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Keywords: Debate

  • ECONOMICS

    Supercharged or superficial? The tax reform Australia can't agree on

    • David James
    • 29 January 2025

    A plan to raise superannuation taxes on high-value funds has stalled in the Senate, sparking a broader debate about government control over retirement savings. Rooted in a unique system that places ownership squarely with individuals, Australia’s approach has delivered impressive returns, yet political pressures threaten to reshape its future.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    How the politics of prohibition fuelled a gang war

    • Juliette Hughes
    • 29 January 2025

    While health advocates hail falling smoking rates, Australia’s tobacco taxes have inadvertently fuelled a black market in tobacco, with small businesses and law enforcement often bearing the consequences. Policymakers now question how the social toll measures against the health gains.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    When it comes to Australia Day, wattle stop the arguments?

    • Stephen Alomes
    • 25 January 2025

    With debates around Australia Day continuing to divide, might shifting the national celebration to another day, rooted in resilience and renewal, offer a fresh start? By embracing a new unifying symbol, Australia could move beyond the pain of the past toward a national day that reflects unity, hope, and shared values.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Books, screens, and holiday dreams

    • Juliette Hughes
    • 18 December 2024

    In a year defined by uneven cultural offerings, books stood tall while cinema faltered and television treaded water. From Alexander Armstrong’s enchanting Evenfall to Patricia Briggs’ mystical Winter Lost, the literary landscape offered gems aplenty. Meanwhile, Netflix’s Mary proved a thunderous flop, and Barbie charmed in pink. Let the debates begin.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Reflecting on the year that was

    • David Halliday, Michael McVeigh, Laura Kings, Michele Frankeni, Andrew Hamilton, Julian Butler
    • 18 December 2024

    To close the year for Eureka Street, the editorial team are taking a step back to reflect on the character of 2024. What did it demand of us? What did it teach us about ourselves, and the world we inhabit?

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Alexei Navalny: Patriot and holy fool

    • Danielle Terceiro
    • 12 December 2024

    Navalny’s memoir Patriot was released last month. Written in prison, it is a testament to Navalny’s deliberate practice of a forward-looking hope for the future, even though he was certain that he would not outlive his sentences. Surprisingly, the book is full of humour. 

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  • RELIGION

    A controversial graduation address

    • Bill Uren
    • 11 December 2024

    A contentious graduation speech at Australian Catholic University laid bare divisions between traditional Catholic values and modern sensibilities. The backlash, marked by audience walkouts, underscores broader challenges facing the Church.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    What should we make of the social media ban?

    • David Halliday
    • 11 December 2024

    The global media fracas around a government daring to impose restrictions on children using social media was dramatic, but not unexpected. Reactions were predictably divisive and steeped in the sort of performative outrage that social media tends to encourage.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Jordan Peterson wrestles with God

    • Peter Craven
    • 06 December 2024

    As an outspoken psychologist and best-selling author, Jordan Peterson become a lightning rod for debate on culture, gender, and the meaning of life itself. His newest book, We Who Wrestle With God, attempts to reinterpret the Bible through a psychological lens. Yet, some critics question whether his explorations of scripture offer revelation or revisionism.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Offshore people dumping by a spooked government

    • Frank Brennan
    • 04 December 2024
    1 Comment

    When High Court rulings challenge government policy, they usually prompt reflection and refinement. But for the Federal Government, a recent decision on non-citizen rights has sparked a legislative overreach, mirroring the Opposition’s hardline stance. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Can a ban save kids from social media’s harms?

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 04 December 2024

    In a move that’s been both lauded as necessary and criticized as overreaching, Australia has enacted legislation banning social media for users under 16, placing enforcement squarely on Big Tech. But behind the legislation lies a contentious debate: does prohibition protect, or does it merely shift the harm?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Housing is a human right. It's time it became law

    • Kevin Bell
    • 29 November 2024
    2 Comments

    With unaffordable housing pushing families into impossible choices,  homelessness affecting 120,000 people, and systemic inequities deepening, we must ask: What kind of society do we want to build — and for whom?

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