Opinion
Opinion
Political leadership
Wanted: A Labor leader capable of capturing the imagination of voters
It’s been 37 years since Hawke promised to lift children out of poverty. In chasing the middle vote, it’s hard to imagine a politician doing the same today.
- by Sean Kelly
Latest
Opinion
Property investment
Should big super get involved in tackling housing affordability?
Recent moves by major funds to invest in housing are welcome, but we shouldn’t expect the sector to have a significant impact on the wider property market.
- by Clancy Yeates
LETTERS
Letters
If there are to be high-rises, this is what is needed
Age readers respond to proposals to add more high-rise precincts in the city.
Opinion
Parenting
Why it’s time to give up on trying to be a cool parent
Aside from death and taxes, one thing is certain: children will always be embarrassed by their parents, even when you’re doing the coolest thing possible.
- by Shona Hendley
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Don’t mistake MAGA loyalists for ‘turning’ on Trump – they’re just hedging their bets
After months of discontent, some of Donald Trump’s most high-profile supporters are criticising his campaign. But they haven’t turned on him – yet.
- by Dr Emma Shortis
Opinion
Ethical investing
Green dreams go bad: Why feel-good investing doesn’t make for good returns
“Green” investors have learned a harsh lesson on investing based on a feel-good narrative, instead of using fundamental or technical analysis.
- by William Bennett
Opinion
Wallabies
He has played 33 minutes of Test rugby. But he could solve a looming Wallabies problem
Pumas flyer Mateo Carreras shapes as a major threat to the Wallabies, but Max Jorgensen may just have his measure if he gets the nod on the right wing.
- by Paul Cully
Opinion
Democracy
Australia’s a democratic wonderland. A vote of thanks to one rather strange man
Curiouser and curiouser. How did the author of Alice in Wonderland influence Australia’s electoral system?
- by George Brandis
Opinion
Religion
Why faith also involves some fear
If we trust in God, might we not be entrusted with a task we won’t like, one that involves hardship and sacrifice?
- by Melissa Coburn
Analysis
NRL 2024
V’landys defends two-hour lunch meeting to pick Immortal, Hall of Famers
Questions have been asked about the selection process for rugby league’s Immortals and Hall of Fame.
- by Danny Weidler
Analysis
AFL 2024
Why Bailey Smith is bound for Geelong
Unless there is an unexpected twist, or the trade founders on the rocks of recalcitrance, Western Bulldog Bailey Smith will be moving down the Geelong Road to play for the Cats in 2025.
- by Jake Niall
Opinion
Financial literacy
Earn a lot, but don’t feel rich? You might be a HENRY
Before you pull out the world’s smallest violin for people bringing home the financial bacon, hear me out.
- by Victoria Devine
Opinion
Ask an expert
How can we work out how much pension we’ll get when we retire?
Knowing what you’ll have available to you in retirement isn’t the easiest calculation, but it’s worth getting on top of it ahead of time.
- by Paul Benson
Analysis
Foreign relations
After being grounded ‘Airbus Albo’ readies for take-off
The idea that international travel is a prime ministerial luxury, akin to a relaxing holiday, is a tabloid trope of the most juvenile kind.
- by Matthew Knott
Opinion
Skin cancer
I’m a doctor who deals with the c-word daily. Yet a brief encounter on a busy day floored me
It’s been a challenging winter and I know my fellow doctors, nurses and paramedics are exhausted. A line from Spider-Man has been echoing in my mind.
- by Farrukh Tufail
Opinion
Gadgets
Confessions of an e-scooter commuter
Many believe that e-scooters and similar devices will play a big role in how we get around in the future, but the path remains bumpy.
- by Tim Biggs
Opinion
Parliament House
Be more civil, you racist: Why insults should not be banned in parliament
The teals want to raise the tone of debate, but they get the lowest political Scrabble score with the word “racist”.
- by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Opinion
Five Minutes with Fitz
Celia Pacquola dropped the F-bomb at the Logies. Will she be invited back?
The Aussie comedian may not have her name tattooed on Larry Emdur’s backside, but she did enjoy hanging out with her best friend Luke McGregor.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Hip pocket
You’ve finally saved a house deposit. Now what?
You might feel like beelining for your closest weekend auction, but it can be prudent to take your time.
- by Dominic Powell
Analysis
AFL 2024
What the AFL needs to fix for season 2025
This season has raised a multitude of issues for the AFL to address over the off-season. We look at what should be on the agenda.
- by Peter Ryan and Jon Pierik
Opinion
Sunday Life
Here’s what I learnt after attending my school reunion
A night at my 50-year school reunion reminds me what really matters in life.
- by Jane Caro
LETTERS
Letters
There are perfectly good buses to use
Age readers respond to the continuing debate over the use of e-scooters.
Opinion
Pop culture
The six words guaranteed to offend almost anyone
Is there a more terrifying question than “You know who you look like?”
- by Thomas Mitchell
Opinion
Jobs
Kamala’s secret sauce: Working in fast food sets you up for success
Even if we end up working in an entirely different industry, the skills learnt working in fast food stay with us for life.
- by Shona Hendley
Analysis
AFL 2024
The Hawks are as good as any team in the flag race. They know it
These brash, young Hawks are as good as any team in it. Rarely will a club enter September in white-hot form and with their list in such strong health.
- by Andrew Wu
Analysis
Australian cricket
Cricket rights cash fight threatens lifeblood of the game
Star’s pursuit of a massive World Cup rights discount is life-threatening for the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies. It will hurt Australia too.
- by Daniel Brettig
Analysis
Political leadership
12 big ideas and six sitting weeks: It’s crunch time for Albanese
With an election looming, the Albanese government is running out of time to get a raft of reforms through.
- by David Crowe
Opinion
Bledisloe Cup
In the coffin of All Blacks rugby, the Bledisloe Cup is in play
The implosion of the once-invincible All Blacks has Wallabies fans passing the popcorn and dreaming of a Bledisloe upset.
- by Paul Cully
Opinion
The Fitz Files
Bravo to you, Ron Coote, but this Immortals-mania needs to slow down
Further trips back through rugby league’s history is an exercise that best be avoided.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
AFL 2024
Why so many people are rejecting the Eagles’ coaching job
At least four leading candidates have turned their backs on approaches from West Coast for their senior coaching job, and the reason why is a warning to the AFL.
- by Caroline Wilson
Opinion
Comedy
Are you sure there’s no such thing as a dumb question?
The world is full of questions that should never be asked.
- by Richard Glover
Opinion
WordPlay
What this Pixar film gets so right about the human condition
Is this boredom I’m feeling, or ennui?
- by David Astle
Opinion
How to get a pay rise
Women work 50 days extra to equal men’s pay. Here’s a way to fix that
For every dollar an average man earns, the average woman makes just 89 cents. I don’t know about you, but that also makes me think: challenge accepted.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Opinion
Ageing
The truth about why we’re working for longer in retirement
Retirement is being redefined. It’s no longer about stopping work; it’s about managing and balancing your money, health and happiness in a way that suits you.
- by Bec Wilson
Analysis
Side hustle
Lost your job? Maybe it’s time to re-invent yourself
The jobs market can feel turbulent, so it might be time to turn a long-held passion job into a money-spinner.
- by Emily Chantiri
Opinion
Parliament House
Is ‘rip him a new one!’ really necessary for robust democratic debate?
The teals are inviting us to see the cacophony as something else – stupid, harmful to social civility and, above all, unnecessary.
- by Jacqueline Maley
Opinion
Censorship
Elon Musk saying civil war is inevitable is not inciting violence. Here’s why
Beware the online-harm brigade, or we’ll have police on our doorsteps as fast as we can say boo online.
- by Josh Szeps
Opinion
US Votes 2024
Trump out-Foxed: The most telling thing about Kamala’s pyjama party
Donald Trump phoned in to Fox to offer his critique of Harris’ acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. They duly put him to air, initially ...
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
Scams
Why Australian banks are better at stopping scammers than British banks
Winning the war against these international criminal gangs can only be achieved through a collective show of strength from all parts of the scams chain.
- by Anna Bligh
LETTERS
Letters
This behaviour in parliament wouldn’t be tolerated at kinder
The poor behaviour in federal parliament of politicians draws censure from readers.
Analysis
US Votes 2024
Jubilant Kamala Harris makes the choice clear: freedom or chaos
In accepting her nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate, the US vice president highlighted all the ways her rival Donald Trump would take the country backwards.
- by Farrah Tomazin
Analysis
AFL 2024
Inside the ‘war room’ that sparked Hawthorn’s stunning rise
Hawthorn had just finished barely above the bottom four despite having one of the league’s oldest lists, so something had to give.
- by Marc McGowan
Opinion
NRL 2024
Immortals heaven is filling up fast. When will the ‘Full House’ sign go up?
The game’s administrators are happy to kick these questions down the road until a future generation is forced to close the border.
- by Malcolm Knox
Tony Wright’s Column
Regional Australia
Mobile phones, 3G and the coming sounds of silence in the bush
The approaching closure of the 3G telecommunications service means an unknown number of mobile users will no longer be able to connect with emergency services.
- by Tony Wright
Opinion
Global economy
China can’t rescue the global economy this time
The global economy is sputtering and an “enormous error” in the US just ramped up the pressure. We can’t rely on China to fix things.
- by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Analysis
NRL 2024
Finals of fortune: The dollars, deals and reputations up for grabs in September
Several halves - from the biggest earners to unlikeliest match-winners - are stepping out of the shadows and into the NRL spotlight.
- by Dan Walsh
Opinion
US Votes 2024
I jumped up and down when I heard Michelle Obama utter one amazing word
I am not getting dewy-eyed here, but I see signs that Americans – across the political divide – are reviving a graciousness that had lain dormant.
- by Julia Baird
Opinion
Divorce
Whether you’re Jenny from the Block or a suburban matron, divorce is not a spectator sport
Sure, celebrities trade privacy for fame. But I’d rather revel in their clothes or babies or weddings, not the death of something they believed was forever.
- by Kate Halfpenny
Opinion
AI
I asked AI to write this column. Trust me, I have nothing to fear
Satire and emotion were lost on that silicon scribe.
- by Anson Cameron
Opinion
AFL 2024
Sunday showdown: Blue heaven or hell for Carlton
On the final day of the 2024 AFL home and away season, Carlton will take the field against St Kilda with a straightforward equation: Win and they will play finals.
- by Jake Niall