Opinion | Comment & Analysis | The Age

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Opinion

Advertisement
Britain’s Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak, right, and Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris wait on board an Artemis Technologies boat before a tour during a visit to the maritime technology centre at a dockyard in Belfast, on Friday.
Analysis
UK election

Sinking Sunak steers Tories towards iceberg as MPs jump overboard

More than 70 Conservative MPs will not seek re-election on July 4, that’s nearly a quarter of all Tories serving under the British prime minister now.

  • by Rob Harris

Latest

A gold medal which will go up for grabs at the Paris Olympics.
Editorial
Editorial

Who pays for Australia’s gold standard?

Sports funding in Australia is a mess. Some sports are rolling in money, some are on the bones of their backsides. It is time to look for a better model.

  • The Age's View
Richard Glover on memories.
Opinion
Spectrum

Quiche used to seem amazing, when did we become so immune to delight?

Is there a way to recapture that enthusiasm? To channel our younger selves, and remember our giddy surprise?

  • by Richard Glover
Jack de Belin arriving at court in April 2021.
Analysis
NRL 2024

No-fault stand-down policy isn’t perfect, but NRL has little alternative

You can argue the stand-down rules are neither an effective deterrent nor a fair punishment – but that’s not the point of them.

  • by Darren Kane
The demolition of the Hazelwood coal-fired power plant in May 2020, three years after it closed.
Analysis
Energy

This week in Australia energy and climate collided; it’s a global story

This week in Australia energy and climate collided; it’s a global story

  • by Nick O'Malley
You never know what life might throw at you, so income protection insurance can provide some peace of mind.

My income protection costs $362 a month. Is it really worth it?

Income protection insurance can be expensive, but it’s a comforting parachute to have if you’re suddenly unable to earn.

  • by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Advertisement
Life expectancies are changing rapidly, with 42-year-olds today possibly living until 99. It’s key to factor this in to your retirement planning.

You’ll likely live longer than you think, so start planning now

Life expectancies are changing rapidly, with 42-year-olds today possibly living until 99. It’s key to factor this in to your retirement planning.

  • by Bec Wilson
No country loves rugby league more than PNG.

PNG league team is a great idea – but why should we pay for it?

Albo’s mob is talking about putting in $60 million annually for 10 years to sustain the Port Moresby team. Something does not add up here.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Ricky Ponting in discussion with  Shikhar Dhawan during his role as Delhi Capitals coach in the IPL.
Analysis
India

‘It’s almost a no-win role’: Why you won’t see an Australian as India’s $2 million coach

It’s the best-paid coaching job in world cricket, and it’s up for grabs. So why won’t an Australian coach India?

  • by Daniel Brettig

The party cannibals have gone vegan, so Albanese and Dutton are safe (for now)

We’ve progressed from the era of disposable political leaders to a new era of relatively indispensable ones.

  • by Peter Hartcher
Britain’s prime minister in waiting, Labour leader Keir Starmer.

Britain’s best hope is a PM with the charisma of frozen peas

A boring prime minister in Keir Starmer may be the best Britain can hope for if it’s to end the omnishambles era.

  • by Nick Bryant
Marvel Stadium’s tenant clubs are pushing for more games at the MCG.
Analysis
AFL 2024

Grounds for complaint: Why Dons, Blues and Saints want fewer Marvel games

Tenants of the AFL-owned Docklands stadium are queuing up to ask for more games at the MCG.

  • by Jake Niall
The stories are timeless, even if the authors are of another time.
Opinion
Racism

I’m not cancelling my favourite books, despite my dark skin troubling their authors

I can’t cancel the stories of my childhood. Great stories can survive the sins of their writers.

  • by Satara Uthayakumaran
<p>
Letters
Letters

We are a big gas producer, why the scare campaign about running out?

Readers ask how Australia, one of the world’s biggest gas exporters, could be facing a shortage at home. Listen to the experts, not the gas producers, they write, to find out if there’s any truth in claims of supply shortages for Victorians.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin review the honor guard during an official welcome ceremony in Beijing, China, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Xi and Putin’s love-in is an ominous sign for the West

Russia and China have traditionally treated each other with mutual suspicion and loathing. But now they are closer than ever.

  • by Liam Halligan
Origin.

We asked data nerds to pick the NSW Origin team. Here is who they selected

The team have been in the lab crunching the numbers, our experts have their say and we also get AI on board for the NSW campaign.

  • by Dan Walsh
Advertisement
Niger Farage and Jeremy Corbyn.
Analysis
UK election

Besides rain and bad polls, Sunak also must contend with ghosts

Two key figures, adored and detested by their respective tribes in equal measure, will make life harder for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

  • by Rob Harris

Yes, we love to hate them, but here’s some sparkling news for dentists

Sure, they extract quite a bit of dosh from us, but when it comes to our teeth doctors, the haters should just build a bridge.

  • by Jo Stubbings
Bulldog Aaron Naughton will be nervously awaiting scans.
Updated
AFL 2024

Dogs learn Naughton’s fate as injuries mount heading into crucial stretch of season

The Bulldogs’ 14-point loss to premiership favourites Sydney was compounded by injuries to Anthony Scott, Aaron Naughton and Ed Richards.

  • by Andrew Wu
Opinion
Religion

Confessions of a disabled parking sticker offender

Last Sunday, I took my mother to church and committed many sins.

  • by Malcolm Knox
Jake Trbojevic, Isaah Yeo and James Tedesco

Maguire’s call on Tedesco will decide NSW’s Origin fate

He’s not only the fullback but also the incumbent captain, so the decision Maguire makes about the Roosters No.1 will have major implications for the Blues’ campaign.

  • by Roy Masters
Harley Reid.
Opinion
AFL 2024

Watching Harley Reid play footy has made me feel hopeful again

Dave Grohl, Virginia Trioli, Kate Middleton. With so much grief and worry in the world right now, these people feel like the antidote. They turn everyday things into acts of beauty.

  • by Kate Halfpenny
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks after stepping off his plane in New Caledonia on Thursday.
Opinion
Protests

Macron’s supreme arrogance to blame for riots in New Caledonia

In the ongoing blame game, it’s hard not to point to Macron himself as the arsonist in chief. He’s the one who set in motion a vote in Paris that triggered the protests in New Caledonia.

  • by Anne-Elisabeth Moutet
In all the discussion about stalking Baby Reindeer has provoked, no one has discussed how writers themselves can be predatory - but what are they hunting?
Opinion
Streaming

Why I’m grateful for Baby Reindeer, the anti-hero alternative we desperately need

In this era of self-congratulatory and safe memoirs, the Netflix series dares to be dangerous.

  • by Mark Mordue

Treasury tells all: How the housing market is so stuffed up

Our housing industry has been too slow to respond to the increased demand for housing. What’s the Albanese government doing about this mess?

  • by Ross Gittins
There’s a desire in our society to believe most companies exist on a reasonably narrow spectrum with nothing radical at the extremes. But that’s a myth.

Is workplace abuse more prevalent than I realised?

There’s a desire in our society to believe most companies exist on a reasonably narrow spectrum with nothing radical at the extremes. But that’s a myth.

  • by Jonathan Rivett
Advertisement
Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s memoir of her time in jail in Iran is on the shortlist for the non-fiction award.

I won’t mourn the sudden death of the man who oversaw my sham trial

Iranians are celebrating the death of their president by dancing in the streets, setting off fireworks and posting an endless stream of helicopter-themed memes. Meanwhile the Australian government has sent its condolences.

  • by Kylie Moore-Gilbert
Too many rocks, not enough diamonds this season for Latrell Mitchell to be picked for NSW for Origin I.

Why Michael Maguire simply cannot pick Latrell Mitchell for Origin I

The South Sydney fullback doesn’t deserve the jumper, nor can he be trusted to perform in it.

  • by Andrew Webster
<p>
Letters
Letters

Australia and the planet lose, no matter who wins next election

Readers discuss the next election. If the Coalition wins, Australia will nuclear power eventually, but will not meet its 2030 carbon reduction commitments. If Labor wins, Australia will get transitional gas.

Manly coach Anthony Seibold.
Analysis
NRL 2024

Are Manly, Anthony Seibold and Isaac Moses still on the same page?

The Sea Eagles have told their coach that contract talks are on hold after three straight losses. But Seibold insists he didn’t storm out of a meeting on the eve of a season-defining clash.

  • by Adam Pengilly
Netflix decided to release season three of Bridgerton in two parts.
Opinion
Streaming

Is Netflix killing off the binge model it created? The signs say yes

The latest season of Bridgerton has been split in two, spread out across a month. It’s the latest sign the streaming giant is shifting from the binge model.

  • by Aine Ryan
Baby Reindeer recounts the tale of a chance meeting that quickly escalates into stalking.
Opinion
Real life

When I had a Baby Reindeer experience, I resolved to find my stalker

It began with an anonymous Twitter account posting about me and tagging my colleagues. Who from my past –  exes, housemates, former colleagues – might bear this kind of grudge?

  • by Damien Nowicki
The writer on the dirtbag trail: Trail running involves as much walking as running.
Opinion
Trends

In appealing to the rich, has trail running lost its dirtbag spirit?

Have we become so comfortable in our lives we are now seeking – and willing to pay big money for – discomfort?

  • by Sarah Berry
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has signed a deal with OpenAI.

No ‘dirty deals done dirt cheap’: Why Murdoch teamed up with OpenAI

Rupert Murdoch has decided that a deal done with the ‘thieves and counterfeiters’ of AI is better than no deal.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Brittany Higgins leaves the Federal Court last year.

Want MPs to support abuse victims? Maybe don’t threaten them with jail time

If we want to make the silence of Parliament House bystanders a prosecutable offence, we must also ask: who are we at risk of silencing in the process?

  • by Madison Griffiths

Morrison currently holds the golden chicken trophy. Could Chalmers be next?

The prize for counting budget chickens will always be a tight contest when politicians spend so much of their time listening to themselves and each other.

  • by David Crowe
Advertisement
Workers once hid behind pot plants and pillars to avoid their boss’ roving eyes. These days, the ever-present ‘green dot’ is making it much harder.

Why ‘green dot’-obsessed managers are ruining remote work

Workers once hid behind pot plants and pillars to avoid their bosses’ roving eyes. These days, the ever-present “green dot” is making it much harder.

  • by Jim Bright
Having been cold-shouldered by Anglo American for weeks, BHP has finally got its board to sit down and engage with its offer.

BHP’s expensive date with the Anglo directors

The Anglo American board has finally agreed to let BHP put forward the case for its now $74 billion takeover plan after the Australian mining giant upped its offer for the second time.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Young guns: Sam Darcy, Nick Daicos and Chad Warner.
Opinion
AFL 2024

Who Kane Cornes would pick in the ultimate AFL super draft

Imagine a new-look AFL where existing contracts are scrapped and every player nominates for the biggest draft ever. Who would you choose?

  • by Kane Cornes
We deepen our connection and trust with the people we love by offering them private information.

I used to love being told a secret, but now I don’t really care

I’ve been told of some pretty significant secrets in my time – from affairs, to secret children, to gambling problems, to bankruptcies – so the bar for titillation has been significantly raised.

  • by Kerri Sackville
The UK papers respond to Sunak’s announcement.
Analysis
UK election

Diminished and drenched, Rishi Sunak seems impatient for his own demise

The British PM is attempting to pull off a turnaround that would be unique in modern political history. It’s not off to a convincing start.

  • by Rob Harris
Richie Benaud

I’m calling it: Why ‘marvellous’ moments in sports commentary are dying out

Where are the Benauds, the Comettis, and the Warrens of the new generation? It might be the case that the talent is there, but we’re just not listening like we used to.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Blues playmaker Cody Walker was named man of the match in last year’s series finale.

There is one Rabbitoh NSW must pick for Origin … and it’s not Latrell

Origin can bring out the best in players looking to escape the dramas at their club. Michael Maguire can do that with South Sydney’s mercurial star.

  • by Andrew Johns
Labor has the pieces in play to proceed to an election this year.

Dutton has dealt himself into contention. Does Albanese have the bottle to go after him?

Following last week’s budget, key elements of the election contest are now in place. Anthony Albanese would be unwise to wait too long in setting a date.

  • by Shaun Carney
Tumbling after.
Letters
Letters

Broken promises and delayed projects the reason for Allan’s poll slump

Readers discuss reasons the Allan government is losing support according to the results of this week’s Resolve Political Monitor survey of 1105 eligible Victorian voters.

An open letter to Gina Rinehart, from Queen Victoria (who loved her beer)

Women like us are defined more by power than posing. We work hard, we shoulder immense duties, we bellow in the ears of prime ministers.

  • by Julia Baird
Advertisement
China will eventually wipe out the West’s electric car industry 
because its carmakers can make a much fatter profit per car overseas.

It’s defend yourself, or get crushed by China’s export tsunami

An open world economy cannot exist with a deformed Chinese economy that accounts for 13 per cent of global consumption but produces 31 per cent of all manufactured goods.

  • by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
A still from the video featuring Terrell May, Zach Dockar-Clay and three other Roosters teammates.
Opinion
NRL 2024

NRL target tests Roosters players for illicit substances following bogus social media claims

The Roosters and RLPA are angry after players were tested following unfounded claims they had taken party drugs the night before the match against Cronulla.

  • by Andrew Webster
Opinion
Employment

We are now in a vaudeville economy where bad news is good news

There’s a good chance that there’s enough bad news around on family finances that the government handouts won’t push up interest rates.

  • by Chris Richardson
LendLease investors are looking for blood.

Lendlease’s sacrifice of chairman won’t appease bloodthirsty investors

Many feel that the board has engaged in a bit of tinkering when full-scale renovation is needed.

  • by Elizabeth Knight