The tides of global macro-economics may finally be aligning against Australia, writes Ben Eltham in ABC’s The Drum online. Superannuation was meant to be a powerful savings tool for working Australians, who would otherwise not save enough for their retirement. Yet, many workers saw their super funds shrink in the last few years. It wasn’t meant to be like this. Ben takes a look at the fear in the markets, the global economy & what … more

Ben Spies-Butcher writes in The Sydney Morning Herald about the widening gap in wages. Two years since the changes to the IR legislation, the business lobby has been vocal in their criticisms and claims that Fair Work Australia is driving down productivity, increasing paperwork for employers and driving up wages. But Ben takes a look at the broader trends and asks are we living in the land of the ‘Fair Go’? Where is IR policy … more

Feminism, not religion, is at the heart of controversy about Melinda Tankard Reist. Who decides who gets to use the f-word, asks Eva Cox in New Matilda Melinda Tankard Reist last week threatened legal action against a blogger who alleged that she downplayed her religious affiliations in an interview for Sunday Life magazine. This has prompted an almighty discussion about free speech, religion and feminism. The issue of Tankard Reist’s religious beliefs and whether they are … more

Bill Shorten might be using the downgrading of European economies as an opportunity to crow about Australia’s prosperity – but being rich and having a sound economy are not the same thing, writes Ian McAuley. When Standard and Poor’s cut France’s AAA sovereign credit rating and downgraded the ratings of eight other European countries, Bill Shorten couldn’t resist an undignified outbreak of Schadenfreude: “S&P’s decision overnight to strip France of the exclusive, top-tier AAA credit rating confirms once again … more

On ABC’s The Drum, Miriam Lyons shines her policy light on certain highly contentious issues, such as the oz car industry subsidies, pokies reform, huge bank job cuts planned while profits soar, the controversial SOPA bill before the US Congress and the reprinting of Mein Kampf. She is joined at the table by Marius Benson, Judith Sloan, Simon Birmingham, Mark Pesce and Clementine Ford to chew over these hotly debated policy issues. WATCH the conversation … more

Australian politicians have always been revheads when it comes to manufacturing policy, no matter how expensive it is. Ben Eltham on Kim Carr’s latest effort to keep us making cars. We Australians love our cars. On the level of everyday sociology, there aren’t too many objects as prized and loved as the wheels most of us own to get around in. Despite all the rhetoric about rising petrol prices and inner-city apartment dwellers, theABS statistics tell us … more

CPD Fellow Eva Cox, in Crikey, questions the ALP’s recent efforts to halt increases in the Newstart allowance. The government is said to believe that the low payments will act as an incentive to find work. Eva Cox writes: If the government thinks penury is an incentive, it fails to understand the difficulties facing the 600,000-plus people dependent on this payment. According to Shorten: “Participation in the workforce is a priority the Gillard government is … more

It’s the start of another new year and another new Ben Eltham article. First up Ben Eltham takes a close look at the use of the word ‘common sense’ to justify certain political agendas. What do politicians really mean when they say that a certain policy or idea is ‘common sense’? Common sense implies a certain basic level of accepted beliefs. But who defines what these beliefs are? Is it common sense to ensure there … more