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
The Suburban Rail Loop has been one of the state’s most controversial infrastructure projects in recent years.

The cost of the SRL will be huge. Not building it would cost us so much more

Compared to other cities and other nations, we are a rail backwater. Getting on with the SRL and an airport train line are the only options for the future of our city.

  • by Neil O'Keefe

Latest

US Vice President Kamala Harris

Harris is ahead in the polls, but she can’t afford to get comfortable yet

After a stellar party convention and her first sit-down interview, Kamala Harris’ team is feeling confident, but history has a way of repeating itself.

  • by Ava Kalinauskas
The edge of development suburbia: Marsden Park is in the Blacktown local government area, one of the regions with the greatest improvement in tree canopy.

Why suburbia is the new green – and the saviour of sustainability

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the burbs are our great green hope.

  • by Tone Wheeler
The Demons give away a late free kick against Geelong.
Analysis
AFLW

Daisy does it all and the free that would have triggered Magpie nightmares

In the first round of the AFLW season, Daisy Pearce showed why she was “one of the biggest recruiting coups in history” and there was a late free kick in Melbourne’s win over Geelong that caused a stir.

  • by Marnie Vinall
LETTERS
Letters

Planning needs to consider global warming

Age readers react strongly to proposed revamp of planning regulations.

Gary Nunn.
Opinion
Real life

Please, stop condemning my nickname as ‘extremely derogatory’ on my behalf

As good as the intentions of the complainant may have been, I don’t need someone to take offence for me. And yet, this demand for censorship is creeping into our lives more and more.

  • by Gary Nunn
Advertisement
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during last week’s Democratic National Convention.

Gold is soaring on fears Kamala Harris is about to unleash an economic catastrophe

The US dollar may be about to be debased, and gold has always been the only real protection against that.

  • by Matthew Lynn
     Kamala and Hillary

Hillary Clinton couldn’t shatter the glass ceiling, but here’s why Kamala Harris just might

Is America ready for a Madam President? Is Kamala Harris better placed than Hillary Clinton to get there? The answer to both – with caveats – is yes.

  • by Nick Bryant
Super Retail Group has been accused of serious wrongdoing by its former top two lawyers, Rebecca Farrell and Amelia Berczelly.

Behind the ‘Fight Club’ clause: The litigation Rebel Sport’s bosses don’t want to talk about

Super Retail, the $4 billion retailer behind the brands Rebel Sport, Supercheap Auto, Macpac and BCF is embroiled in a legal brawl that threatens to rupture the group’s leadership.

  • by Colin Kruger
All families count, but how do we count them?
Opinion
Census

I’m a census fan but, as a queer parent, my family still doesn’t count

My children are nearly grown. If these questions are not added, I will miss the opportunity to complete a census that truly depicts our family while they are still living with me.

  • by Christy Newman
Len Ikitau

The X-factor Wallaby who offers Schmidt genuine hope for future

Coaches love to talk about attacking structure, but there is no substitute for a player who can make things happen out of nothing. Against Argentina, the Wallabies had just one of those.

  • by Paul Cully
ASIC chair Joe Longo.

Why this booming, opaque corner of finance has watchdogs worried

This $US2 trillion market is in the sights of regulators, and many of us are indirectly exposed to its risks through superannuation.

  • by Clancy Yeates
Prayer and faith.
Opinion
Religion

Celebrating the ‘ultimate father’

Christians speak of God as father in several ways, the most important being that he is their creator and redeemer, their protector and guide.

  • by Barney Zwartz
The government estimates that major banks and card providers netted a whopping $4 billion in the past year from Australians, all thanks to surcharges.
Opinion
Bank fees

Card surcharges are costing us billions, but can they be avoided?

The government estimates that major banks and card providers netted a whopping $4 billion in the past year from Australians, all thanks to surcharges.

  • by Victoria Devine
Investment bonds can be a good option for those looking for a tax-friendly environment outside of superannuation.

Should we invest in shares, super, or give bonds a try?

Investment bonds can be a suitable option for those looking for a tax-friendly environment outside of superannuation.

  • by Paul Benson
Who counts? And who’ll be counted? The 2024 Sydney Mardi Gras.
Opinion
Census

Should we care if nosy data wonks ask about our sexuality?

It’s a shame there was no sensible public debate about the census changes because there are sensible views on both sides.

  • by Jacqueline Maley
Advertisement
ASIO director-general of security Mike Burgess.

ASIO boss caught in political crossfire over Gaza refugees

ASIO boss Mike Burgess has found himself ensnared in the political dispute over security screening of refugees.

  • by Deborah Snow
Australia’s most prestigious universities are pushing back on the federal government’s proposed caps on international students.

The crude cap on foreign students is a rotten immigration policy

The arbitrary cap on higher education numbers won’t work. Here’s a better idea: cut student numbers with more rigorous, export-quality courses.

  • by Parnell Palme McGuinness

Among Glenn A. Baker’s greatest hits was knocking over Stevie Nicks

Glenn A. Baker is to Australian rock music what Bob Woodward is to American politics. But questions remain. The “A”? The hat? What happened backstage at Countdown?

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Much was left unsaid between me and my father. But I know he loved me.
Opinion
Family

If you loved me, you wouldn’t leave me, Dad said. But I had no choice

My father and I did not talk of love or grief. But I did not doubt I was loved by this gentle, funny, intelligent man.

  • by Neil Orford
Bonds are a reliable but unpopular form of investment.
Opinion
Hip pocket

Bonds, corporate bonds: The reliable but unpopular investment

The global bond market is roughly three times the size of the global equity market, yet bonds don’t get much love from everyday investors.

  • by Dominic Powell
“I knew Dad was worried about me. I knew it in the same way I knew he would pick me up from parties I hadn’t told him about as a teenager.”

‘Cup of tea?’: The 4am offer that meant so much as a new mum

On this Father’s Day, Jamila Rizvi raises a cuppa to her devoted dad.

  • by Jamila Rizvi
LETTERS
Letters

The politics behind a government backflip

Age readers react to the government reversal on the census.

An illustration of the McPhillamys mine, with Kings Plain houses in the bottom left.
Analysis
Mining

Lies, damned lies and gold mines: What you need to know about the Blayney bunfight

The McPhillamys mine proposed by Regis Resources has become a political football since Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek decided to block a key part of the project on Indigenous heritage grounds.

  • by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Latrell Mitchell leaves Souths in Maroubra Junction.
Photo Nick Moir 27 August 2024

Latrell is no longer worth the money – and that’s the bottom line

He is a special player capable of doing things on the field others can’t, but he is not providing value for money for Souths.

  • by Peter FitzSimons
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris with Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention.

Can I get a vote in the US election? I’m more informed than most Americans

I even know Tim Walz’s son’s name. But Albo’s? No clue.

  • by Richard Glover
Advertisement
Friends: if it was Australian, it would’ve been Maaaates.
Opinion
WordPlay

What’s the most versatile word we have? Mate, that’s easy

Americans have friends, the French have amis, and what we have depends on your tone.

  • by David Astle
A frequent goal for a comfortable retirement is owning your home outright. But for many, that’s a goal that’s out of reach.
Opinion
Renting

Four tough truths about renting and retirement

A frequent goal for a comfortable retirement is owning your home outright. But for many, that’s a goal that’s out of reach.

  • by Bec Wilson
Getting on the phone to your insurer can be a drag, but the savings are worth it.

How I cut my home insurance premium by $879 in just 48 minutes

Insurance premiums are rising, and while getting on the phone to your insurer can be a drag, the savings are worth it.

  • by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Illustration: Joe Benke

Why Australia may no longer be ‘God’s country’, according to Ajay Banga. Amen

In stark contrast to his predecessor at the World Bank, the new president is a warrior in the cause of confronting climate change.

  • by Peter Hartcher
We speak about the international student “industry” as if families send their children to Australia in a ruthless act of plunder, not an agonising severance.

My tearful farewell to my son cast new light on the foreign student ‘industry’

My son has become an international student. His departure has given me a new perspective on the young people who are temporarily calling Australia home.

  • by Malcolm Knox
Poor pay rates have made it difficult to attract long- term staff into aged care.
Opinion
Aged care

It’s not a generation war, charging the wealthy more is essential to fix our aged care disaster

There is a crisis in aged care: beds are empty, while people are being forced into hospitals due to a lack of beds. Reforms are urgently required.

  • by Melinda Cilento and Cassandra Winzar
Melbourne City Council elections in October.

Voting, donations reform will make for better council elections

With October’s Melbourne City Council elections approaching, another troubling disconnect between the city and the wider metropolis has resurfaced: that between how voting works in the council and everywhere else in Victoria.

  • by The Age's View
Adrian Arciuli, Bridget Munro and their daughters, Margot and Grace.
Opinion
Fatherhood

Since losing my wife, each day is a reminder of what dads are capable of

The past nine months have shown me that a father can do everything a mother can, except breastfeed.

  • by Adrian Arciuli
Gen Z workers are being hailed as creative and ambitious.
Analysis
Careers

Gen Z’s confessional style fuels generational divide on LinkedIn

The younger generation sees LinkedIn more like the original Facebook. How far is too far on LinkedIn?

  • by Charlie Wells
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

How the PM’s captain’s call to stop a culture war blew up in his face

An early Sunday morning message to Labor MPs about a gender and sexuality question in the 2026 census opened up a disastrous political week for the government.

  • by Paul Sakkal and James Massola
Advertisement
Peter Dutton: Is the leader of the opposition too negative to be prime minister?

Dutton is landing punches on a rattled Labor, and voters are noticing

Labor is ramping up its attack on the opposition leader as too divisive to lead Australia, but the signs are that voters aren’t buying the government’s message.

  • by James Massola
LETTERS
Letters

Our treatment of asylum seekers must change

Age readers respond to the nation’s treatment of asylum seekers.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt looks on during a training session.

Inventive Irish show that Wallabies’ narrow attack isn’t a problem in itself

Joe Schmidt’s playing style has led to questions, but there is a shining example of how it can succeed.

  • by Paul Cully
Sinner caption

Kyrgios has (sort of) got it right about Sinner’s doping offence

Nick Kyrgios is right about Jannik Sinner escaping a ban, but not because the Italian is a drug cheat.

  • by Darren Kane
Opinion
Feminism

I’ve never sent a naked selfie. There’s no shame in a little shame

That we use “prude” as a derogatory term should show us the implicit pressure we put on others to embrace nudity and sexuality.

  • by Cherie Gilmour
Easton Wood (left) and Matthew Boyd celebrate the Western Bulldogs’ fairytale 2016 premiership, from seventh place.
Analysis
AFL 2024

The Bulldogs won the flag from outside the top four in 2016. Is this the year another team does it?

In the tightest season ever, many pundits think the teams in the bottom four of the eight are as good a chance of winning the flag as those in the top four. But are they really?

  • by Peter Ryan
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Sydney’s Gay Mardi Gras last year.
Opinion
LGBTQ

Labor’s bizarre census backflip reveals great data about this weak government

It’s funny how it’s always LGBTQ issues that have to be sacrificed to maintain the peace.

  • by Michael Koziol
John Coombes guilty of murdering Raechel Betts leaves the Melbourne Supreme Court.
Analysis
Naked City

How the tide turned on Phillip Island killer

While the murders John Leslie Coombes committed were all different, his stories surrounding them were disturbingly similar.

  • by John Silvester
It’s been a hard year to be a Bombers fan.
Opinion
AFL 2024

There’s a cardinal rule of footy fandom, and I’m ready to break it

Supporting a footy team should be fulfilling. Enjoyable! It should give a return. It should not be triggering. It should not induce heart attacks.

  • by Kate Halfpenny

I could have been a billionaire but my brain got in the way

ADHD is killing my bottom line.

  • by Genevieve Novak
Advertisement
Letterboxd created the “film bro”. Now, film bros are ruining the cinema.

There’s a new generation of cinema lovers. If only they knew how to behave

We get it, you love movies. Now please stop making it a competition and let us enjoy the cinema in peace.

  • by Nell Geraets
Giants CEO David Matthews and coach Kevin Sheedy flank legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in a classic “No Sherrin” rule breach in 2012.
Opinion
AFL 2024

‘I’m not well’: Kevin Sheedy is sick but still passionate about the Giants, Swans … and Folau

Folau declared last week that he only signed with the GWS Giants for the money – but the legendary coach holds no grudges.

  • by Andrew Webster
Christian Petracca’s situation is a major headache for Melbourne.
Analysis
AFL 2024

Inside the politics of the Petracca predicament

Like a boulder hurtling down the mountain, the destructive momentum from Christian Petracca’s injury has gathered so much velocity that if it is not halted, it could demolish the Melbourne hierarchy.

  • by Jake Niall
Failing to spot anomalies in workplace culture can lead to system failures.

When do companies fall apart? When they stop being curious

Creating company culture is an unpredictable process. Coming up with a few empty core values and putting up posters in the lunchroom will not cut it.

  • by Jim Bright