Opinion
Analysis
Superannuation
Super funds urged to axe ‘sub-scale’ investment options
Many super funds have investment options that do not have enough funds in them to be sustainable.
- by John Collett
Latest
Opinion
Healthcare
Learn from my mistakes: What not to do when applying for a health card
Given the savings on offer, you might wonder why more people haven’t applied for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. Perhaps they heard about my misadventures.
- by Kaye Fallick
Opinion
Wall Street
Donald Trump just got hit with a $1.5 billion reality check
The release of Donald Trump’s media group’s annual accounts rattled investors and wiped billions off the former president’s fortune.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
Interest rates
I hope the Easter bunny was good to you, because chances are the Reserve Bank won’t be
The ups and downs of interest rates mean more to Australian families than they do to virtually anyone else on the planet.
- by Chris Richardson
Analysis
NRL 2024
If this was Usain Bolt, it’s an obstruction. But can you pick one when you see it?
The NRL’s obstruction rule is dominating discussions. Again. So with the rule right in front of you, can you make a call on these examples of obstruction?
- by Dan Walsh
Analysis
BNPL
Fears as more shoppers use credit cards to buy now, pay later
Many people are using credit cards to pay off their buy now, pay later (BNPL) debt, stoking fears of a cascading “debt trap”.
- by John Collett
Analysis
AFL 2024
Dees prove doubters wrong, Dons edge ahead: Key takeouts from round three
This week, we take a look at Melbourne’s performance in Adelaide, Essendon’s win over St Kilda and the case of the curious Cat.
- by Marc McGowan
Opinion
China relations
He fought the Taliban and won reality TV. Now he’s started an Australian civil war
Former SAS soldier and Australian Survivor winner Mark Wales is taking a novel approach to China’s aggression, but could it affect his chances of winning preselection for the Liberal Party?
- by Peter Hartcher
Letters
Letters
Empty rooms pile up as garden state abandoned
Readers react to the trend for houses in new suburbs to cover more of the block and to leave less space for trees
Opinion
Life in the ’burbs
My suburb used to embarrass me. Now I get why its homes come at a 30% premium
I’m proud to live in McKinnon now, but as a child, I was embarrassed by the suburb my grandparents called home. Why couldn’t they live in the more fashionable Caulfield South?
- by Melissa Singer
Opinion
Construction
Prefab or pre-drab? The pros and cons of factory-made houses
If a factory-made house or apartment is better in so many ways than traditional building on muddy sites with variable weather, why the low take-up?
- by Tone Wheeler
Analysis
Defamation
Inside Ten’s eleventh-hour manoeuvre in the Lehrmann defamation case
The network is seeking to call Taylor Auerbach, a former producer on Seven’s Spotlight program, who was part of a team working to woo the former Liberal staffer into an exclusive interview deal.
- by Michaela Whitbourn and Kate McClymont
Opinion
World Boxing
Under the bright Las Vegas lights, Tim Tszyu didn’t flinch. But did his corner?
Questions are being asked about the Australian’s world title fight being allowed to continue after he received a nasty gash on his forehead.
- by Andrew Webster
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Netanyahu has been given two options by the US. Both come at a high price
No Israeli leader has leveraged American support more than Netanyahu to pursue a self-centred anti-Palestinian policy. Yet, US-Israeli relations are now experiencing an unprecedented rift.
- by Amin Saikal
Opinion
Gender
Why fighting with your family at Easter should be mandatory
Our world needs more respectful, honest and curious conversations, especially when we disagree.
- by Bella Westaway
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Donald Trump is a fake tough guy on China
Trump makes a big show of being the man to keep China in check. But Joe Biden is the real deal.
- by Paul Krugman
Opinion
Healthcare
When funding healthcare, don’t forget the caring bit
Our leading health economist says that when it comes to healthcare funding, we should think about compassion and social justice, as well as being efficient.
- by Ross Gittins
Tight Five
Super Rugby
Brumbies playmakers thrive, while things could still get worse for Waratahs
The Brumbies and Reds put on a quality display on Saturday, but it’s still a step below Test rugby and that complicates matters for the Wallabies’ coach.
- by Paul Cully
Opinion
Political leadership
The PM was punching well, until he gave himself an immigration uppercut
Sometimes in politics – like when you realise your opponent will always punch harder – you should exit the ring and try another approach.
- by Sean Kelly
Analysis
Political leadership
Does Anthony Albanese have a succession plan? The most and least likely contenders
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was elected with a two-term strategy to govern Australia, but what happens after that is a mystery.
- by James Massola
Opinion
AFL 2024
Four Points: The real reasons the Lions are battling, and has the penny dropped for Essendon?
The Lions are 0-3 with two losses at home but the fallout from an end-of-season trip to the US is not the reason for their struggles.
- by Peter Ryan
Letters
Letters
Les Twentyman gave hope to those who felt hopeless
Readers celebrate the life of the western suburbs social worker who helped change lives through his advocacy and indefatigable hands-on help.
Analysis
Social media
What would Facebook look like without any news?
Last time Meta banned news, it removed the Facebook pages of charities, emergency services and hospitals. What will happen this time?
- by David Swan
Opinion
Social media
Celebrities are taking life’s greatest pleasure and making it feel like work
Nothing tells you more about a person than what’s in their fridge. And while this fascination has been around for centuries, it’s now bloomed into a full-blown social obsession.
- by Wendy Syfret
Analysis
US Votes 2024
Russia seeks to influence US election to weaken Ukraine’s defence
Russia has re-injected itself into the political debate around the US presidential election. But it’s the sense of crisis and chaos that people really must watch.
- by Chris Zappone
Opinion
Music festivals
From Splendour to surrender: why music festivals are out in the cold
The demise of Splendour in the Grass will shock no one who has been listening to music industry warnings.
- by Benjamin Potter
Opinion
US politics
When Trump parades a hog-tied Biden, his violent threat to democracy is beyond question
Donald Trump’s violent nihilism is exposed in his latest video. The Australian Electoral Commission would expunge such an image, but Trump’s worst outrages are protected by the US First Amendment.
- by Bruce Wolpe
Opinion
Spending
Why you shouldn’t feel ashamed of dipping into your savings
There is no shame in the game of spending the savings you worked damn hard to attain in the first place.
- by Victoria Devine
Opinion
Ask an expert
Will gifting money to our son mean we can’t get the pension?
Early inheritances are well and good, but make sure you don’t regret gifting away money you might have actually needed.
- by Paul Benson
Opinion
Drugs
If the Easter Bunny delivered cocaine, would you be outraged? Discuss
Studies that try to show chocolate is a health food succeed only in showing that it causes happiness.
- by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Opinion
Five Minutes with Fitz
How Charlie Pickering would sell Peter Dutton
Given his understanding of politics, how would The Weekly host sell the opposition leader to the Australian people?
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Parenting
Poonami! If you thought having one baby was a handful, try doubling it
Nothing can prepare you for the arrival of multiple babies. Your life will never be the same again. But the PM can make some simple changes to get mums back to work, and help with mental health.
- by James Massola
Opinion
Sunday Life
It’s easy to take a sense of community for granted, but this is why we all need it
If you want to reap the rewards of the village, it requires effort in return.
- by Jamila Rizvi
Letters
Letters
Where does Liberal contender for Kooyong stand on voters’ concerns?
Readers discuss Liberal Party “royalty” and fresh candidate for Kooyong, Amelia Hamer’s ability to claw back the affluent Melbourne seat.
Opinion
Cooking
The stress of Bring A Plate dinner parties
Dinner parties are supposed to be fun, but my enjoyment entirely hinges on how many people compliment my roasted cauliflower and pine nut salad.
- by Thomas Mitchell
Opinion
Supermarket wars
Calling Colesworth: Why we give names to our corporate overlords
The head of Coles said she’d never heard the term “Colesworth”. This disappointed me.
- by Richard Glover
Opinion
Retirement living
How early can you retire? These are the key dates to know
There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the retirement process, from the steps leading up to retirement to navigating life post-retirement.
- by Bec Wilson
Opinion
Superannuation
How your super compares with the average (and how to fix it if it doesn’t)
Since Easter is all about eggs, do you know how your nest egg compares to someone else’s at your life stage? And are you on track for a sweet retirement?
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Opinion
Workplace culture
Celebrate your birthday how you like, just not in the office
Celebrating birthdays in the office can be divisive, awkward, and an all-round waste of time.
- by Jim Bright
Opinion
Energy
Labor has a broken energy fix. The Libs don’t have one at all – yet
Australia can bid for solar cell factories, but if we lack the power to run them, the hope is forlorn.
- by Peter Hartcher
Shot of a lifetime snatches win for the ages
In grassroots sport, it doesn’t get any better than what transpired at Riverside Oaks Golf Club last weekend.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Private schools
‘Retro, wealthy and weird’: The old boys who are afraid of young girls
The Newington College old guard is resisting co-education, but you have to wonder when adults’ identity is so tied to their six years as teenagers.
- by Jacqueline Maley
Opinion
Cafe
Oi, old mate, a cafe isn’t a rent-free office. Why don’t you Zoom off?
Cafes are occupied by too many entitled loiterers, for whom $4.50 a coffee is way too cheap. The rest of us are subsidising their Zoom meetings.
- by Malcolm Knox
Letters
Letters
Rent hikes and land squeeze puts pressure on city hubs
Readers react to plans for ten Melbourne urban centres earmarked for “housing density swell”.
Opinion
Global economy
How China got its claws into the West’s green transition
The price of copper has long been the barometer for how well the global economy is travelling. But this time it tells a different story.
- by Eir Nolsoe
Why the most macabre doping scheme in Olympic history went unpunished
Righting the wrongs of the state-orchestrated East German doping of the 1970s and 1980s will be anything but straightforward.
- by Darren Kane
Opinion
City life
Melbourne, your street art and laneways are overrated. We’re just putting lipstick on a concrete pig
Parklets and painted “shared streets” aren’t working. If that’s the best we’ve got, Melbourne’s reputation as a leading liveable city is in trouble.
- by Prue Blake
Analysis
Streaming
TikTok in the sights as Universal and Spotify announce new partnership
A new Universal deal is aimed squarely at TikTok’s sweet spot, promising to “amplify music discovery and social interaction and enhance fan experiences” via Spotify.
- by Karl Quinn
Opinion
Australian rugby
Rugby will be a winter sport forever - or will it?
A few years ago I would have been hostile to even contemplate a switch to summer to align with the northern hemisphere. Now I am merely neutral, not to mention curious.
- by Paul Cully
Opinion
Drugs
Drugs aren’t just for tradies and ravers. Middle-aged, middle-class women do them too
All drugs can destroy lives, finances, relationships. But in the spirit of openness, let’s not lie. They’re fun, and therein lies the rub.
- by Kate Halfpenny