Opinion | Comment & Analysis | The Age

Opinion

Advertisement
Amazon pricing - not so keen
Opinion
Companies

Aussie retailers are fighting the Amazon Armageddon - and winning

The online giant has been far less aggressive entering this market than anticipated, and local retailers are staging a successful rearguard action.

  • by Elizabeth Knight

Latest

David Warner and Steve Smith.
Opinion
Cricket

Questions abound as ball-tampering saga shows no end

Intrigue over David Warner's relationship with teammates, and the original investigation, abound a year on from the Cape Town scandal.

  • by Jon Pierik
Nike
Opinion
Markets

Why do 'bad' stocks outperform 'good' ones?

Many expected Nike's shares to suffer amid political backlash over its signing of controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but they didn't.

  • by Jared Dillian
David Thodey released his interim report of his review of the public service.
Opinion
Federal

Can Thodey, or Shorten, stop bleeding in the public service?

Without reforms, public servants are doomed to be handmaidens to dumber policy, more cronyism, less probity and more waste.

  • by Jack Waterford
Illustration: Jim Pavlidis
National

One Nation: Appalling doubts about Port Arthur massacre

Readers continue to discuss One Nation's visit to the US and Pauline Hanson's comments about the Port Arthur massacre.

Carlton's Tayla Harris was correct when she said what happened to her online amounts to sexual assault.
Opinion
Life & relationships

For women, what happens online is not virtual

Any remnants of a safety barrier between online and real life are gone, even for 'ordinary civilian' women.

  • by Wendy Tuohy
Advertisement
Mr Samuel was taking aim at the current crop of top company directors, not just the women, he has clarified.
Opinion
Banking & finance

The world according to Samuel: men are better than women

Is it true that there is a coven of women directors who have a deathly grasp on power and refuse to share? As one noted feminist has said: nope, nope, nope.

  • by Jenna Price
From the construction sector to the military, hazing rituals can occur out of sight of bosses.
Opinion
Small business

Workplace hazing: how it arises

People think of it as normal at work, but hazing can have "severely harmful" consequences, research has found.

  • by James Adonis
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern comforts her nation after the Christchurch atrocity ... but should it be a reason to forfeit out freedoms?
Opinion
National

Let's not forfeit our own freedoms in the rush to silence terrorists

The Prime Minister's moves to regulate social media should alarm all who cherish their democratic freedoms, says the Institute of Public Affairs.

  • by Gideon Rozner
At his own risk ... James Graham of the Dragons tackles Sauaso Sue of the Tigers.
Opinion
National

When will we stop butting heads over sporting concussion?

A sports doctor and neuroscientist enter the concussion debate, and say players are not qualified to decide for themselves whether they stay on the field.

  • by Ben Koh and Alan Pearce
Appearances by Liberal office bearers, including federal vice-president Teena McQueen, will have to be vetted by the election campaign team from Monday.
Opinion
Federal

Minor star or major embarrassment? The baffling rise of Teena McQueen

The way Teena McQueen rose to the top of the Liberal Party left cabinet ministers aghast.

  • by David Crowe
One Nation's Queensland leader Steve Dickson appears in an al-Jazeera video seeking donations from the US pro-gun lobby.
Opinion
National

Don't panic! Our gun laws are in little danger of being watered down

When all we hear is "guns, guns, guns", it means that an election is on the horizon. It is not about guns, but politics.

  • by Samara McPhedran
Illustration by Matt Golding.
Opinion
National

The morning after Rosencrantz and Guildenstern got on the sauce

"The last thing I remember is some bloke talking in a strange accent and a slab of whisky."

  • by Warwick McFadyen
What do you do when your boss hires clones, friends or family.
Opinion
Workplace

What do you do when it seems friends and family need only apply?

How should you respond to nepotism?

  • by Jonathan Rivett
Windradyne, one of the key figures in the battle for Bathurst.
Opinion
National

$500 million war memorial upgrade should recognise unspoken conflicts

Let’s think about how we can acknowledge the wars fought on our soil.

  • by Stan Grant
 Pauline Hanson has refused to condemn her former colleague Senator Fraser Anning for his Christchurch comments.
Perspective
Federal

Pauline Hanson and the ooze of Port Arthur conspiracy mania

The conspiracy theories began right after Martin Bryant murdered 35 innocents. Two decades later, the delusions are still troubling a political leader.

  • by Tony Wright
Advertisement
Age editorial dinkus masthead
National

It’s time to isolate Hanson and her party

The Prime Minister's decision to preference Hanson’s racist One Nation party after the ALP at the election shows he has understood that truth.

The European Central Bank president, Mario Draghi, believes risks to eurozone growth are rising and has halted plans to normalise monetary policy.
Opinion
Markets

Barometer of fear: Manic bond investors send a chilling signal

When investors rush to pay governments to hold their money, you know something is rotten in the state of the global economy.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Miranda Tapsell and Nakkiah Lui in the final episode of Get Krack!n.
Opinion
Comedy

Comedy at its groundbreaking best: Get Krack!n's Indigenous finale

In their final show, the two Kates handed over to Nakkiah Lui and Miranda Tapsell - and it changed the face of mainstream Australian TV.

  • by Dom Knight
Illustration: Richard Giliberto (cropped)
Analysis
North America

A triumphant Trump, a worried America

This week, Donald Trump had one of the best days of his presidency - US Attorney General William Barr announced that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had finished his investigation and found there was no evidence of collusion between the US president’s campaign and Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 US election. Is the report an indictment on US democracy, or merely another Trump scandal consigned to the scrap heap?

  • by Nick O'Malley
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Oprah Winfrey at the Apple TV+ launch.
Opinion
Technology

Beneath the glitz of Apple's latest event, an air of quiet desperation

As Oprah Winfrey bounded on to the stage of the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino, Apple's late founder may have turned in his grave.

  • by Robin Pagnamenta
The name of the game: The term AFLM has prompted some heated responses.
Opinion
AFL

What's the big deal with the term 'AFLM'?

I was baffled by the response to Bob Murphy's column in The Age this week because most of the responses on social media focused not on the broader message of the article, but on one letter of the alphabet.

  • by Claire Siracusa
Ben McEvoy and Max Gawn.
Analysis
AFL

Punch or palm: The 6-6-6 revolution has only just begun

The extra space created under the 6-6-6 rule has created more possibilities for ruckmen. Will they be brave enough to take them?

  • by Peter Ryan
Max Gawn copped plenty of heat from Port Adelaide.
Opinion
AFL

The Demons must find the power to intimidate

Why didn't Max Gawn's Melbourne teammates come to his defence when he was physically challenged by Port Adelaide? Is footy losing the intimidation factor?

  • by Wayne Carey
We need to recognise that gender stereotypes also negatively affect men.
Opinion
Health & wellness

We need to recognise that gender stereotypes also affect men

The American Psychological Association (APA) recently released guidelines for psychologists when working with boys and men, which were met with backlash.

  • by Michelle Stratemeyer, Adriana Vargas Saenz and Elise Holland
Ravi Ashwin Mankads Jos Buttler in IPL.
Opinion
Cricket

The Mankad is here to stay, like it or not

I do not like the message Ashwin's action sent out. It is a shame. But it would not surprise me if we see it in the World Cup or even in four-day cricket in the future.

  • by Michael Vaughan
Advertisement
'Priced for recession': Markets are on edge reading the signs of the bond market.
Opinion
The economy

'Murderous risks': All of a sudden, the 'R' word is back on our lips

Are we heading for a global recession? Should the US economy tip over at this juncture, the tail risks for the world are murderous.

  • by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Betting against Wall Street has been a bad idea since the GFC.
Opinion
Markets

Why we shouldn't be upset about Wall Street handing out $39.4 billion in bonuses

Each year about this time, Wall Street celebrates a kind of madness with bonus season. But it's largely misunderstood.

  • by Barry Ritholtz
Innes Willox, chief executive of AI Group.
Opinion
Workplace

Increasing productivity the key to genuine growth

Effective government policy is needed to improve our standard of living, writes Innes Willox.

  • by Innes Willox
Josh Frydenberg is poised to deliver a Costello-esque vote-winning combination of higher surpluses and tax cuts
Opinion
Federal

Our budget malaise: the hardest questions go unanswered

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is poised to deliver a Costello-esque combo of surplus and tax cuts, but our budget remains delicately poised.

  • by Jessica Irvine
James Shipton warns banks: don't get technical.
Opinion
Banking & finance

Only 50 days since Hayne's report and banks are already pushing back

The initial response from the banks was a universal mea culpa for failing their customers and abusing their trust - but cracks have started to emerge.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers on the campaign trail in NSW.
Opinion
National

Australia's gun lobby and its political donations laid bare

Our firearms advocates rival America's National Rifle Association - and its tactics - according to research by the Australia Institute.

  • by Bill Browne
Reflected glory ... Prime Minister Scott Morrison with NSW's victorious Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian on the weekend.
Opinion
Federal

Bathing in NSW's reflected glory won't do, PM, you need a makeover

A former Liberal leader tells Scott Morrison that his only hope for re-election is a complete image and policy overhaul.

  • by John Hewson
Illustration: Andrew Dyson
National

One Nation: How dare they try to sell out our democracy

Readers are not buying the explanation from One Nation about the NRA 'sting'.

Game changer: Dragons prop James Graham broke new ground with a direct reply to my column.
Opinion
NRL

Dear James, as much as I admire you, you're sadly misinformed

Good on James Graham for caring so passionately about the concussion debate. But whoever is feeding him information is way off the mark.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
APRA chairman, Wayne Byres, says regulatory intervention will be needed to change bank executive remuneration practices.
Opinion
Banking & finance

Banker's pay: There can only be one winner in this battle

APRA chairman Wayne Byres has signalled that the banking regulator will dictate the shape of bank executive remuneration schemes, not shareholders.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Advertisement
An emotional Max Hudghton after a loss in 2000.
Opinion
AFL

Say goodbye to old-school: Nothing soft about AFL's new masculinity

Jack Watts' emotional post-match interview showed that vulnerability in footy is no longer a sign of weakness.

  • by Bob Murphy
Prince Charles says she has "tungsten" in her character (according to Tatler), most of us would take and run with that.
Opinion
Life & relationships

'Strong' and Harry's equal: the infamous Meghan take-down is anything but

Are these criticisms of the Duchess of Sussex, or compliments?

  • by Wendy Tuohy
One Nation official James Ashby in an Al Jazeera sting video, seeking donations from the US gun lobby.
Opinion
National

Gun laws have saved many lives, so beware One Nation's secret agenda

Australia's firearms agreement leads the world but, as votes leak to fringe parties, we need to guard against attempts to weaken gun laws.

  • by Rebecca Ivers and Patricia Cullen
North defender Ed Vickers-Willis needs a knee reconstruction.
Analysis
AFL

The AFL record that nobody wants

Round one of the 2019 AFL season will be remembered for its number of upsets, but also for another record.

  • by Peter Brukner
US President Donald Trump has celebrated special counsel Robert Mueller's finding that his campaign didn't collude with Russia.
Analysis
North America

Trump's problem: voters never cared much about Russia-gate

Republicans may celebrate the Mueller report finding that Donald Trump didn't collude with Russia, but the issue didn't hold much sway with independent voters.

  • by Matthew Knott
Iconic singer-songwriter and performer Paul McCartney performs at NIB Stadium in Perth on his first Australian tour since 1993.
Analysis
Companies

No more 'Wild West': Is this internet's darkest day, or a victory?

Copyright laws in Europe are to be revamped after a battle between leading artists and tech giants. The decision will have enormous consequences.

  • by Natasha Bernal
Nat Fyfe salutes the crowd at Optus Stadium after the Dockers unveiled a new game style against the Roos.
Analysis
AFL

Devastating blend: Fyfe drops hint that Lyon has seen the light

It took some post-match comments from captain Nat Fyfe to reveal a secret formula that could transform Freo this season.

  • by David Prestipino
Gary Weaven speaking at AFR Banking and Wealth Summit
Opinion
Banking & finance

Giving up a serious addiction to short-termism is hard

Our political and financial systems have become so addicted to short-termism that switching to a different gear seems virtually impossible.

  • by Adele Ferguson
What stories will be told in the proposed upgrade to the Australian War Memorial?
Opinion
National

Thinking clearly: whose story is being told?

For every 16 dollars we spent in the Middle East since 2007, we’re proposing to spend one dollar crowing about our contribution. That’s some hymn.

  • by Nicholas Stuart
Coles
Opinion
Companies

Welcome to supermarkets 3.0: Robots, AI and dark stores

Coles boss Steve Cain is planning to spend up to capture the huge growth in online shopping, leaving Woolworths chief Brad Banducci flat-footed.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Advertisement
For $1000 fans will be able to get up close to Stevie Nicks.
Opinion
Music

The high price of boomer nostalgia

Australian audiences dropping astounding amounts of money on acts which haven't had hits for 30 years.

  • by Jeff Apter
Kevin Rudd once claimed tackling climate change was the "great moral challenge".
Opinion
National

Every one knows something is broken but no one knows how to fix it

In an age where politics, business and the church have let us down, how do we find faith?

  • by Chris Uhlmann
If one partner has fallen out of love ... coaching cannot mend it.
Opinion
Life & relationships

Break-up coaches are exploiting the vulnerable

These 'coaches' are exploiting the distraught and grieving with false promises and shonky advice.

  • by Kerri Sackville
Illustration: Michael Leunig
National

Financial issues: The bottom line, save the government money

Readers discuss a range of issues relating to finance and money.