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Opinion

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The lights over Sydney back in the day

A few more fuel gauge tales and travails

Latest

The pandemic has boosted the concept of working from home, which has helped lift the proportion of women in work.

One group was working from home centuries ago. Here’s why it matters.

The pandemic helped jump-start a shift in who works in our economy. Here’s how we can hold on to the gains.

  • by Millie Muroi
WA senator Linda Reynolds in parliament last year.

Linda Reynolds, Janet Albrechtsen dine out after Lehrmann judgment

The former defence minister was spotted at dinner with the News Corp columnist, a prominent critic of Brittany Higgins, days after the Federal Court’s decision.

  • by Kishor Napier-Raman

It’s what Penny Wong didn’t say in her two-state solution speech that’s most alarming

The foreign minister’s failure to say more about the world’s most serious conflict is symptomatic of the way Ukraine has slipped down the list of Australia’s priorities.

  • by George Brandis
Cauchi prowls Bondi Junction during his knife rampage.
Opinion
Crime

Actions speak louder, but without words we can’t see the full horror

Language can help us see things as if for the first time. When it fails, though, the problem does not really lie with language but with us.

  • by Sean Kelly
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and other state treasurers believe there are huge problems with the GST system.
Editorial
NSW budget

Impact of GST carve-up reveals urgent need to fix a bad system

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey says the state’s AAA credit rating will almost certainly be downgraded as a result of the GST “rip-off”. 

  • The Herald's View
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The act of talking about people when they’re not in the room deserves a positive rebrand.
Opinion
Musings

Gossiping isn’t evil, it’s our feminine duty

The art of talking about people when they’re not in the room deserves a positive rebrand.

  • by Eliza Reilly
X owner Elon Musk.

For as long as playing ball is optional, horrific violence will remain on social media

It feels like social media is deteriorating at rapid speed. But the horrific content we’ve seen this week is a symptom of a broader problem.

  • by Alice Dawkins
Back to school: Will your children be walking?

Education focus should be on facts, not on faith

Surely religious prayer groups are not entitled to active supervision by our overworked public school teachers?

Patrick Lipinksi kicks a goal against Port.
Four Points
AFL 2024

Chaotic Collingwood rediscover their 2023 spark

Collingwood click again as they bring the energy back; the unbeaten Geelong must face the AFL’s best forward pairing without the best defender in the game; and footy’s bravest act may need to be flipped on its head

  • by Michael Gleeson
It’s estimated almost 40,000 more women could re-enter the workforce if the test was abolished,
Opinion
Childcare

Axing this Catch-22 could add 40,000 workers to the economy. What are we waiting for?

At a time when Australia is experiencing a critical skills shortages, keeping tens of thousands of women out of the workforce seems beyond counter-intuitive.

  • by Terese Edwards
Trent Robinson.
Analysis
NRL 2024

Personal attacks over support for Jennings rock Robinson

The Roosters coach has learnt the hard way that he’ll get nothing but hate for backing Michael Jennings.

  • by Danny Weidler
Can’t afford a house?

Should we upgrade from an apartment to a house?

If life was purely about accumulating wealth before you die, then trading your apartment for a home would probably make sense. But there’s more to consider.

  • by Paul Benson
While its logical a position such as CEO deserves higher pay than other roles, the disparity is getting harder to stomach.

The hefty pay packets of CEOs is becoming harder and harder to justify

While it’s logical that a position such as CEO deserves higher pay than other roles, the disparity is getting harder to stomach.

  • by Victoria Devine
Richmond champion Dustin Martin: will he change his colours?
Opinion
AFL 2024

Why Hardwick and the Suns should just leave Dustin Martin alone

Dustin Martin’s seven-year mega contract at Richmond expires this year, and since 2022, if not earlier, Gold Coast have been mooted as the logical destination for Dusty if he wanted out. But does he?

  • by Jake Niall
Opinion
Crime

The grand moral of the Lehrmann fable is yet to unfold

At the heart of this case is a woman who has been most shamefully immolated in service of other people’s vanities.

  • by Parnell Palme McGuinness
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Justice Michael Lee (centre) with Brittany Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann.

The best thing about the Lehrmann judgment? Its slowness in a time of dangerous speed

We have increasing difficulty in integrating disparate views, and having civil disagreements. The only antidotes are slowness, nuance, and a tolerance for complexity – all things that are increasingly rare.

  • by Jacqueline Maley
“I started feeling really crook.” Jimmy Barnes in hospital after major surgery late last year.

There ain’t no second prize, but here’s how Barnsey got a second chance

Cold Chisel’s frontman and self-confessed rock’n’roll stormtrooper is rethinking life after a near-death experience. He’s decided to rock on.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
You should tackle your debt slowly, one bite at a time.
Opinion
Hip pocket

Share tactics: How to take a punt on investing and avoid backing a dud

Investing is increasingly popular, with more than 10 million Australians owning shares outside of super. But no one wants to back a loser.

  • by Dominic Powell
You may try your hardest to avoid it, but it’s only a matter of time before you’re staring into the abyss, wondering where it all went wrong (and who you caught it off).
Opinion
Illness

The five stages of surviving gastro (according to the five stages of grief)

As a wave of nausea sweeps through the house, prepare to experience a range of emotions. First comes denial, then anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance.

  • by Thomas Mitchell
Tributes at Bondi Junction Westfield.

After a week of horror, remember what matters most

If Sunday is Sydney’s best chance to breathe out, to spend more time with family, friends and loved ones, then the city needs to exhale today.

  • by The Herald's View
Kusini Yengi and Portsmouth are going up.
Analysis
Socceroos

Going up? The Aussies on cusp of cracking the big leagues

As the European season reaches its conclusion, a number of Socceroos are vying for a spot in the top tiers of England, Italy, Germany, Spain and France.

  • by Vince Rugari
“Words of affection and affirmation are nice but I know now that there are things that are even better. A good coffee served to me in bed in the morning.”

It’s important to me to be a good girlfriend. But I suspect I’m getting the better deal

My partner’s love language is acts of service, whereas mine is words of affirmation. Is it possible that I’m better off here?

  • by Kerri Sackville
A family gathers around a seder table during Passover.
Opinion
Religion

The joy of Passover that makes the exhaustion worth it

Preparing for the Jewish festival of Pesach is a huge lift, but when you finally celebrate 3000 years of tradition at the seder table, it’s worth the hassle.

  • by Nomi Kaltmann
Roo Bailey Scott is tackled by Hawk Jai Newcombe.
Analysis
AFL 2024

They’re winless and in the doldrums. Who will escape footy’s world of pain faster?

Hawthorn and North Melbourne are winless heading into their twilight rumble. But which team is better positioned to bounce out of their cellar-dwelling hell and emerge as a force?

  • by Jon Pierik
Kirsha Kaechele (left) and supporters arrive  at court for the anti-discrimination case launched by Jason Lau.

The art of confrontation is the point of Ladies Lounge

If only you’d have stopped and thought about it from someone else’s point of view. Isn’t that what art is meant to make us do?

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Luke Brooks and the Sea Eagles celebrate a try and victory in Las Vegas.
Analysis
NRL 2024

TV hides the blemishes, but NRL living large thanks to halo effect

The schedulers of the NRL’s draw deserve much credit for an exhilarating start to the season by successfully building on the Las Vegas showcase.

  • by Roy Masters
Ian Heads in 2023, when he was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame.

Well played, Headsy: Greats line up to farewell legend of the game

Ian Heads not only documented the great stories of his day – he featured in many of them.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Illustration: Simon Letch
Analysis
Wallabies

Coach Joe Schmidt will pick fewer overseas Wallabies, not more

The future of the Giteau Law may be of little consequence for the new Australian coach.

  • by Paul Cully
Cuts both ways: Do you stack your cutlery in the dishwasher pointy end up or down?
Opinion
Comedy

The everyday debates guaranteed to start an argument

Do you stack your cutlery in the dishwasher pointy end up or down?

  • by Richard Glover
In a world where technology can have us plugged in 24/7, establishing clear boundaries around after-hours work off could help promote a healthier work-life balance.

Will the right to disconnect disrupt the way we work?

Employees who want to get ahead likely won’t invoke the right, and those who do may find that managers gravitate towards workers who are more available.

  • by Amanda Lyras
It can be hard to cut through ‘change management’ hype.

Feel like what you do at work goes unrecognised? You’re not alone

Not being recognised for the work we do is prompting many of us to look for greener pastures.

  • by Nina Hendy
The way we look at retirement, from a money and lifestyle perspective, is changing.

What a modern retirement plan should look like

Retirement has gone from a time when we stepped back into the shadows to being one of the most exciting phases of our lives. Here’s how to plan for it.

  • by Bec Wilson

After a week of mass-murder and terror, we must take a look in the mirror

The prime minister expected the week would be dominated by the unveiling of the government’s new defence strategy. Instead, Australia’s internal security was on the agenda.

  • by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Crime

Rape myths are extremely dangerous. Did the Lehrmann verdict bust them?

After the awful, vitriolic and often ignorant public debate we’ve seen during the Lehrmann trial, now is the time to elevate the best drivers of change: experts, evidence and experience.

  • by Julia Baird
CEDA says inclusion of the family home is worthy of more consideration.
Opinion
Home loans

How to get a bit of breathing space on your home loan

You can forget about pandemic-level mortgage breaks – but you can still get some reprieve on your loan if you follow these five steps.

  • by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
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sporting apologies
Opinion
AFL 2024

The art of the sporting apology, and how it became a business

Somewhere in the sports world, someone is always apologising, and saying sorry has become a business with its own skill set.

  • by Greg Baum
L-R: Sammy J, Richard Glover, Craig Reucassel, Sarah Macdonald.

ABC local radio just hit rock bottom. What’s next?

The national broadcaster peaked during bushfires and COVID-19 and it has been downhill for a long time.

  • by Calum Jaspan

Israel and Iran are following the rules of the jungle, not the rule of law

Countries such as Australia should unilaterally impose sanctions on the leaders of both countries to compel them to recommit to law and peace.

  • by Ben Saul
Billions of people are signed up for Facebook, but how many still need it?

Could we all do without social media?

In moments of stress or boredom, I find myself watching weird videos on social media. That’s not why I installed the app.

  • by Tim Biggs
A fat bike. It is not suggested that this bike was involved in the incident.

Police have given up on fat bikes

In Gwandalan, we have a plethora of unlicensed underage riders, often without helmets, riding noisy, unregistered two-wheeled machines, who even ride at speed on one wheel through the shopping area.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones, Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk.
Editorial
Social media

Government beginning to look impotent in its failure to rein in X

The response of politicians to the growing repugnance to social media’s malign influence following the Sydney stabbings is big on rhetoric, but a large gap yawns between their words and actions.

  • The Herald's View
Max Presnell has been a great influence on many journalists.

Max’s wisdom and advice will stay with me beyond the track

Turf great Max Presnell has gone from hero to friend and mentor for racing writer Chris Roots.

  • by Chris Roots
Not happy: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Only one man can stop the world plunging into full-scale war

Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity in Israel is at an all-time low. Yet, we are waiting, helplessly, to see what risk he will take next.

  • by Geraldine Brooks
Jake Fraser-McGurk was thrilled to get playing time in the IPL.
Analysis
IPL

The ‘gimmick’ that has sparked a cricket culture war

A rule change has India’s stars up in arms, with plenty of potential consequences for this year’s Twenty20 World Cup.

  • by Daniel Brettig
Supporters of Donald Trump gathered outside the US Capitol before the January 6 insurrection.  The committee has heard that Trump “summoned the mob”.

Civil War is a movie. If Trump wins, will it be a reality?

With the instigator of the Capitol Hill riot standing a good chance of returning to power, the question of whether the US is headed towards Civil War 2.0 no longer feels hyperbolic.

  • by Nick Bryant
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Sue Chrysanthou, SC, hugs Lisa Wilkinson as they emerge from the Federal Court on Monday.
Opinion
Defamation

Lisa Wilkinson has claimed victory. Who is she kidding?

If you’re going to be for all women, you have to acknowledge when you f--- over other women.

  • by Kate Halfpenny
Altered picture of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets during the unveiling of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party’s election manifesto in New Delhi, India.

In India elections are a matter of faith, and criticism is akin to blasphemy

Close to a billion Indians are eligible to vote in a 44-day national election beginning today. It will be the largest democratic exercise in history.

  • by Zach Hope
A blanket everyone-back-to-work policy is rarely a judicious move, especially when so many employees are content with the existing policy.

We’ve been told we need to work from the office full-time. Why?

A blanket everyone-back-to-work policy is rarely a judicious move, especially when so many employees are content with the existing policy.

  • by Jonathan Rivett
Lisa Wilkinson and Brittany Higgins.
Opinion
Defamation

There was no conspiracy, so why pursue Higgins over her payout?

The court decision has made essential findings about what took place, but it is already being used to justify yet another hunt for targets.

  • by David Crowe