Eurosceptics have been having a field day over olive oil, but there's a serious question about business regulation that needs to be looked at.
Category: Political issues
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.
Mr Cameron and the swivel-eyed loons
The British prime minister faces a two-pronged revolt by the Conservative masses, but it's not yet big enough to split his party.
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.
Death claims another general
Argentina's former dictator dies in prison, but we all too easily forget how normal his regime once appeared.
Two concepts of racism
An interesting perspective on racism, and particularly on anti-Muslim feeling in Europe.
Hawking, boycotts and the settlements
Physicist Stephen Hawking has decided not to go to a conference in Israel. The Israelis think they're being unfairly picked on.
Federalism and local government
The Gillard government wants the constitutional power to fund local government directly. Here's why that's a bad idea.
Could Ireland get a normal party system?
An unsuccessful vote on same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland demonstrates Sinn Féin's willingness to defy the Catholic church, raising hopes that Ireland may be on the way to a less sectarian party system.
