The US government goes much further in data collection than we should be comfortable with, but the latest revelations are not as devastating as some people think.
Category: Australia
Do teenagers count as people?
The New South Wales government plans to (yet again) treat young people as second-class citizens, this time with high-frequency sound that the rest of us are too old to notice.
Another Tiananmen anniversary
Twenty-four years on and the Chinese government still resists any reckoning with the events in Tiananmen Square. Julie Bishop looks like continuing the tradition of Australian appeasement.
Let’s talk about party funding
Politicians across the world are sincerely convinced that they are worthy recipients of public money. The public disagrees, but only rarely – as this week in Australia – is it able to get its voice heard.
Taxis, government and the media
The Victorian government promises taxi industry reform but seems a bit reluctant to highlight its importance.
Media criticism made easy
The media show no interest in explaining what the holdup is with constitutional recognition of Australia's indigenous people.
How not to write about local government
Journalists these days tend to forego the hard work of learning about policy and just write about the political "horse race". What's worse is that they frequently get the details of that wrong.
Civil partnership for all?
The House of Commons has backed same-sex marriage, but the future status of civil partnerships is likely to continue to muddy the waters.
Boat people turn out to be genuine – what a surprise
Nearly all the asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia turn out to be genuine refugees. Equally unsurprising is the fact that the government wants to have it both ways on the issue.
Federalism and local government
The Gillard government wants the constitutional power to fund local government directly. Here's why that's a bad idea.
