menu_open Columnists

Brisbane Times

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

I’m chasing financial freedom. How do I escape the rat race?

Financial freedom, where your investment income covers your expenses, is an oft sought after goal. But is it really all it’s cracked up to be?

latest 7

Brisbane Times

Paridhi Jain

I can see seven smokes shops from my bus stop - governments must act

Although Australia is a world leader in smoking cessation, we’ve done very little to control how and where tobacco is sold. These shops are...

latest 7

Brisbane Times

Becky Freeman

Trump’s ‘magic’ act: The US Senate has just made $5.8 trillion disappear

The Senate Republicans are using a controversial accounting approach to make the cost of Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill appear far smaller...

latest 5

Brisbane Times

Stephen Bartholomeusz

Taking us to the cliff – the psychology behind Trump’s tactics

Investment bank bosses and hedge fund titans who predicted financial Armageddon a few months back have gone quiet.

latest 1

Brisbane Times

Elizabeth Knight

Trump’s America exploits its ‘revenge tax’ to back out of historic deal

The “revenge tax” is dead but the fate of a global tax deal that took more than 40 years to achieve is now up in the air. Earlier this month, the...

yesterday 10

Brisbane Times

Stephen Bartholomeusz

Nine goes all in on sports with EPL coup to bulk up Stan

Nine Entertainment has taken a big swing (or massive header) in buying the broadcast rights to English Premier League and FA Cup soccer to bolster...

yesterday 10

Brisbane Times

Elizabeth Knight

Why Trump-induced mayhem doesn’t scare your super fund

Monday caps off a wild financial year for global markets, and therefore, for the retirement savings of just about all of us. But despite all the...

yesterday 10

Brisbane Times

Clancy Yeates

Netanyahu went all in on Trump. His grave miscalculation will echo for years to come

Though a peace deal has been struck between Israel and Iran, the ceasefire still hangs precariously in the balance. Worse for Israeli Prime...

yesterday 9

Brisbane Times

Amin Saikal

How Clark kept Dockers dangerous even when chips were down

If Jordan Clark didn’t take to the field yesterday, the Dockers wouldn’t have won. In a low-scoring and tight affair all day, Clark was head and...

yesterday 3

Brisbane Times

Paddy Sweeney

The five minutes of madness that could earn Lynch a lengthy AFL ban

Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch is facing at least a four-match suspension if found guilty of striking Adelaide defender Jordon Butts late in the...

yesterday 3

Brisbane Times

Peter Ryan

Politics and rugby league have been thrown into a blender

It’s the most untrue statement ever uttered - sport and politics don’t mix. In the NRL, not only are they mixing, they’re in a blender. Let’s...

yesterday 10

Brisbane Times

Neil Breen

Trump’s irresistible force flattens immovable objects

With his presidency on the line as Americans weighed the consequences of the third war in the Middle East waged by the United States over the past...

yesterday 10

Brisbane Times

Bruce Wolpe

Australia’s lawsuit over rare minerals is a geopolitical litmus test

In a move that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has launched a Federal Court lawsuit to force Chinese-linked...

yesterday 1

Brisbane Times

John Coyne

‘Art makes me feel seen’: Young creator tells

‘Art makes me feel seen’: Young creator tells

The art of the abstract colourist Bridget Kelly – who has Down syndrome and is mostly non-verbal – received a strong response at Vivid Sydney this...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Peter Fitzsimons

The Bezos-Sanchez wedding party proves it – the age of vulgarity is upon us

The Bezos-Sanchez wedding party proves it – the age of vulgarity is upon us

One should never be cynical about love, but it is impossible to not be a little bit cynical about the nuptials of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Jacqueline Maley

I’m just about to get an inheritance. How do I put it in my super?

I’m just about to get an inheritance. How do I put it in my super?

I’m 58, single and earn $120,000 per year. I’m receiving an inheritance shortly and would like to use it to boost my super in preparation for...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Paul Benson

A restless night’s sleep is like taking the train from Sydney to Melbourne

A restless night’s sleep is like taking the train from Sydney to Melbourne

When I was in my 20s, an alarmingly long time ago, I was a regular traveller on the Sydney to Melbourne train. I had a boyfriend who lived in...

previous day 2

Brisbane Times

Kerri Sackville

More is more: The big idea that’s inspired Jim Chalmers (huzzah!)

More is more: The big idea that’s inspired Jim Chalmers (huzzah!)

Canberra has been taken by storm by an i dea. The idea is abundance – the notion that scarcity is artificially created. It is described in a book...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Parnell Palme Mcguinness

Even Flanno’s backers are deserting him as pressure mounts over handling of son Kyle

Even Flanno’s backers are deserting him as pressure mounts over handling of son Kyle

The next two months are going teach Dragons coach Shane Flanagan who his friends are in the game as he deals with increasingly negative publicity...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Danny Weidler

The best week of Donald Trump’s second presidency just got even better

The best week of Donald Trump’s second presidency just got even better

There’s no denying it – Donald Trump just had the best week of his second presidency, by a big margin. A combination of daring, good fortune and...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Michael Koziol

Not all screen time is equal: Wrestling with a YouTube ban for kids

Not all screen time is equal: Wrestling with a YouTube ban for kids

Early on in my parenting journey a girlfriend sent a post that said, “To say all screen time is the same is like saying all paper time is the...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Daisy Turnbull

Netflix has romanticised academia. This is what it’s really like

Netflix has romanticised academia. This is what it’s really like

There is a misconception about what it is like to work as an academic at a university, which imagines it as a place of privileged and leisured...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Graeme Turner

When tragedy strikes, meet people where they are to help them heal

When tragedy strikes, meet people where they are to help them heal

Where is God after murder in Bourke Street, or devastating fire or flood, after a senseless accident or a plane crash at Essendon? In these places...

previous day 10

Brisbane Times

Jenny Mcguirk

In a world of conflict, the spoils are rich from gold and guns 

In a world of conflict, the spoils are rich from gold and guns 

The Trump-brokered ceasefire in the oil-soaked Middle East won’t derail the momentum of two trades that have flourished under the cover of the...

previous day 6

Brisbane Times

Colin Kruger

‘It looks the same’: Who’s buying Nintendo’s new $700 Switch 2?

‘It looks the same’: Who’s buying Nintendo’s new $700 Switch 2?

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for three weeks and already enjoyed some unprecedented wins. After 3.5 million units were sold globally in its...

previous day 6

Brisbane Times

Tim Biggs

The art of the lie: Why Trump is taking issue with Iran’s alternative facts

The art of the lie: Why Trump is taking issue with Iran’s alternative facts

Donald Trump has finally met his match. The Iranian Supreme Leader lies just as boldly, with just as much bombast, as the American Supreme Leader....

previous day 1

Brisbane Times

Maureen Dowd

How does the Lattouf judgment affect employees’ freedom of speech?

How does the Lattouf judgment affect employees’ freedom of speech?

Those hoping the Federal Court’s findings in the Antoinette Lattouf case will go some way to answering a question surrounding the rights of workers...

previous day 3

Brisbane Times

Giuseppe Carabetta

The Pom you want to hate will be a star for Lions

The Pom you want to hate will be a star for Lions

British and Irish Lions flanker Henry Pollock looks like a stereotypical English backpacker you want to dislike, but his performance against the...

previous day 7

Brisbane Times

Paul Cully

It’s time, Sussan Ley: What Gough Whitlam can teach her about saving a lost party

It’s time, Sussan Ley: What Gough Whitlam can teach her about saving a lost party

In 1967, Gough Whitlam was in a strikingly similar position to Sussan Ley today. The newly installed Labor leader was little known to the public....

previous day 5

Brisbane Times

George Brandis

All year, I’ve tried to find a new hobby. One major problem is crushing my efforts

All year, I’ve tried to find a new hobby. One major problem is crushing my efforts

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you have a hobby? While it wasn’t a New Year’s resolution per se, I decided at the start of the...

previous day 5

Brisbane Times

Shona Hendley

Souths lacking belief as Bennett faces unwanted career first

Souths lacking belief as Bennett faces unwanted career first

A week is a long time in rugby league, even for someone who has spent as many weeks in rugby league as Wayne Bennett. After his South Sydney team...

previous day 3

Brisbane Times

Robert Dillon

Whisper it, but the Panthers can pull off the sports story of the year

Whisper it, but the Panthers can pull off the sports story of the year

The ’Riff! Just when we all thought it was safe to go back into the water, suddenly here they are again – in the eight and rising hard. From...

saturday 2

Brisbane Times

Peter Fitzsimons

‘Pork chop’ delivery but Lions boss had a point, and Wallabies have a point to prove

‘Pork chop’ delivery but Lions boss had a point, and Wallabies have a point to prove

The drip-by-drip release of Wallabies players back to their franchises must be a form of water torture for British and Irish Lions chief executive...

saturday 4

Brisbane Times

Paul Cully

The Project is over. Love it or hate it, that’s bad news for Aussie comedy

Channel Ten has dropped the axe on The Project , and as the South Yarra studio goes dark, many words have been written about the show’s impact on...

saturday 1

Brisbane Times

Hunter Smith

‘A kind of monster’: Why does everyone hate universities?

‘A kind of monster’: Why does everyone hate universities?

In the lead-up to the federal election, university administrators were chilled by the messages they were hearing from the conservative side of...

saturday 6

Brisbane Times

Jordan Baker

Your 50s are crucial if you want a good retirement. Don’t waste them

Your 50s are crucial if you want a good retirement. Don’t waste them

We roll into our 50s thinking we’ve got time. Retirement still feels a long way off. The mortgage might be halfway tamed (or at least not keeping...

saturday 1

Brisbane Times

Bec Wilson

I detest Trump and Netanyahu, but on some things they’re actually right

I detest Trump and Netanyahu, but on some things they’re actually right

Like a lot of people of center-right/center-left political leanings, I’ve spent the past few decades detesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of...

saturday 5

Brisbane Times

David Brooks

My city is now the world’s most liveable – apart from the 171 days of rain a year

My city is now the world’s most liveable – apart from the 171 days of rain a year

Walking along cobblestone streets in the Danish capital, you can almost hear an orchestra playing Wonderful Copenhagen – a ditty from the 1950s...

saturday 5

Brisbane Times

Lisa Martin

Trust me – you can’t afford to travel without these five things

Trust me – you can’t afford to travel without these five things

Travelled internationally lately? It’s a different experience to 10 years ago – or even five. Connectivity is key – and also a security concern....

saturday 8

Brisbane Times

Nicole Pedersen-Mckinnon

A day in the life of a Google-dependent grandparent

A day in the life of a Google-dependent grandparent

They say young children ask many questions – Why is the sky blue? Why are trees green? Why is Trump President? – but it’s nothing on the...

saturday 7

Brisbane Times

Richard Glover

The customer isn’t always right (or up for a chat). All hail the uninterested shop assistant

The customer isn’t always right (or up for a chat). All hail the uninterested shop assistant

The truth of the matter is that I had a very busy weekend ahead of me. Two children’s birthday parties to attend (a curse I wouldn’t wish upon my...

saturday 4

Brisbane Times

Thomas Mitchell

Big Smell: Behind the world’s fragrances sits a shadowy oligopoly

Big Smell: Behind the world’s fragrances sits a shadowy oligopoly

Damp carpet and old coffee. That is how a perfumier might have described the “top notes” – industry speak for the initial olfactory experience – at...

saturday 4

Brisbane Times

The Economist

Who’s your daddy? Anyone but Donald Trump, please

Who’s your daddy? Anyone but Donald Trump, please

Listen, I’ve lived through home perms, Peter Andre, my own children’s teenage years and the entire Twilight saga. But nothing prepared me for a...

27.06.2025 7

Brisbane Times

Kate Halfpenny

England providing the style and substance, Aussies the comedy capers

England providing the style and substance, Aussies the comedy capers

A good Ashes series starts before it starts, like feature movies used to, with half an hour of teasers and cartoons. Right now, England are...

27.06.2025 3

Brisbane Times

Malcolm Knox

Voss was let down by his leaders. Now his fate is in the hands of others

Voss was let down by his leaders. Now his fate is in the hands of others

To have any prospect of beating or even competing with Port Adelaide, Carlton’s paramount on-field leaders were of paramount importance. Besieged...

27.06.2025 2

Brisbane Times

Jake Niall

Be a good teammate: Steven May’s unfiltered feedback is wearing thin at Melbourne

Be a good teammate: Steven May’s unfiltered feedback is wearing thin at Melbourne

Steven May will have played one more game at Melbourne than he did at the Gold Coast when he runs out to play his 124th match for the Demons on...

27.06.2025 4

Brisbane Times

Peter Ryan

How far can Penrith go? The game-by-game breakdown should terrify NRL rivals

How far can Penrith go? The game-by-game breakdown should terrify NRL rivals

Da da. Da da. Don’t look now. But like a giant mechanical shark with its own soundtrack, four-time reigning premiers Penrith are circling....

27.06.2025 2

Brisbane Times

Dan Walsh

Thirty-eight balls of torture: Konstas is stuck in two minds

Thirty-eight balls of torture: Konstas is stuck in two minds

Barbados: Form in the cricket nets is a bit like investment advice: past performance is not necessarily a reliable indicator of future returns. But...

27.06.2025 1

Brisbane Times

Tom Decent

Why Anna Wintour will never go out of fashion

Why Anna Wintour will never go out of fashion

Since first shocking the fashion world by putting a model in an exquisite Christian Lacroix jacket and ordinary blue jeans on her first US Vogue...

27.06.2025 1

Brisbane Times

Damien Woolnough

I was among this disgraced judge’s victims. Attempts to honour him are an insult

I was among this disgraced judge’s victims. Attempts to honour him are an insult

I was High Court judge Dyson Heydon’s Canberra associate in 2005. With growing concern, I’ve watched efforts to recast him as a victim and downplay...

27.06.2025 30

Brisbane Times

Rachael Patterson Collins