Opinion
Analysis
Open banking
The fight over $1.5 billion ‘game-changer’ that hasn’t lived up to the hype
When former prime minister Scott Morrison outlined his vision for an ambitious banking policy in 2018, he declared it would be a “revolution” for Australian customers.
- by Clancy Yeates
Latest
Opinion
Paris 2024
When the Games come to Brisvegas, we’ll have a Raygun up our sleeves
Sure, Brissy doesn’t have the same je ne sais quoi as Paris, but what it lacks in iconography it makes up for in spirit, and I’m not talking about Bundaberg Rum.
- by Lizzy Hoo
Analysis
Political leadership
Labor finally turns around primary vote slide – just
There is a glimmer of hope for the government in the latest Resolve survey. But voters doing it tough want economic solutions.
- by David Crowe
Opinion
Interest rates
Maybe only a recession will fix macroeconomic management
The reliance on interest rates to reduce demand is hugely unfair – and it is lacking in effectiveness.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Political leadership
The price of a life? Don’t tell me, at all costs
We expect our leaders to make life and death decisions all the time. Just spare us the unvarnished rationale.
- by Sean Kelly
Analysis
Paris 2024
The embarrassment of Tokyo triggered a post-mortem. The rebirth was glorious
The last Olympics ended in snapped-handlebars and ignominy. And if the Paris response was emphatic – it could peak in LA.
- by Emma Kemp
McClymont’s courage is a wonder to behold
Journalists like the stylish and courageous Kate McClymont face off evil, violent creeps and chase them down their rabbit holes, despite the unavoidable fear. Fearlessness isn’t a real thing, but courage is.
Opinion
Olympics
Did Snoop Dogg just save an Olympic sport from itself? Sort of
Equestrian events have been engulfed in a major welfare controversy during the Olympics, but an unlikely advocate for the sport could help it turn a corner.
- by Zoya Patel
Analysis
US Votes 2024
The Harris-Walz waltz prompts relief among climate activists
Facing the possibility of a hostile Trump administration, global scientists and analysts are breathing a sigh of relief at the reinvigorated Democratic campaign.
- by Nick O'Malley
Opinion
Rugby Championship
Wallabies are on the canvas and there’s no easy way back up. Here’s why
The resounding defeat to South Africa on Saturday exposed the scale of the gap between Australia and the world’s best. It’s hard to see it closing any time soon.
- by Paul Cully
Webster in Paris
Paris 2024
LeBron v Wembanyama: Collision of shooting stars lights up Paris night
The NBA’s present and future clashed at Bercy Arena on Saturday night when two giants – literally and figuratively – went at each other in a battle for gold.
- by Andrew Webster
Opinion
US Votes 2024
If Trump wins, it’s because he’s called out ‘the last acceptable prejudice’
The narrative of victimhood – one of the main tropes of identity politics – has been increasingly adopted by the right. Donald Trump has appointed himself victim-in-chief.
- by George Brandis
Opinion
Paris 2024
I am Raygun. You are Raygun. We are all Raygun!
Haters gonna hate. But here’s why we should all be Dr Rachael Gunn.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Analysis
NRL 2024
The storm brewing over Stefano Utoikamanu deal
Wests Tigers made the best offer of the three clubs chasing Utoikamanu’s signature, so they want to understand how they lost him to Melbourne.
- by Danny Weidler
Opinion
Ask an expert
Can I use this government scheme to help my kids buy a house?
Your children will receive an inheritance one day – it will be much more useful and impactful now than in 20-odd years.
- by Paul Benson
Opinion
Interest rates
What should you do with your savings? Nothing at all
To utilise your money and truly get the most out of it, right now, you actually don’t need to lift a finger.
- by Victoria Devine
Opinion
US Votes 2024
They called him ‘Tampon Tim’ as an insult. It backfired
Positive political role models like Tim Walz are important. He shows young men that they have nothing to fear by giving things to women – be they tampons or just some basic respect.
- by Jacqueline Maley
Opinion
Immigration
Successful multiculturalism takes work. Just ask the UK, once the riots stop
Governments must not nurture separatism if many cultures are to live together well.
- by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Opinion
Hip pocket
A mortgage where the bank pays you? Yes, but beware the pitfalls
Reverse mortgages have become increasingly popular as a way for older Australians to access an income stream via their home, without having to sell it.
- by Dominic Powell
Opinion
Five Minutes with Fitz
Phil Liggett: I was so right about Cadel Evans, so wrong about Lance Armstrong
The ‘voice of cycling’ Phil Liggett has called his last Olympic cycling event, but even as he turns 81, there’s another stage to come for the affable Englishman.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Mental health
Yes, they make us feel better. But your pet is not your therapist
When did we get to the point that people come second to animals and a human needs to explain why they don’t wish to share space with your pet?
- by Bianca Denny
Opinion
Marriage
In ick-ness and in health? Managing mild disgust in your marriage
When your long-term partner reveals a long-time ick, the only sensible thing to do is have a nervous breakdown.
- by Thomas Mitchell
Australia’s Paris star has the right Hollywood story
Saya Sakakibara’s Paris Olympic BMX gold medal performance has all the right Hollywood-movie ingredients.
Opinion
Paris 2024
Talk about bringing it in tight: Olympic archers belie belief
A mere 5mm the difference between gold and silver? That’s the Olympics for you.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Rugby Championship
Joe’s joeys versus big-time Boks: Ranking the two teams
Rugby isn’t played on paper, but the Springboks are heavy favourites to beat the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday with good reason.
- by Paul Cully
Opinion
WordPlay
Hundreds of words have been added to the dictionary this year. Which ones will last?
Enshittification, this is your moment.
- by David Astle
Opinion
Paris 2024
The secret about the Olympic city that became a ghost town
This wasn’t Paris as it normally lives and breathes.
- by Greg Baum
Opinion
Superannuation
These are the best super funds for when you retire
Retirement-phase superannuation funds almost always outperform their counterparts, but the data on them can be hard to find. Here’s what you need to know.
- by Bec Wilson
Opinion
Ask an expert
I’m recently divorced. Should I pay off my mortgage or boost my super?
There are two simple things you need to aim for at retirement: enough money to live on and a property to live in. Working out which to prioritise can be hard.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Opinion
Defamation
What I wish Linda Reynolds would say, instead of suing Brittany Higgins
It seems that sometimes the most important question is so often forgotten: what is the most decent thing to do?
- by Julia Baird
Analysis
AFL 2024
Still time if he’s good enough: The ‘different beast’ who can still have an impact for the Bombers
Dylan Shiel has played in big finals and been an All-Australian. Last Sunday he showed his class and proved what a difference he could still be for Essendon.
- by Peter Ryan
Opinion
US Votes 2024
In a deepfake election, America is going to the trolls not the polls
Online corporations largely have given up their pretence at trying to impose any kind of civility on their platforms.
- by Peter Hartcher
Opinion
City life
Can you cram your City2Surf training into 10 days? I’m racing to find out
When it comes to preparing for the 14-kilometre race, I was told: “There’s no quick fix, there’s no shortcut”. That sounded like a challenge.
- by Michael Koziol
Opinion
Electric vehicles
The EV haters have a point
Driving from Melbourne to Sydney in BYD’s latest plug-in hybrid underscores why electric vehicles sales are slowing down.
- by David Swan
Opinion
Paris 2024
Aussie gold is great, but sometimes there’s a better story
As much as a high jump gold medal would have meant to Australia’s athletes and their supporters, it means much more to the Ukrainian who beat them.
- by Rob Harris
Opinion
Opinion
We desperately need to improve our concentration. Here’s a novel idea
In a world of fleeting social media grabs and instant gratification, how can we learn to focus?
- by Richard Glover
Australia is punching above its weight in Paris
Considering Australia’s minuscule population of 26 million, we have performed far better than the US and China. Our population was only 9.5 million in 1956, so the 13 gold medals in the Melbourne Olympics was superior to our present performance.
Editorial
Casinos
Sydney’s Star casino has had too much time to play latest hand of bluff poker
The Minns government must not accede to Star Casino’s demands to delay the conversion of poker machines and table games to card-only technology.
- The Herald's View
Science of Sport
Paris 2024
More than muscle: The hidden physics of javelin
As well as power, it takes a mastery of the wind, aerodynamics and energy to produce a throw worthy of an Olympic medal.
- by Tony Blazevich
Opinion
Olympics
The greatest athlete of the 21st century? Bolt runs away with it
ESPN’s American-centric list of the top 100 athletes of this century is a blatant attempt to bait hopeless chumps into pointless arguments – so let’s join in.
- by Malcolm Knox
Analysis
AUKUS
There are two camps on nuclear-powered submarines. Only one of them is based in reality
Critics of the AUKUS pact argue the submarine plan is failing and could collapse at any moment. In the real world, significant progress is being made.
- by Matthew Knott
Analysis
AFL 2024
How the Swans can stop the rot against Collingwood
We take a look at the five burning questions for John Longmire’s side ahead of Friday night’s showdown with Collingwood at the SCG.
- by Vince Rugari
Analysis
Australian cricket
‘I share an impatience’: The cricket culture wars Nick Hockley couldn’t win
When Nick Hockley secretly agreed to take over as Cricket Australia CEO in June 2020, few expected him to last more than nine months. His decision to exit hinted at the culture war bubbling under an apparently smooth surface.
- by Daniel Brettig
Opinion
Road rage
The man in front of me was cracking it at the cashier. Five minutes later I lost it myself
Rude behaviour is contagious and on the rise. I’ve been guilty of it myself. Are we losing touch with civility?
- by Kate Halfpenny
Opinion
Political unrest
The spirit of the London Games has gone up in flames. Brace for Paris to torch the legacy
As we saw in London and Sydney, the celebratory multicultural and liberal triumphs of the Games are quickly followed by illiberal kickbacks.
- by Nick Bryant
Brazilians tower at the Eiffel, leaving Aussies beached
The beach volleyball stadium will be the defining image of the Paris Olympics, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to play there.
- by Greg Baum
Opinion
Work therapy
Why is my company determined to have such a boring ‘mission statement’?
These statements are sometimes referred to as “Vision and Values”. A more accurate name would be “Banality and Inanity”, or simply “About Us Page Wank”.
- by Jonathan Rivett
Opinion
Paris 2024
It’s one thing to cheer our Olympians, but don’t abandon them now
Why are so many of you waking up at 3am to support our athletes during the Olympics, but then forgetting about them for the next four years?
- by Kieren Perkins
Opinion
Political donations
A cap on dark political donations sounds simple, but there’s a serious catch
It sounds wonderful to anyone fed up with blanket advertising and robocalls, but there will be a temptation to replace the lost money with more public funding.
- by David Crowe