For Australia to become an idea launcher, it needs to institute a culture that makes big, bold bets on new discoveries to allow them to flourish, writes Ben McNeil.
If the UN thinks indefinite detention of asylum seekers on the Australian mainland is cruel, inhuman and degrading, we can only imagine what it might say about Nauru and PNG, writes Jane McAdam.
Indonesia's recently proposed "virginity tests" illustrate the tendency to blame or punish women for more liberal attitues to sexuality, writes Nasya Bahfen.
Stable investment in research and development is vital to Australia's economic future, yet only the Greens so far have released a dedicated policy, writes Merlin Crossley.
The Coalition's plan for processing asylum seekers will be challenged in the courts and will likely fail, putting a future Coaliton government back at square one on asylum policy, argues George Williams.
It’s in the public interest to establish consumer groups' independence and to expect their relationships with industry to be both disclosed and appropriately managed, write Wendy Lipworth and Ian Kerrige.
Minority parties are good for our democracy, because parties forced into coalition do deals in the open. Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd are kidding themselves in their stand against them, argues Lindy Edwards.
