Flooding risk is often used as an argument against greater environmental flows for the Murray-Darling, but graziers would benefit greatly from floods, writes Richard Kingsford.
Training people in disciplines they have no aptitude for or interest in is a waste of public money and countless professional lives, writes Cathy Sherry.
ASIO's powers are exceptional and deeply troubling. The detention in secret of non-suspects is more consistent with the apparatus of a police state and they should be repealed, writes George Williams.
Australians may be cutting back carbon-intensive activities, but until the government is more transparent about emission cuts there’s no way to check, writes Sarah Waddell.
Australia will need to stake out an independent position on matters that come before the Security Council while developing a national approach to the global agenda, writes Anthony Burke.
David Hicks' future is as much a matter of politics as the law, but getting our leaders to step in and support him seems unlikely, write Fergal Davis and Nicola McGarrity.