Government
By making protests conditional on state approval, governments are eroding our democracy
In July, a group in Bathurst, New South Wales wanted to hold a small rally in a local park against culling wild horses, known as brumbies.
Government
Government coverage from Melbourne Australia Wire.
- Government
Mental disorders are twice as common among victim-survivors of intimate partner violence
Open a newspaper on any given day and you’re likely to read about yet another case of intimate partner violence – a form of domestic violence between current or former partners.
- Government
Jim Chalmers warns progressives not to ‘mock’ One Nation voters
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned those on the progressive side of politics not to “scold” or “mock” potential One Nation voters but instead to take seriously the task of persuading them away from the insurgent party.
- Government
Just politics or the ‘opposite of clever’? The risks and rewards of strategic voting
As the pitch of the election campaign intensifies in New Zealand, a very particular species of political phenomenon has emerged: so-called strategic (or tactical) voting and its potential consequence, a parliamentary overhang.
- Government
We can’t block a livestream, but Australia could ban execution footage from the US – to an extent
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s intention to broadcast the live execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan has been met with global criticism and outrage.
- Government
3 things we need to get right ahead of extreme bushfire risk this summer
This summer, Australia could face some of its most extreme bushfire conditions ever, due to the severity of an ever-strengthening El Niño. And for many Australians, memories of catastrophic natural disasters are still painfully fresh.
- Government
What’s in a name? Enough to ensnare Australia, NZ and PNG in a legal battle over the rugby team name ‘Chiefs’
Last week, New Zealand Rugby began legal action in the High Court of New Zealand to protect the club name “Chiefs” against its use by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).
- Government
The Greens have adopted confrontation and self-declared populism. Can they bring voters along with them?
Election losses often scar political parties, and scarred political parties tend to overcorrect. Within 18 months, the Greens have shifted from constrained confrontation with Labor, to cooperation, and now to open rivalry.
- Government
Trump misses out on Nobel Prize again and imposes new sanctions on the International Criminal Court. What does it mean?
Rumours have been circulating for weeks about the United States imposing tougher sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), because of what US President Donald Trump sees as unfair targeting of Americans and Israelis for prosecuti…
- Government
Big political donations have hit $7.4m this election year. Are the rules tight enough?
With polling day still a month away, large political donations declared in 2026 have reached about NZ$7.4 million, already surpassing the total for 2023.
- Government
Grattan on Friday: Unless you’re Pauline Hanson, the migration debate can be a dangerous sinkhole
When, way back, the opposition started talking about cutting immigration it would have thought, on the basis of polling, that it was tapping into a vein of political gold.
- Government
Many are shocked by the domestic violence charges against Sam Wood, but we shouldn’t be
Another high-profile Australian man has been accused of domestic violence. On Saturday, Sam Wood, reality TV star and influencer, was charged with the domestic violence offence of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domes…