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Opinion

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Former PM Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths) and former senator Alex Irving (Deborah Mailman) run for election as independents in Total Control. 
Opinion
Opinion

Real life independents are rocking a Rachel Griffiths vibe

In Total Control, Griffith’s character get to choose the kind of conservative woman she wants to be.

  • by Jenna Price

Latest

China has begun the shift from physical to digital currency, causing consternation in Washington.

The dark side of China’s breakthrough on digital currencies

It would be entirely consistent for Beijing to use its monopoly control of the digital yuan as another layer in its “techno authoritarianism” for use at home and abroad.

  • by Peter Hartcher
Julian Assange is taken from court in London in 2019.

I have never met Julian Assange and I presume I would not like him, but he’s entitled to justice

Imagine a sliding door moment, and it was not Assange but you who was in court in Britain.

  • by Barnaby Joyce

You’re the Voice for climate campaign

The independent political movement is thick with ex-ABC and Fairfax types

  • by Stephen Brook and Samantha Hutchinson
The Pompello fruit and vegetable shop in Seddon.
Opinion
Inflation

Fear not: a bit of inflation is no bad thing

Making sure that economies generate a bit of inflation is the explicit goal of central banks around the world.

  • by Jessica Irvine
Victorian Labor’s Right caucus are all smiles at a meeting following the 2018 election win. Clockwise L-R: Frank McGuire, Hong Lim, Meng Heang Tak, Manor Kumar, Neil Pharaoh, Sarah Connolly, Marlene Kairouz, Australian Workers Union secretary Ben Davis, unclear, Anthony Carbines, unclear, unclear, Katie Hall, Robin Scott, Danny Pearson, Cesar Melhem, Colin Brooks, Adem Somyurek, Kaushaliya Vaghela, Tim Richardson, Luke Donnellan, Tien Kieu and Natalie Suleyman.
Opinion
ALP

Guilty and innocents alike “tramped upon” in Labor preselections

The lack of membership and the domination of the MPs’ offices as a recruiting ground augurs poorly for the party over the long term.

  • by Bill Kelty
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Letters
Letters

We want to hear Tim Wilson’s own views

Age readers have their say on the federal Liberal Member for Goldstein Tim Wilson’s view on the rise of independent MPs.

Joe Root and Ben Stokes trudge off the Gabba after the first Test.
Analysis
The Ashes

England’s players once again becoming victims of their introspection

England often bungle Ashes tours and it always starts early when they do. This series is no different.

  • by Malcolm Conn
Some sectors of the economy are recovering faster than we might have expected.
Opinion
Tax cuts

Tax cuts are not the only answer

It is an encouraging indicator that at least some sectors of the economy are recovering faster than we might have expected.

  • by The Age's View
Joe Root is dismissed in the first Test.
Opinion
The Ashes

The four-point plan England must use to halt Australian juggernaut

England must be spot on with selections but it is up to the players to improve their batting, fielding and mentality in Adelaide.

  • by Michael Vaughan
All of us are dreaming of escape - but that doesn’t have to mean big trips.

What we need for Xmas: less charting of the virus, more escape into nature

Small concrete moments of escape, which give us a sense of wellbeing and joy, are within our grasp.

  • by Melissa Coburn
Poker face; new Crown CEO Steve McCann.
Opinion
Casinos

A ‘reformed’ Crown bets big on a Sydney revival

James Packer’s scandal-ridden casino operator says it’s close to getting its game on in Sydney, but it’s unclear to investors what a rejuvenated Crown will earn and what it’s really worth.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Bianca Hall, co-host of Please Explain

How do vaccine booster shots work and why should you get one?

Reporter Sherryn Groch joins Bianca Hall to discuss how boosters work and why vaccination in developing countries will be crucial in countering new variants of coronavirus.

  • by Bianca Hall
Fed chief Jerome Powell

The end of the easy money era is rapidly approaching

The US Federal Reserve will be under intense pressure to step on the gas and accelerate its withdrawal of stimulus from the world’s largest economy this week.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Rio Tinto chief executive iron ore Simon Trott leads its WA operation with a 2020 revenue of $39 billion, more than 60% of the London-based group’s total
Opinion
Heritage

New WA Aboriginal heritage law an improvement but keeps miners in charge

New legislation to protect Aboriginal heritage in WA will, despite the destruction at Juukan Gorge, not change where power lies: with a state government that backs mining before all else.

  • by Peter Milne
Allegra Spencer with her sister, Bianca.

Yes, Australian politics needs a shake-up, but independents aren’t the answer

Independents are launching their campaigns replete with all the razzamatazz of politics-as-usual.

  • by Luca Belgiorno-Nettis
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Independent candidate Zoe Daniel has launched her campaign for the seat of Goldstein, held by Liberal Tim Wilson.

Independents more likely to hurt Labor and Greens than Liberals

It has become rhythmic: another Saturday morning, another so-called “independent” candidate has spontaneously announced their preparedness to contest yet another Liberal-held seat at the next federal election.

  • by Tim Wilson
The evidence is mounting that boosters are essential.

Vaccination is a marathon not a sprint: Why Australia needs to drive booster uptake

Booster uptake is every bit as critical as anything that’s come before in this pandemic.

  • by Steven Hamilton and Richard Holden
A child stands outside her home in a neighbourhood where many internally displaced people have been living for years, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday.

As starvation looms in Afghanistan, Australia must not hinder aid

International sanctions against the Taliban have made it difficult to get funds into the country since the group took power in August.

  • by Phoebe Wynn-Pope
Soon, about 300,000 older Australians with more complex needs will be receiving personal care at home.
Opinion
Aged care

Expanding home care is risky without a workforce plan

The federal government has dramatically expanded home care for older Australians, but poor-quality care will remain a hidden problem if the workforce remains undervalued, underqualified and insecure.

  • by Stephen Duckett and Hal Swerissen
Illustration: Jim Pavlidis

Is Albanese running a small-target strategy or simply all at sea?

If Labor doesn’t know what problems the Coalition has failed to address, how will voters work it out?

  • by Sean Kelly
Jacinda Ardern government has endeavoured to find a way to manage the risks in the relationship with China,
Opinion
Defence

‘It will really poke the panda’: New Zealand’s defence document breaks new ground on China

Its latest Defence Assessment shows New Zealand raising the alarm.

  • by Anne-Marie Brady
David Mond, former Victorian Liberal Party treasurer.

Trouble across the board at Caulfield Shule

The synagogue has said sorry to a member after remarks were made by an ex-president.

  • by Stephen Brook and Samantha Hutchinson
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos, left, and chairman Hamish McLennan.

Why Australian rugby’s razor gang must cut with care

Australian rugby needs to be wary of a death by a thousand cuts.

  • by Georgina Robinson
Illustration: Badiucao
Letters
Letters

Biden hypocrisy in shooting messenger

Age readers have their say on the moves to extradite Julian Assange to the United States.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad were not picked for the Gabba Test.
Analysis
The Ashes

Pink void: stats show Aussie quicks have Anderson and Broad’s measure

Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc could be the key to victory for Australia in the second Test in Adelaide given their brilliant record with the pink ball.

  • by Tom Decent
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Julian Assange, pictured in 2017, at the Ecuadorian embassy.

Assange’s legal torment has gone on long enough

There is a strong humanitarian and pragmatic argument for freeing the WikiLeaks founder.

  • The Age's View
Many of us have been racing around trying to find the perfect presents.
Opinion
Gifts

This Christmas, ditch the big box stores and shop local

With more of us looking to move away from disposable festive trash and create a more sustainable celebration, this is a great way to choose more meaningful gifts for family and friends.

  • by Alice Clarke
Joe Root and Ben Stokes trudge off the Gabba after the first Test.
Analysis
The Ashes

Stokes’ wretched Gabba outing shows reputation alone will not suffice

Ben Stokes’ unhappy outing in the Ashes opener in Brisbane shows no player can transform a series through reputation alone.

  • by Oliver Brown
Josh Frydenberg expanded the eligibility for business expense tax breaks in November.

Stop kidding: the 2024 tax cut will be economically irresponsible

The tax cut, supported by both the federal government and Labor, is now “unfunded”. We’ll be borrowing money to give ourselves a tax cut.

  • by Ross Gittins
There are ways to tackle the stress of waiting for VCE results.
Opinion
Education

How year 12s can manage the wait for results

When anxiety creeps in during the wait, comfort yourself with knowing that safety nets exist.

  • by Pearl Subban
Joe Root leads England off the field after losing the first Test.
Opinion
The Ashes

England, why are we so stupid?

Joe Root must face up to it - we were walloped. It is all well and good talking the talk, but only deeds, not words, can help England from here.

  • by Geoff Boycott
The Andrews government has been promising support for the tourism sector.

Roaring back? The regions need a rev up

The government needs to do more to help rural Victoria bounce back and breathe life back into domestic tourism.

  • by Jon Faine
Independent candidate Zoe Daniel launches her campaign for the seat of Goldstein in Sandringham.

Independents must detail skills and policies

The prospect of sending “ordinary” Australians to Canberra has a certain anti-authoritarian romance to it.

  • The Age's View
Former premier Bob Carr has been done in by his left wing.

‘You ignored warnings’: Bob Carr on why the unvaccinated should pay for their COVID healthcare

The former premier and minister for foreign affairs takes a hard line on the unvaccinated.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
George Christensen appeared on Alex Jones’ show.

Only one way to stop the conspiracy theories George Christensen is spreading

Australia is descending into dictatorship and this must be stopped because if Australia falls, so will the United States. That, at least, is the narrative a group of American conspiracy theorists is spreading.

  • by Parnell Palme McGuinness
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There’s a thrum in the air, a sense of anticipation in the streets. There are wreaths on the doors and inflatable Santas in the front yards.

I’ve never celebrated Christmas, but there is something special about the day

Christmas 2021 will be the icing on the freedom cake. We always deserve to celebrate the good stuff, but in this hugely challenging year we deserve it even more.

  • by Kerri Sackville
Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis in a scene from the Sex and the City sequel, And Just like That,

The Sex and the City reboot was awful, and yes I will keep watching

And just like that, they’ve undone so much that was right about the original series. In the ’90s, Sex and the City showed single women cavorting against social expectations. Can’t we have some more of that now they are over 50? 

  • by Jacqueline Maley
The surfie chicks in the Greenhills Gang watch their guys surf in a scene from the 1981 film Puberty Blues.
Opinion
Cinema

Forty years since Sydney ‘spunks’ and ‘surfie molls’ hit our screens, have we evolved?

When I was a teenager, the Herald asked me to review the film Puberty Blues. What has changed since for young women?

  • by Helen Pitt
Illustration: Jim Pavlidis

All trees are Christmas trees, except the plastic ones that come in boxes

Around every growing tree you can find the perfect gift: oxygen, hospitality to other creatures, a strong sense of place and purpose, fresh buds.

  • by Michael McGirr

Six money lessons I learnt in 2021

Here is a wrap-up of some of the main things I learnt about money amid a global pandemic in 2021.

  • by Jessica Irvine
The big-three telcos have now rolled out their 5G networks to as many as three-quarters of their customers.

5G v NBN: New battleground for fast internet

New 5G plans compare favourably on price and speed to the NBN.

Howzat for a first effort? Australian captain Pat Cummins appeals.
Analysis
The Ashes

On a new day, Australia turn over some new leaves

What a difference a night makes. On Friday, it seemed Australia would be made to fight out the first Test. But shortly after lunch on Saturday, it was all over.

  • by Greg Baum
Nathan Lyon leaves the field after claiming his 400th Test wicket.
Analysis
The Ashes

Australia v England player ratings

Travis Head got the man of the match award and nine votes out of 10. In contrast, Jack Leach was tonked from his first over to his last to return figures of 1-102 off just 13 overs.

  • by Andrew Wu and Phil Lutton
The day Nathan Lyon finally made it to 400 Test wickets.
Analysis
The Ashes

There are more riches on offer for Lyon beyond the 400 milestone

Nathan Lyon showed how, with the right fields, he can return to being a genuine wicket-taking threat for Australia on home soil.

  • by Daniel Brettig
Many homeowners may find they have over-committed if interest rates rise.

Stumping up for an old house worth $1.2m: Is it worth it?

History teaches us that the best way to lose a lot of money is to buy an overpriced asset at the peak of a boom.

  • by George Cochrane
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Tough days at the office ... England captain Joe Root.
Opinion
The Ashes

Like Bob Willis 40 years ago, England’s tactics and selections confound

A lot of England’s problems at the Gabba seemed to stem from decisions made before the start of day one. They must learn lessons for Adelaide.

  • by Geoff Lawson
China's GDP expended by 3.2% in the year to the end of Q2.

Supply chain chaos: What it will take to make the world’s ships run on time

The pressure on the global supply chain continues to build, and no other option remains for moving most of the world’s goods.

  • by James Stavridis
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Analysis
UK politics

Boris Johnson, saved by new baby, but for how long?

The British Prime Minister has always lived his private life in chaos – now he’s governing the country that way.

  • by Latika Bourke
Women have stomped on the idea that they can’t work in mines.
Opinion
Gender

‘More likely to be pawed than promoted’: The dirty secret in Australia’s mining industry

An inquiry has uncovered a culture of assault, harassment and buried reports.

  • by Julia Baird