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How did the Greens lose Melbourne?
An Augustinian pope from north and south
How we lost the boys, and how to bring them back
Going forward with Pope Leo
What the election says about us
With Pope Leo XIV now leading the Church, there’s a quiet hopefulness in the air of renewal, of fresh energy. But the near-invisibility of women in decision-making still jars. Will Pope Leo's pastoral experience be enough to lead the Church in an era of fragile trust and spiritual disaffection?
What happens when governments underfund the services that hold our social fabric together? Economist David Gilchrist exposes a system in quiet crisis where rising need meets shrinking support, and nonprofits face collapse under the weight of outdated policies, inadequate data, and market myths that threaten the future of social care in Australia.
Adam Bandt’s unexpected loss in Melbourne has sent shockwaves through the Greens’ ranks. Once poised for expansion, the party is now reckoning with a bruising election result, voter backlash, and a confused identity. In their heartland, even the most loyal supporters seemed ready to walk away. So what happened?
As young men gravitate toward the manosphere, driven by alienation and grievance, society too often responds with silence or scorn. But if we don’t want boys shaped by bitterness and bravado, we must ask: what kind of men do we hope they’ll become, and who is offering them a path to get there?
Hamish McDonald’s Melanesia shatters Australia’s complacent view of the South Pacific as static and remote. With journalistic precision and historical urgency, he reveals a region marked by corruption, resilience, and political upheaval—forces poised to reshape Australia’s future, whether it’s prepared or not.
While much of the world drifts toward political extremes, Australia did something quietly radical: it chose the centre. In a night of subdued triumphs and unexpected grace, it was a reminder that democracy’s strength may still lie in its capacity for moderation, mercy, and surprise.
You’ve heard their songs — on Breaking Bad, on the radio, sung by Nilsson or Mariah Carey— but you may not know the name Badfinger. Their music brushed greatness. Their story ended in ruin. Joey Molland, the last surviving member, has died. This is the tragic, unforgettable tale of the band that should’ve been the next Beatles.
Elizabeth Strout’s novels honour unrecorded lives: ordinary people marked by quiet resilience and daily grace. And when we reflect on these unrecorded lives, we find a kind of everyday heroism, with echoes of Lucy Barton’s question: what is the point of a life?
Despite the raging storm, I clearly see a figure on the Sea of Galilee/ a Son of Man/ with outstretched hands/ and he is calling me.
Trump’s tariff-led reshaping of global trade is weakening the US dollar’s long-standing dominance. As central banks diversify away from US assets, what was once called an “exorbitant privilege” is beginning to look more like a burden — one shaped as much by petulant politics as economic mismanagement.
And so as the 21st century marked its first quarter, reality in the most powerful country on Earth slipped into a vortex of blurred lines of what it meant to be a living, moral being.
As Trump dismantles America’s global aid program, and Europe follows suit, developing nations are left to fill the vacuum often with partners unfriendly to Western interests. In this new geopolitical terrain, Australia faces a choice: retreat with the rest, or lead through renewed investment in aid and regional diplomacy.
The 2025 election marked a pause in Australia’s political life. As old policy narratives falter, we have an opportunity to ask ourselves: what kind of society are we trying to build? Across faiths and traditions, the idea of the common good offers a path forward beyond division and drift.
In the wake of an unexpectedly decisive election, Australians rejected grievance politics from both right and left. What emerged instead was a quiet preference for stability, civility, and competence: qualities that don’t often headline campaigns, but this time shaped the outcome. In 2025, trumpery just didn’t cut it.
In an election full of surprises, the most revealing were not electoral upsets but glimpses of unexpected humanity. Peter Dutton’s gracious concession contrasts with his public record, and urges a politics where words don’t wound, and dignity is not reserved for private life alone.
What kind of Pope will Leo XIV be? In the wake of Francis, this new pontiff inherits both a vision and a world in flux. With a global sensibility, and a unifying motto, his early gestures suggest a leader shaped by harmony, not polarisation, and attentive to human dignity.
A new pope from the Americas, shaped by Peruvian missions and Roman canon law, signals a Church recalibrating for an era of technological upheaval and moral uncertainty. Rooted in tradition yet attentive to the margins, his election hints at a renewed focus on justice, dialogue, and global spiritual responsibility.
Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pontiff, brings a global, socially engaged background and cautious conservatism to the papacy. Fluent in five languages and steeped in canon law, his past hints at reform tempered by tradition. His views on synodality, gender, and justice will shape Catholicism’s next chapter.