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
<p>
Letters
Letters

I’ll never forget the vile abuse at that footy field

Readers react to the accusations of racism in the AFL clubs, as well in comments by ABC journalist Laura Tingle.

Latest

Former Nine news chief Darren Wick.

The end of men like Darren Wick is coming. Here’s how I know

The end of such men is coming through legislation. And it’s accelerating because of the alleged behaviour of men like Wick.

  • by Jenna Price
Cast members of Love on the Spectrum season two.
Opinion
Autism

Autism has a ‘cuteness’ problem. My reality is way different

When I was 13, my favourite teacher decided it would be a good idea to call me “Julia Peculiar” in front of the class. I am forever grateful.

  • by Julia Pound
Nine has been criticised over its handling of sexual harassment complaints.

A tawdry tale of how Nine became its own headline

Why is it taking so long for companies to understand that ensuring their workforces are safe from sexual predators is an occupational health and safety issue?

  • by Elizabeth Knight
WA universities are boldly developing micro courses to upskill managers and workers to cope with the changing industry needs.
Opinion
University

What’s the point of going to uni? It’s a question I’m still asking

I had gone to school with people who thought tertiary education was something to be admired. What surprised me, when I actually arrived, was how pointless the whole thing seemed.

  • by Flynn Shan Benson
Looking for gliders.

Why can’t Forestry find any gliders, when everyone else can?

It has all the ingredients of a Monty Python sketch: bureaucrats shuffling around a forest looking for nocturnal animals in the middle of the day.

  • by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Advertisement
A  liquidity hangover from the pandemic has countered Fed interest rate hikes and helps explain the current behaviour of asset prices.

Wall Street is changing its trade clocks. Here’s how it could cost you

The US and three other countries are halving the time for settling deals from two days to one. That will increase costs, and make it harder for international investors to buy into the world’s largest economy.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
The bank of Mum and Dad may be one of the biggest lenders in Australia, but older generations are helping out too, sometimes at their own peril.
Analysis
Home loans

Rise of the ‘gran bank’: Why helping grandkids buy a home could cost you

The bank of mum and dad may be one of the biggest lenders in Australia, but older generations are helping out too – sometimes at their own peril.

  • by Rachel Lane
Steve Mortimer celebrates winning the 1985 State of Origin series

Inside the Blues campaign: Why Maguire wants the spirit of ’85

The NSW coach has called on past glories to inspire his team for the 2024 State of Origin series.

  • by Roy Masters
Spotlight: Joseph Suaalii arrives at the NSW team hotel on Monday.

Queensland picked Israel Folau. Why wouldn’t NSW pick Joseph Suaalii?

The relevant question about Suaalii isn’t about whether he should contest the Origin opener but on which side of the field he will play.

  • by Andrew Webster
Crows tackler Rory Laird tries to strip the ball from Eagle Harley Reid at the weekend.
Opinion
AFL 2024

Football’s 11th commandment: Thou shall not get caught in the act

If a tackler neither dispossess their opponent nor forces them into an illegal disposal, then play on it should be.

  • by Greg Baum

A man who can’t organise an umbrella can’t possibly organise a teenage army

Sorry to rain on Rishi Sunak’s parade, but this is a bold idea for an unpopular government to stake its future on. 

  • by Peter Hartcher
Snapchat has insidious features that would harm young users.

Snapchat’s worst feature is turning Gen Z into narcissistic, paranoid stalkers

Addiction is one concern here, sure. But more dangerous still is the culture this creates.

  • by Daniel Cash
<p>
Letters
Letters

Like it or not, the International Criminal Court has implied equivalence

Readers react to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s decision to apply for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

Damien Cook was used at centre for the Blues.

Have NSW set themselves up for another ‘Damien Cook at centre’ fiasco?

The shadow of the specialist hooker replacing Tom Trbojevic with last year’s series on the line looms large over the two Origin sides picked this week.

  • by Dan Walsh
Life in Fitzroy.

On the mean streets of 1970s Fitzroy, even the trees looked like they wanted to die

The Fitzroy of today – filled with bars, cafes, markets and designer boutiques – was unimaginable. But back then, locals loved the cheap rent and “anything goes” attitude.

  • by Justine Costigan
Advertisement
Jade Gresham.

Can Essendon go all the way this year?

This week on the Real Footy podcast, Jake Niall, Caroline Wilson and Michael Gleeson discuss the Bombers, who are now unbeaten in seven games.

  • by Staff writers
To Kill A Mockingbird
Opinion
Courts

It’s a crime that my father can’t serve on a jury

For whatever reason, the gods of the NSW Sheriff’s Office have had a love-hate relationship with my dad over the decades.

  • by Michelle Cazzulino
Render of the $1.2 billion Victoria Cross Station tower at North Sydney being developed by Lendlease.

Why this property giant’s shareholders staged a strategy coup

The hulking-out of Lendlease shareholders not only demonstrates just how aggrieved they were, but it is also a reminder that investors are the owners and in theory the board works for them.

  • by Elizabeth Knight
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in 2019.
Opinion
G7 summit

Named and shamed: The West just turned up the heat on China and Russia

It was an eventful meeting of some of the world’s leading finance ministers at a resort town in Italy.

  • by Stephen Bartholomeusz
The Canva Create event in Inglewood, California, US, on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
Analysis
Software

‘Peak cringe’: Canva goes viral for on-stage rap video

The rap was panned as being awkward and emblematic of how detached Silicon Valley has become from reality. But its co-founders say it was all part of the plan.

  • by David Swan

The first question I’m asked when people find out where I work

No matter the situation, time of day or location, the first question I’m asked when people discover I work in finance is invariably the same.

  • by Jaki Virtue
Chad Warner has been brilliant for the Swans.
Analysis
AFL 2024

The Cripps-Warner connection; Blues’ missing piece; big fortnight for Pies: Key takeouts from round 11

Chad Warner and Patrick Cripps have a mutual connection who is having a big impact on their seasons, while the Blues may have found an unlikely missing piece to their forward puzzle.

  • by Andrew Wu
Jarome Luai.

Luai might be the most polarising player in NSW. But Maguire needs his belief

The Blues coach wants players who run towards the fire. After weeks of injury carnage, his Origin hopes rest with Luai leading the way.

  • by Adam Pengilly
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.

Politicians don’t control immigrant numbers, and usually don’t want to

Politicians could exercise more control over immigration, but neither side has particularly wanted to.

  • by Ross Gittins
Palestinians line up for food amid the Israeli air and ground offensive.

Amid the ugly Middle East debate, we’ve lost sight of the obvious

One wonders how many of those making the Israel-Hamas equivalence point, including quite a few in the press, had taken 10 minutes to read the ICC prosecutor’s statement.

  • by Sean Kelly
Advertisement
<p>
Letters
Letters

Seething in the city: Street art, graffiti, YIMBYs and NIMBYs

Readers discuss the benefits of street art, the scourge of graffiti, the rise of YIMBYs, and the bad rap NIMBY’s get.

In Victoria, donor sperm can be used by as many as 10 separate people.
Opinion
Parenting

I’ve fathered five children in NSW. If I lived in Victoria, I’d probably have none

The state government’s donor recruitment drive may have good intentions, but without a review of family limits the idea of donating sperm feels too risky.

  • by Gary Nunn
Darren Coleman

Waratahs are not the only problem child in Super Rugby’s dysfunctional family

Rugby Australia must be learning that centralisation means taking on the problems of the franchises, not magically making them disappear.

  • by Paul Cully
Child’s play? Not quite.
Opinion
Parenting

I’m a bona fido dog lover, but stop telling me a fur baby is the same as a kid

Last week, I passed another woman with a pram, but hers contained a plump little sausage dog, not a furious-for-no-reason two-and-a-half-year-old.

  • by Hannah Vanderheide
The ICC has applied for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Let’s be clear, Peter Dutton: prosecuting Netanyahu is not antisemitism

This is not about moral equivalence, but seeking arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders is an attempt to impose equal justice.

  • by Geoffrey Robertson
Mitchell Moses and Brad Arthur.
Analysis
NRL 2024

Arthur, Moses back Eels culture after sacking

Sacked coach Brad Arthur is still defending the culture at Parramatta, and a TV reporter has accused star half Mitchell Moses of swearing at him at training.

  • by Danny Weidler
GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA - MAY 25: Danny Vukovic of the Central Coast Mariners holds aloft the Championship Trophy alongside team mates after winning the A-League Men Grand Final match between Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory at Industree Group Stadium, on May 25, 2024, in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Analysis
A-League Men

Miracle Mariners: Is this the greatest team Australian soccer has ever seen?

Before the Central Coast Mariners even had a chance to compute that they had just won the treble, they were swarmed by a pitch invasion.

  • by Vince Rugari
The introduction of crypto ETFs has sent investors into a frenzy. But it’s important to remember the market is still unregulated and volatile.

Don’t be fooled by record prices, crypto is still as unsafe as ever

The introduction of crypto ETFs has sent investors into a frenzy. But it’s important to remember that the market is still unregulated and volatile.

  • by Victoria Devine
Running out of money is a common worry when people first retire.

I’m terrified of running out of super. How do I prevent this?

Running out of money is a common worry when people first retire, but there are many options that can guarantee you income for life.

  • by Paul Benson
Dustin Martin was offered a huge deal by North Melbourne, which he declined.
Analysis
Draft

Why some AFL clubs’ recruiting ‘war chest’ won’t deliver guns

The AFL’s new pay deal has created space everywhere, and smaller clubs have to offer more than money when competing against the powerhouses for signatures.

  • by Jake Niall
Advertisement
Birth rates are declining.

Immigration cuts only work if women have more babies. Dutton knows they won’t

Our real population problem is not one of excess. Birth rates are declining.

  • by Jacqueline Maley
Many people shy away from tracking their spending, even though knowing where your money goes is vital to budgeting.
Opinion
Hip pocket

Why debt is not always a dirty word

Debt is generally considered detrimental, but there are times when the finance world begs to differ.

  • by Dominic Powell
Julie Perrin
Opinion
Religion

A voice from deep within stops spiral of defeat

Suddenly I was acutely aware of how ill-suited I was for mainstream employment. How could I’ve been so foolish to take my eye off the long game?

  • by Julie Perrin
In a magic moment, a group of boys realised that the score in a game of basketball was not the most important thing.
Opinion
Parenting

The boys knew nothing about my son’s struggles. Yet somehow they knew what to do

One day, these boys will be men. Seeing how they treated my son - who’s happy just to be out on a basketball court with them – gave me faith in the future.

  • by Tamara Walsh
Emojis have become signs of devolution of the English language.
Opinion
AI

NVM the LOLs, IMHO fully-formed words slay

If you use cutesy words such as nom, laughing emojis and acronyms such as LOL, you are going to hate this column.

  • by Dan Kaufman
<p>
Letters
Letters

The check-out might be the only human contact some of us get all day

Readers discuss customer service and ask why Coles is not hiring more human assistants when self check-out theft has risen 20 per cent.

Crying in public is having a moment. Unless, of course, you get turned into a meme.
Opinion
Comedy

The power of crying in public, more specifically, on the 8.08am train to Central

I’m sorry to everyone in the silent carriage who listened to my stifled sobs, but I finally understand the benefits of having a good – and public – cry.

  • by Thomas Mitchell
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

Nearly 80 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
A gold medal which will go up for grabs at the Paris Olympics.
Editorial
Gina Rinehart

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
Advertisement
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
Life expectancies are changing rapidly, with 42-year-olds today possibly living until 99.

You’ll probably 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 into your retirement planning.

  • by Bec Wilson