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80 years after Benito Mussolini’s death, what can democracies today learn from his fascist rise?

Mussolini’s rise shows that strongmen are only as powerful as the democratic opposition allows. Failing to take them seriously enables their...

latest 10

The Conversation

Matthew Sharpe

Election Diary: Dutton tops list of most distrusted, amid deepening voter cynicism about political leaders

In this election, voters are more distrustful than ever of politicians, and the political heroes of 2022 have fallen from grace, swept from favour...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Punishment in search of a crime – Franz Kafka’s The Trial at 100

“A book,” a 20-year-old Franz Kafka wrote to his friend Oskar Pollack in 1904, “must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” It is a...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Anthony Macris

Labor takes large leads in YouGov and Morgan polls as surge continues

With just eight days until the May 3 federal election, and with in-person early voting well under way, Labor has taken a seven-point lead in a...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

When ‘equal’ does not mean ‘the same’: Liberals still do not understand their women problem

“Women’s” issues are once again playing a significant role in the election debate as Labor and the Liberals trade barbs over which parties’...

previous day 50

The Conversation

Carol Johnson

Fossil teeth show extinct giant kangaroos spent their lives close to home – and perished when the climate changed

Large kangaroos today roam long distances across the outback, often surviving droughts by moving in mobs to find new food when pickings are slim....

previous day 10

The Conversation

Christopher Laurikainen Gaete

Let Them Theory: TikTok and Oprah love the ‘deeply individualistic’ self-help trend. Can it help you? We asked an expert

So you want to write a self-help book? Let me help you. First, you’ll need a catchy idea. Ideally it will name the key elements of something...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Nick Haslam

The billions spent on NZ’s accommodation supplement is failing to make rent affordable – so what will?

New Zealand’s unaffordable housing market has left many low and middle-income families reliant on the accommodation supplement to cover rent and...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Edward Yiu

The major parties have announced their plans to address domestic and family violence. How do they stack up?

In the past week, at least seven women have been killed in Australia, allegedly by men. These deaths have occurred in different contexts – across...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Kate Fitz-Gibbon

The biggest losers: how Australians became the world’s most enthusiastic gamblers

The story goes that the late billionaire Australian media magnate Kerry Packer once visited a Las Vegas casino, where a Texan was bragging about...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Wayne Peake

This may be as good as it gets: NZ and Australia face a complicated puzzle when it comes to supermarket prices

With ongoing cost of living pressures, the Australian and New Zealand supermarket sectors are attracting renewed political attention on both sides...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Richard Meade

Markets are choppy. What should you do with your super if you are near retirement?

For Australians approaching retirement, recent market volatility may feel like more than just a bump in the road. Unlike younger investors, who...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Natalie Peng

Why AUKUS remains the right strategy for the future defence of Australia

Australian strategic thinking has long struggled to move beyond a narrow view of defence that focuses solely on protecting our shores. However, in...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Jennifer Parker

Election meme hits and duds – we’ve graded some of the best (and worst) of the campaign so far

As Australia begins voting in the federal election, we’re awash with political messages. While this of course includes the typical paid ads in...

previous day 10

The Conversation

T.j. Thomson

Provocative, progressive and fearless: why Beatrice Faust’s views still resonate in Australia

Beatrice Faust is best remembered as the founder, early in 1972, of the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL). Women’s Liberation was already well under...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Judith Brett

The origin story of the Anzac biscuit is largely myth – but that shouldn’t obscure the history of women during the war

The Anzac biscuit is a cultural icon, infused with mythical value, representing the connection between women on the home front and soldiers serving...

previous day 9

The Conversation

Garritt C. Van Dyk

The ocean can look deceptively calm – until it isn’t. Here’s what ‘hazardous surf’ really means

Over the Easter weekend, seven people drowned along the Australian coast. Most were swept off rock platforms – extremely dangerous locations that...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Samuel Cornell

More than 40 years on, the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act speaks to an enduring desire for a strong future

Land Back, a collection of essays edited by Gomeroi professor Heidi Norman, marks over 40 years of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, New South...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Lawrence Bamblett

The gambling industry has women in its sights. Why aren’t policymakers paying attention?

Whatever the code, whatever the season, Australian sports fans are bombarded with gambling ads. Drawing on Australians’ passion, loyalty and pride...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Simone Mccarthy

Tremors, seizures and paralysis: this brain disorder is more common than multiple sclerosis – but often goes undiagnosed

Imagine suddenly losing the ability to move a limb, walk or speak. You would probably recognise this as a medical emergency and get to hospital....

previous day 2

The Conversation

Benjamin Scrivener

The phrase ‘fuzzy wuzzy angels’ is far from affectionate – it reflects 500 years of racism

This article contains mention of racist terms in historical context. Every Anzac Day, Australians are presented with narratives that re-inscribe...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Erika K. Smith

Scares and stunts in the home stretch: election special podcast

Michelle Grattan and Amanda Dunn discuss the fourth week of the 2025 election campaign. While the death of Pope Francis interrupted campaigning for...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Grattan on Friday: Coalition’s campaign lacks good planning and enough elbow grease

Whatever the result on May 3, even people within the Liberals think they have run a very poor national campaign. Not just poor, but odd. Nothing...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Preference deals can decide the outcome of a seat in an election – but not always

Every election cycle the media becomes infatuated, even if temporarily, with preference deals between parties. The 2025 election is no exception,...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

5 ways to tackle Australia’s backlog of asylum cases

People who apply for asylum in Australia face significant delays in having their claims processed. These delays undermine the integrity of the...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Daniel Ghezelbash

What is preferential voting and how does it work? Your guide to making your vote count

For each Australian federal election, there are two different ways you get to vote. Whether you vote early, by post or on polling day on May 3,...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Robert Hortle

Many experienced tradies don’t have formal qualifications. Could fast-tracked recognition ease the housing crisis?

Once again, housing affordability is at the forefront of an Australian federal election. Both major parties have put housing policies at the centre...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Pi-Shen Seet

Friday essay: ‘War has made me a pacifist’. Why are we so reluctant to acknowledge Australia’s anti-war veterans?

“I have seen enough of the horrors of war, and want peace. War has made me a socialist and a pacifist,” announced Gallipoli veteran and Victoria...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Mia Martin Hobbs

Back to the fuel guzzlers? Coalition plans to end EV tax breaks would hobble the clean transport transition

If elected, the Coalition has pledged to end Labor’s substantial tax break for new zero- or low-emissions vehicles. This, combined with an earlier...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Anna Mortimore

Albanese government announces $1.2 billion plan to purchase critical minerals

A re-elected Albanese government will take the unprecedented step of buying or obtaining options over key critical minerals to protect Australia’s...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Politics with Michelle Grattan: historian Frank Bongiorno on dramatic shifts in how elections are fought and won

This election has been lacklustre, without the touch of excitement of some past campaigns. Through the decades, campaigning has changed...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Feeling mad? New research suggests mindfulness could help manage anger and aggression

There’s no shortage of things to feel angry about these days. Whether it’s politics, social injustice, climate change or the cost-of-living crisis,...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Siobhan O&39Dean

Rather than short-term fixes, communities need flexible plans to prepare for a range of likely climate impacts

As New Zealanders clean up after ex-Cyclone Tam which left thousands without power and communities once again facing flooding, it’s tempting to...

wednesday 30

The Conversation

Tom Logan

What would change your mind about climate change? We asked 5,000 Australians – here’s what they told us

Australia just sweltered through one of its hottest summers on record, and heat has pushed well into autumn. Once-in-a-generation floods are now...

wednesday 20

The Conversation

Kelly Kirkland

Sniping koalas from helicopters: here’s what’s wrong with Victoria’s unprecedented cull

Snipers in helicopters have shot more than 700 koalas in the Budj Bim National Park in western Victoria in recent weeks. It’s believed to be the...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Liz Hicks

After stunning comeback, centre-left Liberals likely to win majority of seats at Canadian election

In Canada, the governing centre-left Liberals had trailed the Conservatives by more than 20 points in January, but now lead by five points and are...

wednesday 30

The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

This election, Gen Z and Millennials hold most of the voting power. How might they wield it?

The centre of gravity of Australian politics has shifted. Millennials and Gen Z voters, now comprising 47% of the electorate, have taken over as...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Intifar Chowdhury

Who will the next pope be? Here are some top contenders

The death of Pope Francis this week marks the end of a historic papacy and the beginning of a significant transition for the Catholic Church. As...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Darius Von Guttner Sporzynski

Only a third of Australians support increasing defence spending: new research

National security issues have been a constant feature of this federal election campaign. Both major parties have spruiked their national security...

wednesday 6

The Conversation

Richard Dunley

Why do Labor and the Coalition have so many similar policies? It’s simple mathematics

Pundits and political scientists like to repeat that we live in an age of political polarisation. But if you sat through the second debate between...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Gabriele Gratton

Scientists claim to have found evidence of alien life. But ‘biosignatures’ might hide more than they reveal

Whether or not we’re alone in the universe is one of the biggest questions in science. A recent study, led by astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan at...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Campbell Rider

The ‘responsible gambling’ mantra does nothing to prevent harm. It probably makes things worse

Recent royal commissions and inquiries into Crown and Star casino groups attracted much media attention. Most of this was focused on money...

wednesday 8

The Conversation

Charles Livingstone

Australia needs bold ideas on defence. The Coalition’s increased spending plan falls disappointingly short

Just as voting has begun in this year’s federal election, the Coalition has released its long-awaited defence policy platform. The main focus, as...

wednesday 2

The Conversation

Peter Layton

The Greens are hoping for another ‘greenslide’ election. What do the polls say?

Election talk is inevitably focused on Labor and the Coalition because they are the parties that customarily form government. But a minor party...

wednesday 6

The Conversation

Narelle Miragliotta

Is it too late to solve some of our most wicked problems? The Australia Institute won’t let us die wondering

As I begin this review sitting in a Canberra cafe, there are two blokes on the next table complaining about the present federal election campaign’s...

wednesday 20

The Conversation

Frank Bongiorno

Even experts disagree over whether social media is bad for kids. We examined why

Disagreement and uncertainty are common features of everyday life. They’re also common and expected features of scientific research. Despite this,...

wednesday 9

The Conversation

Simon Knight

Port of Darwin’s struggling Chinese leaseholder may welcome an Australian buy-out

Far from causing trade frictions, an Australian buyout of the Port of Darwin lease may provide a lifeline for its struggling Chinese parent company...

wednesday 30

The Conversation

Colin Hawes

These 3 climate misinformation campaigns are operating during the election run-up . Here’s how to spot them

Australia’s climate and energy wars are at the forefront of the federal election campaign as the major parties outline vastly different plans to...

wednesday 60

The Conversation

Alfie Chadwick

Gambling in Australia: how bad is the problem, who gets harmed most and where may we be heading?

Gambling prevalence studies provide a snapshot of gambling behaviour, problems and harm in our communities. They are typically conducted about...

wednesday 30

The Conversation

Alex Russell

Australian women are wary of AI being used in breast cancer screening – new research

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly relevant in many aspects of society, including health care. For example, it’s already used...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Alison Pearce