrospect that may not have been such a bad thing.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
The tragedy of Mosul: battle against Islamic State is leading to all-too-familiar consequences
The tragedy of Mosul is that while Islamic State's territorial project in Iraq is coming to an end, it is creating new problems that exacerbate the country's existing challenges.
What’s critical about critical infrastructure?
Critical infrastructure is our means of survival as an urban species. So, we must identify what is critical, for whom and how it might fail us.
The forgotten 660,000 locked out of home ownership
Think it's hard for first-home buyers? Ask people with an intellectual disability about it.
Explainer: the rise of social impact investing
Impact investments are designed to achieve a measurable social or environmental – as well as financial – return.
VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the company tax cut
As the Senate returned on Friday, the fate of the government's ten-year company tax package was still up in the air.
What did the rich man say to the poor man? Why spatial inequality in Australia is no joke
Not only has income inequality in Australia grown over the past two decades, rich and poor are also more segregated in terms of where they live in the big cities.
Grattan on Friday: Turnbull’s taxing battle as fractious session grinds towards end
The fate of the government's push on Section 18C was a mixed bag, without surprises. The week's most critical issue is the company tax cuts package, which is still in play.
Why politicians and television still need each other
Television shows that reveal politicians in a different light, such as Channel Ten's The Project, or the ABC's Kitchen Cabinet or Q&A, are vital outlets for them to convey their messages.
The Cashless Debit Card causes social and economic harm – so why trial it again?
It’s a mystery why another trial of the Cashless Debit Card is necessary – particularly given how it has led to further economic and social harm among its participants.
Victoria leads the way on family violence, but Canberra needs to lift its game
A year since its royal commission reported, Victoria continues to lead the nation in how to respond to, and prevent, family violence.
Cyclone Debbie: we can design cities to withstand these natural disasters
Cities would suffer much less damage and avoid the huge financial losses if we designed them to cope with the effects of cyclones.
Cuts to sole parent benefits are human rights violations
The latest welfare changes will hurt low-income families and breach Australia's human rights obligations.
As Brexit begins, Australia mustn’t get caught up in Britain’s post-imperial fantasies
For Australia, Brexit is the diplomatic equivalent of moving into a shared house with a divorcing couple.
Explainer: why the government ‘pulled’ Australia’s extradition treaty with China
The usual procedures for extradition between countries with substantial and complex bilateral relations – like those that Australia and China have – will now not be available.
Politics podcast: David Marr on Pauline Hanson’s star power
In his latest Quarterly Essay, journalist David Marr delves into why Pauline Hanson attracts so much attention.
Sidelining planners makes for poorer urban policy, and future generations will pay the price
Urban planners have been blamed for a lot of things, including higher housing costs. But the solution is to refine the process, not sideline the good planning that makes cities safe and liveable.
With wariness on both sides, the US strikes a more conciliatory note on China
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's recent trip to Asia offers some insights into how the Trump administration might deal with China.
PolicyCheck: the government’s new childcare plan
Here's how the government's new childcare plan will change the way families are given assistance with paying for child care.
Technology-facilitated abuse: the new breed of domestic violence
Cyber abuse between intimate partners is common and devastating – there needs to be a greater focus on holding perpetrators to account.
Indians’ ‘notes ban’ compliance masks a silent crisis of legitimacy
Public co-operation is not proof of trust in government. The Indian people did not trust elected politicians to represent them against top-down policymaking that caused enormous difficulties.
Research and News
Government behind 45-55% in Ipsos poll
The Turnbull government trails Labor 45-55% on the two-party vote in the Fairfax Ipsos poll.
Youth underemployment at four-decade peak: report
Underemployment among young people is now at its highest in the 40 years since it has been officially counted.
The Conversation's global sites
Liberating Mosul is one thing – next comes the real challenge for Iraq
Islamic State will change tack after Mosul, but Iraq isn't ready for what comes next.
Stakes for South Africa’s democracy are high as Zuma plunges the knife
Why have there been so few protests against Brexit?
May’s warning to EU over security has been called blackmail – but it’s more likely a bluff
What Britain’s post-Brexit immigration policy could look like
America’s evangelical Christian right isn’t the political force it once was
The British media’s progressives are coming round to Scottish independence
What South Korean president Park’s political demise means for the region’s geopolitics
Armenia’s choice: Trump-style populist or power-hungry president?
Why Serbia’s elections matter for Europe: assessing the authoritarian trend in Belgrade
Cities
From Smart Cities 1.0 to 2.0: it’s not (only) about the tech
Australia has lagged behind some other countries in its investment in smart cities, but in retrospect that may not have been such a bad thing.
Indonesia
Western Australia’s welcome engagement in Asia has been a long time coming
The appointment of Western Australia's first minister for Asian engagement shows the new state government understands how deeply embedded the state’s interests are in the Asian neighbourhood.
Democracy Futures
Late payments: the policy no-brainer for business
Putting a stop to powerful corporations exploiting their powerless suppliers would not only deliver small-business votes but would speed up the entire economy.
Columnists
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Federal politics
Grattan on Friday: Turnbull’s taxing battle as fractious session grinds towards end
The fate of the government's push on Section 18C was a mixed bag, without surprises. The week's most critical issue is the company tax cuts package, which is still in play.
Islamic State
The tragedy of Mosul: battle against Islamic State is leading to all-too-familiar consequences
The tragedy of Mosul is that while Islamic State's territorial project in Iraq is coming to an end, it is creating new problems that exacerbate the country's existing challenges.
Brexit
As Brexit begins, Australia mustn’t get caught up in Britain’s post-imperial fantasies
For Australia, Brexit is the diplomatic equivalent of moving into a shared house with a divorcing couple.
Indigenous affairs
The Cashless Debit Card causes social and economic harm – so why trial it again?
It’s a mystery why another trial of the Cashless Debit Card is necessary – particularly given how it has led to further economic and social harm among its participants.
Domestic violence
Victoria leads the way on family violence, but Canberra needs to lift its game
A year since its royal commission reported, Victoria continues to lead the nation in how to respond to, and prevent, family violence.
China
Explainer: why the government ‘pulled’ Australia’s extradition treaty with China
The usual procedures for extradition between countries with substantial and complex bilateral relations – like those that Australia and China have – will now not be available.
Social policy
Cuts to sole parent benefits are human rights violations
The latest welfare changes will hurt low-income families and breach Australia's human rights obligations.
PolicyCheck
PolicyCheck: the government’s new child care plan
Here's how the government's new childcare plan will change the way families are given assistance with paying for child care.
Donald Trump
With wariness on both sides, the US strikes a more conciliatory note on China
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's recent trip to Asia offers some insights into how the Trump administration might deal with China.
Charities in Australia
There are more useful questions to ask than whether Australia has ‘too many’ charities
If we continue to base our views of the charity sector on incorrect assumptions and perceptions we run the risk of doing considerable damage to a national asset.
Section 18C
Proposed changes may confuse rather than clarify the meaning of Section 18C
The government has not adequately explained what it is hoping to achieve by changing the wording of Section 18C.
Sport
Commercialise my footy: how the AFL’s grip on the game shrinks the fans’ role
More and more, the culture of elite, professional footy is characterised by commercialisation and corporatisation.
Youth justice
Australia could alleviate its youth justice crisis by importing the right ideas from the US
Australian jurisdictions should enact permanent solutions to juvenile justice crises that replace large and ineffective youth prisons with a safer, more decent alternative.
Gambling
Sporting codes’ deals with gambling companies force them into a Faustian bargain
The NRL is trying to reduce its exposure to the integrity risks posed by spot-fixing.
Penalty rates
Explainer: where to from here on penalty rates?
The government has a major headache on its hands with the proposed cuts to penalty rates, which could haunt it all the way to the next election.
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