menu_open Columnists

The Sydney Morning Herald

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

How does Liberal plotting and branch-stacking fit into God’s plan?

How does Liberal plotting and branch-stacking fit into God’s plan?

That may not be the question for the ICAC, but it’s one that many of us are asking.

latest 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Malcolm Knox

Australia dominated the Glasgow pool, but how would they rate at the Olympics? We’ve run the numbers

Australia dominated the Glasgow pool, but how would they rate at the Olympics? We’ve run the numbers

The medals accumulated by the Dolphins in the Glasgow pool were great if you like seeing swimmers with big grins on medal podiums and the sound of the...

latest 3

The Sydney Morning Herald

Tom Decent

No, Bombers. James Hird will not ‘heal’ my beloved Essendon. Appoint him and I’m done

No, Bombers. James Hird will not ‘heal’ my beloved Essendon. Appoint him and I’m done

There’s a point in every life when looking backwards stops being an act of remembrance and becomes an act of avoidance.

latest 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

Kate Halfpenny

Forgot password? From food apps to help lines, tech is being used to frustrate us

Forgot password? From food apps to help lines, tech is being used to frustrate us

What starts with a craving for takeaway, leads to a frustrating password verification loop. Soon we are all spiralling.

latest 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

Waleed Aly

News Corp plots future of tabloid chief

News Corp plots future of tabloid chief

Company sources are talking about opportunities to promote Daily Telegraph chief Ben English to a role with more responsibility for managing profit...

latest 6

The Sydney Morning Herald

Calum Jaspan

Are the Bulldogs… back? Their new and old tricks point to a finals charge

Are the Bulldogs… back? Their new and old tricks point to a finals charge

A new, eye-catching halves pairing. Enterprising play. And brutal, uncompromising defence. All of a sudden, Canterbury are looking like contenders...

latest 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

Dan Walsh

Most of us get this economics question wrong. We’re paying for it

Most of us get this economics question wrong. We’re paying for it

Australians care about price growth. So, why do most of us have the wrong idea about how to slow it down?

latest 6

The Sydney Morning Herald

Millie Muroi

The self-styled Braveheart crusader now accused of branch stacking

The self-styled Braveheart crusader now accused of branch stacking

Liberal Party operative Robert Assaf spent an uncomfortable day in the witness box of a wide-ranging probe into illegal donations.

latest 7

The Sydney Morning Herald

Kate McClymont

We think our boss has become obsessed with a chatbot. What can we do?

We think our boss has become obsessed with a chatbot. What can we do?

One day in the future consulting with robots as if they’re trustworthy humans might be entirely normal, and possibly beneficial. That day has not...

latest 5

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jonathan Rivett

The 39 minutes that showed why the Cats have the wood over the Pies

The 39 minutes that showed why the Cats have the wood over the Pies

Geelong have now won their past four matches against Collingwood and have edged ahead them again in 2026.

latest 7

The Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Ryan

The ghost of Bob Hawke supports Pauline Hanson? I saw first-hand how wrong that notion is

The ghost of Bob Hawke supports Pauline Hanson? I saw first-hand how wrong that notion is

The Institute of Public Affairs claims Bob Hawke would have supported Pauline Hanson’s objections to welcome to country. It’s a ludicrous slur,...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Tony Wright

They claim they didn’t know the rules. So why go to such absurd lengths to hide the cash?

They claim they didn’t know the rules. So why go to such absurd lengths to hide the cash?

Is ignorance an excuse? There are several reasons emerging at the ICAC’s Liberal Party corruption inquiry about why that doesn’t quite stack up.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Bevan Shields

Infantino’s FIFA has offered Football Australia $40m. Can it afford to say no?

Infantino’s FIFA has offered Football Australia $40m. Can it afford to say no?

One of the biggest single financial windfalls in Australian soccer history has been tabled by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. But, like all things in...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Vince Rugari

I’m a medical student. I fear we are selecting future doctors on whether their parents can afford it

I’m a medical student. I fear we are selecting future doctors on whether their parents can afford it

Not only are we filtering who becomes a doctor, we are shaping what kind of health professional they can afford to become.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Joshua Chan

The holiday paradox: why time dawdles by the hour but zooms by the day

The holiday paradox: why time dawdles by the hour but zooms by the day

After an interstate holiday, I considered our obsession with time, and how human consciousness bends it.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

David Astle

American anger: The real takeaway from Fauci’s show trial is enduring rage

American anger: The real takeaway from Fauci’s show trial is enduring rage

The COVID-19 pandemic did not give us government at its best. We ought to learn the lessons. But there has to be a point at which you let it go.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael Koziol

Did AI really ‘go rogue’? Not exactly, but we have plenty to fear

Did AI really ‘go rogue’? Not exactly, but we have plenty to fear

We cannot continue to rely on tech companies to do the right thing. There’s too much at stake. It’s time governments stepped up.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Toby Walsh

Buckle up for the banks’ mortgage war! Home loans have fallen off a cliff

Buckle up for the banks’ mortgage war! Home loans have fallen off a cliff

The evidence is overwhelmingly in. Home loan applications haven’t just dropped, they have plummeted thanks to the RBA’s rate rises and the federal...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Knight

You’re probably ignoring this part of your CV. It could cost you

You’re probably ignoring this part of your CV. It could cost you

As AI-generated resumes flood the inboxes of hiring teams, the way you summarise your life outside work has increased in importance.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Tim Duggan

Glen Hansard always found a way to bring the music out of people

Glen Hansard always found a way to bring the music out of people

He dropped out of school at 13 to play guitar on the street. I was shocked to hear of the star’s death in a motorcycle crash, aged just 56.

yesterday 3

The Sydney Morning Herald

Neil McCormick

As the Fed sits tight on interest rates, investors take action

As the Fed sits tight on interest rates, investors take action

The US central bank left its policy rate unchanged and declined to provide any guidance about the outlook, so the bond market took matters into its...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Bartholomeusz

Gianni Infantino wants to sell off the World Cup. How can he be stopped?

Gianni Infantino wants to sell off the World Cup. How can he be stopped?

From boycotts to election challenges, those opposing the FIFA president have options.

yesterday 3

The Sydney Morning Herald

Sam Dean

‘Never-skilling’: High school rush to AI threatens to create a generation of dunces

‘Never-skilling’: High school rush to AI threatens to create a generation of dunces

Research is beginning to indicate that reliance on AI can lead to the atrophy of core intellectual processes, including memory, concentration and...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Kylie Moore-Gilbert

It’s not Teddy, DCE or even Sam Walker. This is who truly defines the Roosters’ attack

It’s not Teddy, DCE or even Sam Walker. This is who truly defines the Roosters’ attack

The Roosters have the attack to beat Penrith and win an NRL premiership, if they can follow the lead of one underrated ball-playing threat.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Andrew Johns

The AFL’s ‘unkillable’ sides: How the Pies and Cats keep hanging around

The AFL’s ‘unkillable’ sides: How the Pies and Cats keep hanging around

The Magpies have unashamedly adopted a list management model that the Cats pioneered in the 2020s, if not earlier.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jake Niall

War and drought: Another critical oil waterway is about to close

War and drought: Another critical oil waterway is about to close

The world is barrelling toward disaster, with three waterways already lost and a fourth now poised to join their ranks: the mighty Rhine.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Javier Blas

Sloane ad-libs her ICAC response. Why not promise to root out bad eggs?

Sloane ad-libs her ICAC response. Why not promise to root out bad eggs?

“Honestly,” the Liberal leader said, “I’m learning about it as everyone else is.” Still, she could announce zero tolerance for corruption.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael McGowan

It’s lucky inflation is falling. Most of us don’t even understand what the Reserve Bank does

It’s lucky inflation is falling. Most of us don’t even understand what the Reserve Bank does

An astonishing 59 per cent of Australians believe that when the RBA lifts rates, it is increasing inflation. In fact, it’s trying to do the opposite.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Shane Wright

Netflix is pumping out true-crime rubbish. It’s up to you to stop it

Worst Neighbour Ever was Australia’s most popular show on the platform last week. It’s exactly the kind of tawdry production that gives true crime...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Debi Enker

One faulty fan gridlocked thousands of hapless commuters on the M5

One faulty fan gridlocked thousands of hapless commuters on the M5

Sydney’s trouble-plagued motorway grinds to a halt again.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald's View

Doueihi and Benji say everything’s OK in Tiger Town. Are we buying it?

Doueihi and Benji say everything’s OK in Tiger Town. Are we buying it?

Adam Doueihi and Benji Marshall said all the right things when they fronted the media on Wednesday. But are they – and the rest of a fractured club...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Adrian Proszenko

Key ICAC witness and explosive texts could be kryptonite for Angus Taylor

Key ICAC witness and explosive texts could be kryptonite for Angus Taylor

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption left an unexploded political bomb on the doorstep of the federal opposition leader. Despite his...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Bevan Shields

Check your offset account: Are the banks returning to bastardry?

Check your offset account: Are the banks returning to bastardry?

A few years after the bruising royal commission into financial services, poor behaviour is creeping back into the banking sector, as evidenced by the...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Knight

Victorian Labor has wounded itself. Albanese would be wise to learn the lessons

Victorian Labor has wounded itself. Albanese would be wise to learn the lessons

The Andrews-Allan Labor government in Victoria was one that others looked to for inspiration. Anthony Albanese needs to heed the warnings of its...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Paul Sakkal

Scared by tech’s debt deluge, investors are questioning the AI boom

Scared by tech’s debt deluge, investors are questioning the AI boom

Shares in AI-related companies have been falling as competition from China, rogue AI agents, complex financing deals and vast capital expenditures...

previous day 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Bartholomeusz

Records tumble, sprinters star – and the rest. This was Australia’s greatest ever night in athletics

Records tumble, sprinters star – and the rest. This was Australia’s greatest ever night in athletics

Lachie Kennedy and Torrie Lewis busted records, Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers continued their fight for high jump gold and Lara Roberts won...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael Gleeson

Trump’s children appear to be grifting their way to nepo-billionaire status

Trump’s children appear to be grifting their way to nepo-billionaire status

Donald Trump’s progeny are not missing the opportunity to leverage their father’s role as president to enrich themselves, with his favourite even...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Melanie la'brooy

Your boss will hate this economic fix … but you’ll love it

Your boss will hate this economic fix … but you’ll love it

The government should order businesses to give workers a big pay rise as a way of forcing them to improve productivity.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Ross Gittins

Memory failure, shakedowns and the ICAC trap: Liberal staffer’s long day in the box

Memory failure, shakedowns and the ICAC trap: Liberal staffer’s long day in the box

Dylan Whitelaw kept his cool as counsel assisting questioned his knowledge of contractor payments.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Kate McClymont

Five fees, one room: How aged care costs are actually calculated

Five fees, one room: How aged care costs are actually calculated

On top of all these you’ll still need to budget for personal expenses such as clothing, toiletries, hairdressing, medications and other day-to-day...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Rachel Lane

Should the family home be included in the age pension calculation?

Should the family home be included in the age pension calculation?

On paper, including the family home when calculating pension amounts may sound reasonable, but the practical consequences would be enormous.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Noel Whittaker

This value predicts future quality of life. In Australia, it’s tanking

This value predicts future quality of life. In Australia, it’s tanking

More than 600 scientists are sounding the alarm that our standard of living is under threat.

tuesday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Angus Dalton

I’m wealthy, but still worry about going broke. How do I get over it?

I’m wealthy, but still worry about going broke. How do I get over it?

There isn’t a specific dollar figure that will magically cure your financial anxiety, but there are some other things you can try.

tuesday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Paridhi Jain

Catholic schools rort was a ‘running joke’. You won’t hear parents or taxpayers laughing

Catholic schools rort was a ‘running joke’. You won’t hear parents or taxpayers laughing

It might all be a joke to entitled, jumped-up infants like Dylan Whitelaw. But the use of taxpayer funding is a serious matter.

tuesday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Bevan Shields

I thought I’d found a place to be my true self. That illusion has been suddenly ripped away

I thought I’d found a place to be my true self. That illusion has been suddenly ripped away

When I was eight, I moved to a picture-perfect town but I soon realised that something profound was missing. Something I have been desperate to find...

tuesday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Liam Heitmann-Ryce-Lemercier

Draft gun could be stolen from under the Lions’ noses; future star sticks with Melbourne

Draft gun could be stolen from under the Lions’ noses; future star sticks with Melbourne

A star of the future has agreed to a new two-year contract as he blossoms alongside Jacob van Rooyen in Steven King’s forward line.

tuesday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Marc McGowan

Latest investigation proves the ICAC’s worth

Latest investigation proves the ICAC’s worth

The state’s corruption watchdog is proving its value with its latest blockbuster inquiry into Liberal personalities’ links with a fugitive...

tuesday 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald's View

Sally McManus is a campaign genius. She’d better not be retiring

Sally McManus is a campaign genius. She’d better not be retiring

She’s been standing up for the powerless for decades. What next for the workers’ friend?

tuesday 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jenna Price

Real estate agent’s viral posts show our property market angst

Real estate agent’s viral posts show our property market angst

An inner west Sydney auctioneer has become an overnight celebrity after his weekend social media post captured the property market zeitgeist.

tuesday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Knight

Netanyahu lands in Washington to tackle Trump with one thing on both of their minds

Netanyahu lands in Washington to tackle Trump with one thing on both of their minds

The war in Iran turns five months old on the day the two leaders reunite at the White House. The US president is signalling fresh interest in a peace...

tuesday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael Koziol