The timing of Scott Morrison’s $270 billion defence announcement is being linked to votes in Eden-Monaro as much as it is to the country’s strategic future.

Australia’s economy is at a crossroads. Its current dependence on coal has its roots in a model built on wool exports, and it needs to change.

As the ABC absorbs hundreds of job cuts, the government has commissioned another report into its operations – closely mirroring the concerns of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

As allegations mount against former High Court justice Dyson Heydon, Bri Lee has written about the way misogyny and harassment are embedded in the legal profession.

As Donald Trump comes to the end of his first term, it is clear he has benefitted hugely from America’s divisions - in fact, he is the perfect expression of them.

The harassment allegations against Dyson Heydon have reminded some in Canberra of the royal commission that traded on his “stainless reputation”.

Osman Faruqi on how politics in Australia deliberately recasts racism as a matter of symbols and gestures - and how the media helps.

New details have emerged in the Justin Hemmes wages case, as the treasurer confirms he consulted the businessman over the country’s largest ever spending measure.

After almost a decade in detention, Mustafa and Salah are the only family left on Nauru. This is the story of their wait.

As the final pages of the royal commission into child sexual abuse have been unredacted, it’s become clear what George Pell knew and when.

The Adem Somyurek scandal has now involved the federal Labor party, and poses a big question: who leaked?

As debate over police accountability continues, research suggests predictive policing may be targeting racial minorities in Australia.

Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance had five days to organise a huge Black Lives Matter rally in Melbourne. Under threat of fines and sustained criticism in the press, they coordinated one of the largest protests the city has seen.

As Scott Morrison announces his HomeBuilder scheme, there are serious questions about who it serves and how powerful tradesmen have become as a political bloc.

George Dickson is a cannabis law reformer. After an altercation with police, he was also classed as a high risk terrorist offender.

As Scott Morrison looks at a bleak five years economically, some in his own party think he’s gearing up for an early election.

As Scott Morrison resists signing up to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the country has begun focusing on lower levels of power - even the Gold Coast council.

As the recession upends convention on gendered job losses, there is fear decades of progress on wage equality could be lost overnight.

As the world protests the killing of George Floyd, Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist Amy McQuire confronts Australia’s national silence on black deaths in custody.

As the world protests the killing of George Floyd, Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist Amy McQuire confronts Australia’s national silence on black deaths in custody.

As protests against police violence and inequality continue in the United States, Scott Morrison had a private phone call with Donald Trump.

The Queensland town of Acland has been all but swallowed by a coal mine. There is only one resident left. Tomorrow the High Court will decide if he’ll be swallowed, too.

Domestic violence workers warned that the pandemic would put women at risk – especially women on temporary visas. Last month, a woman was killed in exactly that situation.

Instead of making us forget the bushfires, evidence suggests coronavirus will make us more conscious of the need for change. The urgent response to the pandemic makes political arguments against climate action less credible.

Big Tech has become an integral part of education. But there are questions over how much private companies are influencing curricula and what data they are collecting.

Scott Morrison is strongly against further economic stimulus. But as a $60 billion hole shows up in the JobKeeper program, questions are being asked about whether enough is being spent.

Scott Morrison’s appeal for a new compact between workers and business has reminded some of Bob Hawke’s 1980s Accord.

How a private company won millions in government funding for an aged-care app with “no duty of care”.

Almost overnight, Australian universities lost billions of dollars in international student fees. Some are asking how they could have been so reckless in depending on this money in the first place.

After five years on Manus Island, Imran Mohammad was resettled in Chicago. But the coronavirus shutdown has brought back memories of detention and isolation.

The Morrison government’s excitement about a coronavirus inquiry cannot cover over the trade war opening up with China.

The Prime Minister has appointed a panel of business leaders to develop a blueprint for the country’s economic recovery, but there are serious questions over how they were picked. Today, Mike Seccombe on the vested interests leading this panel and what they’re pushing for.

Pubs, restaurants and other businesses across the country are reopening and the government is predicting an economic comeback. But will the recovery be fast as hoped? Today, what one territory’s reopening can tell us about the path ahead.

Conspiracy theorists have been energised by Covid-19, with misinformation on everything from 5G to vaccinations spreading online. Today, Rick Morton on where these theories really begin and the groups actively encouraging them.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has recently introduced legislation to expand the surveillance powers available to Australia’s domestic spy agency. Lawyers and civil rights groups are concerned the proposed laws are too broad. Today, Karen Middleton on the attempt to expand ASIO’s powers in the midst of a pandemic.

As the federal government struggles to rebuild Australia’s battered economy, the threat of a trade war with China risks hampering our recovery. Today, Paul Bongiorno on the twin challenges of rebuilding the economy, and managing our relationship with our largest trading partner.

ABC staff are revealing the pressure they are under as the public broadcaster absorbs huge budget cuts. Today, Mike Seccombe on the role the ABC plays during a national crisis and the future of the national broadcaster.

The decision to allow passengers on the Ruby Princess to disembark led to Australia’s biggest coronavirus cluster, and it’s now being investigated by a number of inquiries. Today, Karen Middleton on what happened in the hours leading up to the ship’s docking.

Three months since becoming leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt has begun articulating a plan for the party that embraces “green” capitalism, and sees their future in partnership with Labor. Today, Margaret Simons on what we need to know about Adam Bandt.

An aged care facility in NSW is the site of one of Australia’s biggest clusters of Covid-19. Now, with 16 dead, the centre’s owners have been threatened with sanctions and the loss of their licence. Today, Rick Morton on what went wrong at Newmarch House.

Infighting within the Coalition has been exposed as candidates emerge and then quit in the race for the seat of Eden-Monaro. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the divisions laid bare, and the first real test for Scott Morrison’s popularity.

The Prime Minister is arguing that school closures are leaving the most disadvantaged students behind, and he’s calling for schools to reopen. Today, Jane Caro on how the political debate over coronavirus is reframing the inequality in education funding.

Thousands of Australians had their homes and lives destroyed by last summer’s bushfires, and now Covid-19 is shattering their plans to rebuild. Today, Rick Morton on what happens when a pandemic follows a natural disaster.

Serious questions are being asked about whether the timing of the government’s economic relief packages may have actually led to job losses. Today, Mike Seccombe on the flaws in our rescue package that could have cost 160,000 jobs.

When the pandemic hit Australia stores across the country were stripped of food and other essential items. The situation revealed deep vulnerabilities in our food supply system. Today, Margaret Simons on why our supermarkets weren’t prepared for this crisis.

To celebrate The Monthly’s 15th birthday, we hear from its publisher, Morry Schwartz, and its current editor, Nick Feik, on the magazine’s journey and what it contributes to Australia’s media landscape.

Scott Morrison’s push for an inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak has further strained Australia’s relationship with China. The Chinese government has expressed concern and threatened retaliation. Today, Paul Bongiorno on a new low in Chinese–Australian relations.

The Prime Minister’s relationship to the founder of Hillsong has focused attention on the church. But what does evangelical Christianity look like in an age of climate change and coronavirus? Today, Lech Blaine on the appeal of Hillsong and how it influences the most powerful politician in the country.

Younger workers are bearing the brunt of the current economic downturn, just like they did during the GFC. Today, Mike Seccombe on how the pandemic is fuelling generational inequality.

Remote Aboriginal communities across Australia reacted swiftly and effectively to the Covid-19 outbreak, reflecting the disproportionate burden these communities carry when it comes to infectious disease. Today, Amy McQuire on the pandemic and self-determination.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese is juggling the need to appear constructive while holding the government to account. But what does the public actually want from their opposition during this crisis? Today, Karen Middleton on the Opposition’s tactics in a pandemic.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull went on a media blitz this week to promote his new book. In the memoir Turnbull shares his brutally honest opinion on the current prime minister and senior cabinet ministers. Today, Paul Bongiorno on Malcolm Turnbull’s return to centre stage.

Tasmania’s Covid-19 supercluster has forced hospitals to close and lead to thousands of residents being quarantined. Today, we investigate how a severe shortage of protective equipment and the encouragement of dubious practices preceded the deadly outbreak.

Analysis of the fines for the Covid-19 public health orders reveals a disproportionate number have been issued in places where Indigenous Australians and those from migrant backgrounds live. Today, what the pandemic is revealing about racial bias in policing.

As the number of coronavirus infections in Australia stabilises, talk has turned to how and when this crisis might end. Today, Mike Seccombe weighs up the different exit-strategies and analyses the coronavirus end game.

There are over 1 million migrant workers in Australia who aren’t eligible for any financial support from the government as they try to navigate their way through this crisis. Some face destitution and homelessness. Today, we speak to one migrant worker negotiating this new reality.

With the global economy facing its biggest downturn since the Great Depression, the Treasury and the IMF are at odds on the extent of the damage in Australia. Today, Paul Bongiorno on the competing economic forecasts for the country, and the way forward.

While the country’s attention has been focused on the fight against coronavirus, Energy Minister Angus Taylor has forged ahead with a plan to prop up a coal-fired power generator. Today, Mike Seccombe on the push to undermine environmental protections during this crisis.

Australian superannuation accounts are tumbling because of the coronavirus pandemic. Today, Richard Dennis on how our secretive $2 trillion super industry is spending our money and what needs to change.

Confusion between different levels of government has exposed flaws in Australia’s strict quarantine measures, and they go beyond the case of the Ruby Princess. Today, Karen Middleton on the other holes in Australia’s quarantine.

Months before the latest protests in Hong Kong, the Chinese government shut down an art exhibition by Chinese-Australian dissident Badiucao. This is his story.

Following the death of cult leader Anne Hamilton-Byrne, surviving members of The Family reckon with judgement.

A year on from the Christchurch massacre, survivors face isolation and economic hardship. In part one of a three-part special, we speak to the men and women living through the aftermath.

As coronavirus shuts borders and creates global panic, Rick Morton explains where the virus originated and looks at attempts to combat it.

The NBN is facing it’s most crucial test yet, and there are serious questions over whether the network will handle the unprecedented demand. Today, Paddy Manning on our virtual lifeline, and how it’s holding up.

The coronavirus lockdown has led to an increase in domestic violence reports, but many victims aren’t able to access support services. Today, Rick Morton on how life has become even more dangerous for some women and children.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, police have been granted extensive new powers to crack down on public association, private gatherings and travel. Today, Mike Seccombe on how Australia is policing a pandemic.

What happens when everyone in a household loses work because of coronavirus? Today we look at the human cost of unemployment and what the government is doing to help people survive.

In a special bonus episode of 7am hear from the show’s editor, Osman Faruqi, editor of The Monthly, Nick Feik, and editor of The Saturday Paper, Maddison Connaughton about how they’re adapting to the shutdown, and what role journalism can play in a crisis.

The past week has completely changed the way politics works in Australia, with a right-wing government introducing the most radical economic measures in a generation. Today, Paul Bongiorno on the political earthquake that rocked Parliament House.

Professor Peter Doherty won the Nobel prize for his research on how our bodies fight off viruses. Today, we ask him what makes Covid-19 different from other infections, and what we should be doing now to prepare for the next pandemic.

Australia’s airlines have been hit hard by coronavirus, and they’re asking the government for billions of dollars in financial support. Today, Royce Kurmelovs, on whether it’s time the government nationalised the airline industry.

With misinformation about coronavirus rampant, we look at what the spread of the virus is telling us about news, social media, and who we trust.

As more of Australia goes into coronavirus isolation, advice is being offered on how to manage mental health during a viral pandemic that forces us to separate. We speak to a Melbourne family who have been in isolation for almost 80 days.

Scott Morrison’s first national address on coronavirus was one month ago. Today, Paul Bongiorno on the decisions his government has made since then and how they stack up.

A team of Australian scientists are working around the clock to find a vaccine against coronavirus, and they’re on the verge of a breakthrough. Today, Rick Morton on the race to find a vaccine.

With hundreds of thousands of Australians losing their jobs, the economic cost of coronavirus is becoming clear. Today, chief economist at The Australia Institute Richard Dennis on how we can get through the next 18 months.

Medical experts say that the government’s slow response to the coronavirus outbreak has left Australia exposed. In part two of our series on COVID-19, Mike Seccombe on the challenge our country and health system is facing.

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases grows in Australia, Dr Nenad Macesic describes how doctors are handling the pandemic and what the future holds. This is part one of a five-part special.

With the cost of coronavirus growing everyday, will Scott Morrison’s stimulus be big enough and fast enough? Today, Paul Bongiorno, on the future of the economy, and the Prime Minister.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus? What can people do to stay safe? What kind of responses will be the most effective? Today, Rick Morton answers some of our basic questions about coronavirus.

Last week the High Court heard George Pell’s appeal against his conviction for child sex abuse. Today, Rick Morton discusses Pell’s last bid for freedom and what could happen next.

Public trust in government is at an all time low, just as we’re turning to our political leaders to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Animal-free milk could wipe out the traditional dairy industry within the decade. Today, Lesley Hughes on the future of alternative milk and what it means for Australia.

With economic and social effects of the coronavirus outbreak accelerating, the government has finally released the details of a $17.6 billion stimulus package. Today, Paul Bongiorno on whether the government’s actions will be enough to stave off a recession.

A year on from the Christchurch terrorist attack, Muslims in Australia are still wrestling with a new level of fear. Many are questioning the way the media and politics have stoked division.

A secret ASIO document warns of the threat of far-right terrorism in Australia. In detail never before published, it outlines the risk Australia faces from those who believe in an impending “race war”.

A year on from the Christchurch massacre, survivors face isolation and economic hardship. In part one of a three-part special, we speak to the men and women living through the aftermath.

Scott Morrison has admitted he attempted to invite Hillsong founder Brian Houston to a White House dinner. But why did he deny it for so long? And is he telling the truth about his office’s involvement in the sports grants scandal?

After speaking to scores of ordinary people about climate change, James Button reflects on the anxieties and contradictions in our approach to the future.

Labor has now got an emissions target, but no mechanism for getting there. The party’s current position is a far cry from the world-leading climate policies the party used to champion. Mike Seccombe on how Labor lost its nerve.

The murder of Hannah Clarke and her children has put Australia’s failure to grapple with domestic violence back on the national agenda. Today, Bri Lee on the changes we need to make to keep women and children safe.

A consortium of powerful religious doctors has made it impossible to choose a surgical abortion in one of Australia’s largest regional towns – even in the public hospital there.

Coronavirus has provided Scott Morrison with an opportunity to re-establish his leadership credentials, but will it work? Today, Paul Bongiorno on how the prime minister is making the most of this crisis.

The panic generated by coronavirus has reignited an older, deeper panic about Chinese migrants. Today, we look at what coronavirus can tell us about racism in Australia.

In today’s episode, we speak to former St Kevin’s student Luke Macaronas about what stops elite private schools and other powerful institutions from addressing issues of abuse.

A prison riot sparked by an intense heat wave shows how vulnerable prisoners are to the impacts of extreme weather. Stella Maynard on how climate change is making prisons even more punitive.

In the past year, the government has directed nearly $5 billion to various schemes using a process lawyers say is likely unconstitutional.

Scott Morrison is sandwiched between the climate deniers in his own government on one side and Russell Crowe on the other, as he tries to come up with a new climate policy.

Meet Keith Pitt - climate sceptic, coal evangelist and the parliament’s most strident nuclear advocate. He’s also the new minister for Water and Resources.

The government has spent more than a decade fighting compensation claims launched by more than 60 former asylum seekers detained in Australia’s notorious detention centres. Today, we ask why it’s taking so long.

Asylum seekers who have been cut off from government support are finding solace in an unexpected place: their own community garden.

How a British model to end climate dysfunction is being introduced in parliament and could work here.

Why the chaos that installed Llew O’Brien as deputy speaker is really about Queensland state politics - and how it’s set the clock on nine months of dysfunction from the Coalition.

Australia’s first nuclear dump is set to be built in a small town in South Australia. The government has spent millions trying to win over locals – but the community is viciously divided.

Scott Morrison received the biggest individual political donation in Australian history. Behind it was a love story – and a man who asked for nothing in return.

From the point of view of his failed candidates, Clive Palmer’s campaign was a success. So what does $84 million buy you at an election?

Australian author Heather Morris has made millions selling books about the Holocaust, but the people in them are unrecognisable to their families.

Barnaby Joyce lost his leadership tilt but has reopened a schism in the Coalition on climate policy.

Every state and territory government in Australia has a target of net zero emissions by 2050. What are the benefits, and the risks, of the states defying the federal government?

As coronavirus shuts borders and creates global panic, Rick Morton explains where the virus originated and looks at attempts to combat it.

Controversial men’s rights activist Bettina Arndt has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. Feminist academic Eva Cox considered giving back her AO in protest – and says it’s more evidence the system needs to change.

Don Watson on why Scott Morrison is not really a politician, and how meaning left politics.

As Scott Morrison pivots to the coronavirus evacuation and deploys the military to the fire zone, questions are being asked about the management of both responses.

Current and former Red Cross staff have criticised the way the organisation is handling donations during Australia’s bushfire crisis.

As the government deals with the Bridget McKenzie scandal, questions are being asked about other larger grant programs.

As minister for defence, Brendan Nelson controversially spent $6.6 billion on Boeing fighter jets. Now he is running the company’s Australian division.

The bushfire season still has months to run. The question is whether volunteers can make it through another crisis without radical changes to how they work.

As fires continue on both sides of the continent, and the government succeeds in putting off commitments at the UN climate talks, Scott Morrison has gone on holidays.

Anthony Albanese says ending Australian coal exports won’t halt climate change. He says we need to cut emissions, but Adani should get on with it and start digging in the Galilee Basin.

Helen Garner has been keeping a diary for as long as she has been a writer. She published extracts from last year’s in the latest issue of The Monthly.

As the Hillsong Church booms internationally, its local arm is still dealing with the fallout from the royal commission into child sexual abuse.

Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Anna Funder on how understanding the Stasi can help us comprehend the age of surveillance in which we live.

As fires burn across the east coast and Sydney suffers catastrophic air pollution, the Coalition government is arguing to do less on climate change.

Seven years ago, David Savage was injured while working for the Australian government in Afghanistan. He has fought since to have his compensation settled and the truth of what happened acknowledged.

Following an inquiry into digital platforms, the government finds itself wedged between News Corp and the tech giants. Both sides are lobbying heavily.

Following his wrongful conviction for the murder of Canberra’s top police officer, David Eastman sought compensation. But bigger questions remain, about mental health and the law.

David Eastman was thought of as a serial pest, until he was convicted of killing Australia’s police chief. The problem was, he didn’t do it.

Jacqui Lambie says she has a deal with the government to repeal medevac. She won’t say what it is, and the government says it never existed.

How the government – led by Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan – is ensuring Australia’s hydrogen industry is controlled by fossil fuels.

As the first two decades of the 21st century come to an end, George Megalogenis considers Australia’s place as a middle power and the demographics that will change our parliament.

Andrew Bolt has led a campaign against Bruce Pascoe and his book Dark Emu. But after reading the explorer journals on which the book is based, Rick Morton was unable to find any errors.

As the fallout from the Westpac scandal continues, attempts are already underway to limit corporate responsibility.

Scott Morrison has put himself in a difficult position, calling the NSW police commissioner to check on an investigation into his own minister.

According to Jeff Sparrow, a new fascism is emerging from the internet – one rooted in meme culture, but that harnesses mass shootings as a political tool.

As Julian Assange fights against extradition to the United States, an unlikely group of politicians is working to have him returned to Australia.

A speaking tour of Europe has revealed the strategy behind Peter Ridd’s rejection of reef science: he believes that if people doubt the reef is dying, they will doubt climate change more broadly.

Xi Jinping’s ambitions for China are paranoid and expansionist. His mindset mirrors that of the guerrilla fighters in the Chinese Civil War.

The Morrison government has halted its robo-debt program, finally confronting issues with the troubled scheme. Separately, the government has affirmed its reliance on Chinese trade – irrespective of human rights concerns.

Summary: Scott Morrison’s co-design process rules out the key aspirations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. But there are signs that a new political fight is about to begin.

Since becoming prime minister, Scott Morrison has stamped himself on the cabinet process. There will be more PowerPoints, and less debate about issues he sees as being routine.

A review of consent laws in New South Wales is recommending changes to how juries interpret sexual assaults and the onus that is placed on defendants. Bri Lee on the response from frontline organisations and the woman whose case triggered the inquiry.

Last week, a million hectares of eastern Australia was burnt in catastrophic bushfires. In the main, politicians refused to acknowledge the science that links these fires to climate change.

As fires burn through NSW and Queensland, a fundamental shift can be detected in Canberra: the politics of climate change have altered.

We don’t know what exactly happened or what ASIO was investigating; those details are secret. We do know that early last year the spy agency broke the law while conducting an operation.

The federal government spends twice as much on income support for people affected by mental illness as it does on treatment. Rick Morton on living inside these figures – and the “arithmetic of existence”.

Scott Morrison’s speech to the Queensland Resources Council has been called a defining moment in his leadership. Mike Seccombe on what it says about his “ordinary bloke” mask.

Lech Blaine grew up in country Queensland. After the 2019 federal election, he spent several weeks driving around the state, trying to understand what makes it different.

As Labor responds to an internal review of its election defeat, some in the party feel they have already lost the next election.

In Australia, the gap in life expectancy between the rich and poor has reached 10 years – the outcome of “savage capitalism”.

Ross Garnaut – the man who wrote the Rudd government’s response to climate change – says Australia has more to gain from a zero-carbon future than any other developed country.

Anthony Albanese was shaped by the circumstances of his childhood. The question now is if his working-class background can help Labor reconnect to its working-class base.

The Morrison government is committed to a budget surplus above all else. But as Paul Keating points out, this commitment can be a kind of sickness.

Rosie Batty on Pauline Hanson’s family law inquiry, and why governments won’t do more to stop domestic violence.

As the number of police strip-searches rises in NSW, a law enforcement commission considers whether many of them are actually legal.

How the American anti-climate-science lobby hijacked local councils in Australia, changing sea-level benchmarks as it went.

A decision to hand planning about sea-level rise to local council has opened up a war around science, property values and influence.

Paul Bongiorno on how the Liberal Party celebrates and how the National Party brawls.

Australia is almost alone its willingness to lock up primary-school-age children for criminal offences, but “tough on crime” politics means there is little will to change this.

As Labor waits for a review of its election loss, and another into the operations of its NSW branch, Anthony Albanese is wrestling with divisions inside the party.

An error at the Department of Human Services caused the original robo-debt algorithm to restart, issuing thousands of unchecked debt notices.

The boom in international education has seen students become commodities. It has also changed the way universities operate - chasing rankings and casualising teaching staff.

As Scott Morrison attempts to control the message on handling the drought, there is bad news for his claims to strong economic management.

New legislation will restrict the way Australians use cash. But there are concerns the laws could jail people for using legal tender.

From anti-protest legislation to funding cuts, this government has waged war on dissent. In recent weeks, its rhetoric has intensified.

A dispute over funding and the NDIS has forced 500 families to forfeit their children into state care.

Australia’s relationship with Chinese investment has been remade in the past six years. David Uren on how ASIO helped transform the Foreign Investment Review Board.

As the Liberal Party slides further on climate change, the Labor Party fights an internal push to abandon its platform.

Each year, The Monthly assembles a panel of critics and artists to decide The Monthly Awards. This episode showcases the winners.

The latest IPCC report says current farming practices are unsustainable. But there are solutions, if farmers want to change.

The aged-care sector is on the brink of collapse. The major providers have been propped up by a government bailout, but without reform they cannot keep operating.

Scott Morrison shares a rhetorical lineage with Robert Menzies and a suburban one with John Howard. But what worked then might not work now.

As Scott Morrison tried to shift Australia’s focus to the drought, and the cash rate fell below 1 per cent, Donald Trump’s paranoia followed the prime minister home.

Penny Wong is the intellectual leader of the Labor Party. Now the subject of a major biography, her politics is shaped by her experiences of difference and her belief in compassion.

The Murray–Darling Basin is being ruined by cronyism and incompetence. But there is a new problem, too: high-yield almond crops.

The judge who sentenced Jaymes Todd for the rape and murder of Eurydice Dixon was asked to consider Todd’s age, autism diagnosis and early guilty plea.

One of the terrible facts about the day Jaymes Todd killed Eurydice Dixon is that for him it was almost all very ordinary.

When former Anglican dean Graeme Lawrence was found guilty of child sexual abuse, his victim, Ben Giggins, made the unusual decision to request that the court name him publicly.

As a royal commission into disability care begins, it emerges that key emails relating to the NDIS are held on a private bank server and cannot be accessed.

Don Watson on the end of speech making in politics, and how the loss of narrative undermines bold policy.

Tanya Day died after being arrested for drunkenness. A coroner is now asking whether systemic racism contributed to her death.

Tomorrow, Scott Morrison will be received in Washington on a state visit. It highlights his special relationship with Donald Trump and his difficulty with Beijing.

Philip Lowe is the governor of the Reserve Bank. He is a conventional person who’s been pushed by the economy to make unconventional choices.

Twenty years after Timor-Leste’s vote for independence, the country’s relationship with Australia remains fraught.

As Scott Morrison announces punitive welfare plans, Rick Morton asks what happens when you treat poverty as a moral problem.

When the impresario behind Earthcore died last year, he left behind a legacy of paranoia, intimidation and financial mismanagement.

As some backbenchers express doubt that Gladys Liu can stay in parliament, Scott Morrison is digging in behind his MP.

When Annabel Crabb decided to find out what happens to men’s work habits when they have children, she discovered a huge store of gendered norms and inequality.

As ICAC exposes apparent corruption in NSW, focus is drawn on the government’s integrity commission, which, among other things, could not make findings of corruption.

There is fresh momentum behind the Adani mine in central Queensland. What happens next could define Australia’s relationship to climate change both here and globally.

Inside the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, a place that is dysfunctional, inflexible and underfunded.

How support for a Tamil family in Biloela blindsided the government and caused the prime minister to panic.

The reality of the wage debate in Australia is that companies are geared to pay dividends rather than to invest in growth – and the treasurer’s intervention does nothing to change that.

As Brian Toohey releases his major book on national security in Australia, he reveals that American spies have been working here without detection.

The reporter behind the Panama Papers, Bastian Obermayer, on how he handled the leak and what he has found in Australia.

Months before the latest protests in Hong Kong, the Chinese government shut down an art exhibition by Chinese-Australian dissident Badiucao. This is his story.

While Australia remains belligerent over the Witness K case, Canberra is standing up to Beijing over the imprisonment of Yang Hengjun.

When a communications agency started contacting Muslim Australians for social media training, no one realised they were being pulled into Home Affairs’ propaganda machine.

The Greens is a party with a leader who many think is too mainstream, struggling with the growing pains of infighting and factionalism. It is also on the cusp of another step change.

Scott Morrison says the middle class doesn’t trust the public service. The problem is available research says the opposite.

Joelle Gergis is one of Australia’s leading climate scientists. She says there is resistance to talking about emotions around science, but she feels grief and anger.

As he arrives for talks in Vietnam, Scott Morrison is struggling to match his attempts at diplomacy with his position on climate change.

The furore over Australian swimmer Mack Horton’s stand against long-time rival Sun Yang underscores confusion about how drug testing in sport actually works.

As the Andrews government attempts to negotiate treaty with First Nations people in Victoria, it is proceeding with a plan to bulldoze hundreds of sacred Djab Wurrung trees.

As Xi Jinping increases his power and ambition, there is tension over the influence China has in Australia. Progressive critics finds themselves aligned with right-wing voices.

Adam Goodes’s AFL career was played at the intersection of race and politics. Stan Grant on what his story says about white Australia.

As the Morrison government begins its inquiry into press freedom, there is concern about the bipartisanship of the committee hearing it. At the centre is Andrew Hastie.

A strict legal framework means there is a shortage of sperm donors across Australia. But online there is a huge and unregulated market of people willing to donate.

In the past decade, reports of teachers and principals being abused by parents have increased. Jane Caro on accounts that range from intimidation to stalking.

The refusal of the major parties to hold a parliamentary inquiry into Crown Casino speaks to a larger relationship between politics and the gambling lobby. It’s not just donations: Labor draws millions in profits from poker machines it owns.

For the first time ever, individual articles can be linked to far-right recruitment drives. High on the list is reporting from The Australian, in stories about Safe Schools as well as about race.

A visit from US ministers gives a clearer picture of what America wants. But as Trump’s trade war with China escalates, it also sets the stakes for Scott Morrison’s visit to Washington.

After Kate O’Halloran’s grandmother was placed in residential care, her family complained about her treatment. The centre responded by threatening to withdraw her place.

As a judge’s comments about Aboriginal people cause outrage, lawyers in the Northern Territory wonder why a key body hasn’t made a complaint.

As the Morrison government pushes for legislation to more easily deregister unions, there are questions over timing and the new laws’ real intent.

Just on 15 years ago, almost half the country voted for Mark Latham. Now, the former Labor leader is a One Nation representative who could play a significant role in the new right.

Amid claims of misconduct against Crown Casino, Labor and the Coalition voted down a parliamentary inquiry into the affair.

As the campaign to raise Newstart intensifies, details emerge of who is actually living on the payment and for how long.

Climate change is now the defining issue for the Pacific. It is also one of the factors undermining Australia’s relationship with the region.

Home Affairs is pushing for new powers to allow the Australian Signals Directorate to embed in corporate computer systems – transforming the body into one that disrupts crime and other attacks.

Australia is ahead of the world in some of its responses to domestic violence, but its national plan has no measurable targets.

The Labor Party has come back to parliament with a plan to ignore Scott Morrison, making the most of an ill-disciplined backbench.

As older voters become a larger and more powerful voting bloc, they are also becoming more organised.

A softening in the housing market has shown up defects and flaws that were being hidden by demand.

Despite hopes that were placed in Ken Wyatt as minister, Scott Morrison says there will be no constitutional enshrinement of an Indigenous Voice to parliament. Karen Middleton on the campaign to keep the Voice alive.

As China seeks to assert dominance, Australia finds itself upping the stakes in a game it doesn’t want to play.

With Scott Morrison emerging as a Donald Trump favourite, there are questions to ask about the meaning of their association.

To understand Scott Morrison, it helps to understand his faith. Tanya Levin is a former Pentecostal who argues that the church informs every aspect of his politics.

Almost two years since changes were implemented following a royal commission into youth detention, tear gas is again being used on children in the Northern Territory.

Scott Morrison’s signature achievement could be the tax cuts he legislated earlier this month – although not for the reasons he believes.

Extinction Rebellion is not focusing on one project; it’s focusing on the system as a whole. And change can come from just a small segment of society participating in sustained non-compliance.

Scott Morrison began the week praying in front of 21,000 people. He closed it promising a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Following the death of cult leader Anne Hamilton-Byrne, surviving members of The Family reckon with judgement.

Scott Morrison’s tax cuts are based on an American theory of economics trialled in the 1970s, but the evidence since suggests it does not work.

As the government produces legislation to temporarily ban foreign fighters from returning to Australia, there is growing concern over whether existing citizenship legislation is unconstitutional.

The pendulum that is used to predict outcomes in elections is broken. One unexpected consequence is for the role of money in politics.

As Scott Morrison’s tax cuts make their way through the parliament, there are fresh questions over religious freedoms.

As the government pushes to repeal the medivac legislation, lawyers and doctors contradict the arguments put against it.

The high court has found that sperm donors can have fathers’ rights, but the ruling is inherently conservative.

The discovery of water ice on the moon has started a new space race – and opened a legal frontier in which Australia has a unique role.

Scott Morrison’s inner circle is a group linked by faith and friendship – and now, the front bench. Their ties were confirmed during the leadership spill last year.

As Labor loses party discipline over tax cuts, the Coalition enters into an ugly post-mortem of its leadership change.

Following the sacking of Israel Folau by Rugby Australia, a fissure has opened up in the debate over equality and freedoms.

As millions protest on the streets of Hong Kong, the democratic freedoms promised in the handover to China are being tested.

Rosie Batty talks to Martin McKenzie-Murray about grief and healing.

The election was shaped by the character of two men. Its outcome shows us how the country reacts to insecurity, and what that means for change.

As Labor and the Coalition explore a double bluff on tax cuts, Cory Bernardi wants back into the Liberal Party.

Australia records higher gambling losses than any country in the world, while the sector uses faulty research to avoid regulation.

The election result has put faith back on the national agenda. But the issue is dogged by a review Malcolm Turnbull commissioned and never had the chance to answer.

As Al Gore continues his fight against climate change, Mike Cannon-Brookes has become the movement’s Australian face.

The mass shooting in Darwin was the worst in Australia since Port Arthur, but it received little attention. What happens to the people left behind?

As Scott Morrison searches for a path to legislate his tax cuts, concerns over press freedom continue to trouble his government.

As the trade war escalates between China and the United States, it’s the US that has become the radical actor.

Once a radical thought, the idea of breaking up tech giants to help regulate them is gaining traction with politicians and tech entrepreneurs.

Before entering parliament, Scott Morrison ran Tourism Australia. He was sacked by the minister, but the details of what happened have never been made public.

Scott Morrison flies back from meeting the Queen to a flagging economy and concern over raids on the ABC and other reporters.

Charlie Teo is Australia’s best-known surgeon. His career asks difficult questions about the balance between hope and orthodoxy.

How “Mistake of Fact” makes drunkenness a legal defence for serious crimes, and the campaign to change that.

Scott Morrison’s cabinet is a careful balance between those who backed him during last year’s leadership spill, and those who backed Peter Dutton.

Anthony Albanese didn’t always expect to be Labor leader but now he’s in the job, he’s not going anywhere.

Two weeks after the election, Scott Morrison has identified 10 seats the Coalition wants to win.

Having once been rejected by government, the Uluru Statement from the Heart is readying for referendum.

Before his death, the former president of Nauru explained how a deal with Australia to open a detention centre destroyed democracy in his country.

Since its introduction, ParentsNext has been a controversial welfare program – but there is a mothers’ resistance mounting against it.

Scott Morrison’s win should not have been a surprise - Australia has been stuck on the same voting divide since 2010. We fractured first, before Trump or Brexit.