Opinion
Opinion
The Fitz Files
Three extraordinary events signal the end of ‘she’ll be right’ era
This week was something of a king tide in the realms of concussion-in-sport news, headed by a heartfelt plea from rugby league great Wally Lewis.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Latest
Opinion
Spending
Want to stretch money like a solo parent? Here are our 11 best hacks
You are welcome to debate me, but I believe no one stretches money like a solo parent. Here’s the best tips I’ve heard.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Opinion
Superannuation
Why is retirement spending so difficult to navigate?
Super through our working life is relatively straightforward. The retirement phase presents an entirely different situation.
- by Bec Wilson
Opinion
Jobs
Would you change your name to get a job?
Research has shown it could be your name that is causing you to be placed in the reject pile. But why should applicants to do all the work?
- by Jim Bright
Opinion
Domestic violence
The fact my job exists shows just what men will do to punish ex-partners
We think of security as something reserved for the wealthy or famous. But it’s everyday women who are being killed by men at the rate of one every week who need it the most.
- by Joel Svensson
Opinion
Social media
Musk puts seat belts in cybertrucks. Now he must put them in cyberspace
What Elon Musk is doing is rogue even in an industry of rogues. He needs to be strapped in, or it will be maximum drama and maximum Musk.
- by Peter Hartcher
Analysis
Foreign investment
Treasurer Jim Chalmers wants stronger foreign investment rules. What does that mean?
In a world of rising geopolitical tensions, Australia is tightening up its foreign investment laws in lockstep with many other Western nations.
- by Anne Hyland
Opinion
Ethical living
Paying extra for ‘earth-friendly’ products? You’re probably being scammed
The use of vague environmental claims that confuse consumers, such as “eco” or “green”, is being banned in the EU. Australia should do the same.
- by Erin Turner and Gerard Brody
Male anger problem needs radical action
A royal commission is a good idea, but only if the government commits to implementing the recommendations. This needs to be a whole of community approach, not just whole of government.
Opinion
Doping
The wait of history: How and why East German medals should be reallocated
The GDR athletes were victims of doping, too. But if just a fraction of the 489 medals they won over nine Games were reallocated, it might be a worthwhile and cathartic exercise.
- by Darren Kane
Editorial
Marine life
Sydney’s shark nets will be removed for winter. They should not be reinstalled
The nets are outdated, provide little protection, and have killed thousands of marine creatures.
- The Herald's View
Opinion
Social media
This X-rated man-child is so powerful, he got our politicians to agree on something
Social inequality keeps growing, bombs keep landing, and our planet keeps burning. Yet, our leaders can find common ground only about a social media platform that’s close to its putrid end.
- by Malcolm Knox
Analysis
NRL 2024
The Rabbitohs are going from bad to worse. Here are their latest coach-killers
In just a year, South Sydney have gone from beating Penrith to having 54 points put on them against Melbourne. Watch our five key reasons that it happened.
- by Christian Nicolussi
Opinion
Crime
I was raped and didn’t speak up. Thanks to Justice Lee, these days I might
In the weeks since Justice Michael Lee’s ruling in the Lehrmann defamation case, I have felt lighter than I have in decades.
- by Anonymous
Opinion
Music festivals
Coachella is hot, expensive and plagued with tech issues. And that’s not the worst part
The problem for the festival is that it is synonymous not with iconic music but with A-listers and overpriced beer.
- by Ed Power
Opinion
Royal family
Meghan made strawberry jam and her mates have lost their minds
Much has annoyed me this week: Albo trekking the Kokoda, BabyGate, puppacinos. But nothing compares to the rage I feel about Meghan claiming to reinvent a fete staple.
- by Kate Halfpenny
Analysis
UK politics
UK politics so much funnier than fiction, comedy writer finds it ‘hard to match’
The Tories are in a spot of bother as the UK heads to an election. A possible catastrophic defeat would be both self-inflicted and richly deserved.
- by Rob Harris
Opinion
Comedy
Help, I’m pathetically addicted to loyalty points
Fifty bonus points for slivered almonds I’m never going to use? Sign me up!
- by Richard Glover
Opinion
Defence capability
Sorry, it’s not gallantry that wins wars, it’s economic might
Whatever their causes, wars are usually won by the side with the most economic resources. Here’s why.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Work therapy
My work wants my biometric data. Am I right to feel uncomfortable?
Given the problem of identity theft in the electronic age and of the growing sophistication of bad digital actors, handing over biometric data can feel iffy.
- by Jonathan Rivett
Opinion
Crime
How many more women have to die before we get serious about this epidemic?
The Herald believes two royal commissions are urgently needed: the first a state-based inquiry into laws and resources, the second a national probe examining the underlying causes driving male attitudes towards women.
- by The Herald's View
Opinion
Social media
The charts that prove social media has bigger dangers than Elon Musk’s ego
The argument about the violent terror attack video is urgent and important. But what if the greater danger is slow and insidious?
- by David Crowe
Analysis
AFL 2024
Benchmark result for Bombers: A draw in which Essendon won much more
This was Essendon’s greatest test since Brad Scott took over a club that was divided, if not broken in key respects.
- by Jake Niall
Violence crisis demands urgent response
Violence against women is under focus yet again – something that never seems to change.
Opinion
Middle East tensions
Iran’s show of force has demonstrated that Israel is not invincible
This month’s military exchanges between Israel and Iran may have largely been a show of force, but they have sent a number of clear messages about any future conflict.
- by Amin Saikal
Opinion
Company mergers
BHP’s clever plan for dealing with Anglo’s poison pills
BHP has approached the embattled Anglo American mining house with an all-scrip offer that would see the group’s most troublesome assets spun off.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
Sunday Life
Is there an age when we give up on love?
I’m now in my 50s and after three decades of engaging in mating, dating and relating, I’m over the drama. And the compromise. And the expectations. Also, the hurt.
- by Wendy Squires
Opinion
NRL 2024
NRL rule changes are messing with players’ minds
In the high-pressure match environment players are struggling to comprehend and understand “policy tweaks” to how the game is officiated.
- by Roy Masters
Opinion
US politics
Whether Trump did or didn’t let loose, there’s a whiff of defeat about him
Just when you thought the most buffoonish member of the US right could not get any sillier, he managed to pull it off – and it stinks.
- by Bill Wyman
Opinion
AFL 2024
I once mocked a star for shirking a contest. I won’t do it again
When a player flinches on the footy field, there’s nowhere to hide. But the old-school approach of humiliation has reached its use-by date.
- by Kane Cornes
Opinion
NRL 2024
How Dragons have gone from bunnies to bullies in Flanagan’s new era
Even if the Roosters beat St George Illawarra on Anzac Day, they will wake up sore on Friday morning. It’s a large reason why the Dragons looked to have turned the corner.
- by Andrew Johns
Analysis
AFL 2024
The ‘boggy’ issue Dees need to address to smoke them in September
Goodwin could chuckle at how his Demons butchered the ball against Richmond, but it will be no laughing matter should there be a repeat in the next fortnight.
- by Andrew Wu
Opinion
Australian economy
Albanese’s latest plan is triggering elite economists. Don’t listen to them
Despite our expensive subsidies for property investors, commentators who have made their careers by calling for ever more reform hate Labor’s signature policy.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
Anzac Day
The missing emotion that needs to be articulated on Anzac Day – rage
Eleven decades on from the horrors of Gallipoli, I am yet to see a thunderous piece of writing saying what needs to be said.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
Coffee
I live in Brunswick East and drink flat whites. Now I’m engaged in a sordid affair
As a Melburnian, your coffee order signals a certain sense of taste. So what happens when you decide you’re not a flat white person anymore?
- by Bianca O'Neill
Opinion
State Parliament
In public life, some private failings can be overlooked. But this MP should resign
Some believe mistakes in an MP’s personal life should not cost them their political careers. But such missteps are often red flags for poor judgment.
- by Alexandra Smith
Opinion
Jobs
A $50k bonus, cheap uni, extra healthcare: the 4400 navy jobs no one wants
From submarines to aged care, the government and opposition have grand plans. But neither know where the workers will be found for them.
- by Shane Wright
Editorial
Anzac Day
Hard lessons of war seem so easy to forget amid sabre-rattling
As Australia commemorates Anzac Day, we reflect on the sacrifices of those who have served, and the men and women who continue to put their lives on the line for our country.
- The Herald's View
Analysis
Inflation
Chalmers’ high-wire act just got harder
For two years, the Reserve Bank has been talking about negotiating a narrow economic path. But inflation is buried deep in parts of the economy.
- by Shane Wright
Opinion
Activist shareholders
Why Goyder survived even though his climate plan was panned
For large investors such as pension and superannuation funds, a vote against what climate activists and experts and some shareholders believe is a vague and feeble plan to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement is a no-brainer.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Social media
Like Grand Designs with bigger blowdries: The strange allure of influencer home renos
While most people in their 20s are struggling to pay rent, a cohort of A-list influencers are ditching make-up and skincare collabs in favour of a new, more lucrative domain.
- by Ruby Feneley
For crying out loud, the theatre is no place for a baby
If I have paid a high price for a ticket to an evening show, screaming children are not part of the deal. It’s not fair to the other members of the audience or the performers.
Opinion
Casinos
Chaos, paranoia and overreaction: Robbie Cooke’s tortured Star turn
Former CEO Robbie Cooke thought he had all the experience needed to rescue Star Entertainment, but his career gamble has led to a spectacular bust.
- by Colin Kruger
Opinion
US politics
Joe Biden just had a significant win, but he’s still in the wars
Ongoing wars in Ukraine – and especially in Gaza – remain politically problematic, and potentially fatal, for US President Joe Biden.
- by Bruce Wolpe
Opinion
Crime
Don’t let Molly Ticehurst die in vain. I don’t care if we restrict civil liberties
Sometimes the most terrible things provide the opportunity for us to change things for the better.
- by Geoffrey Watson
Opinion
Electric vehicles
Tesla’s profits are being sunk by a tide of electric cars
First-quarter profits for Elon Musk’s company have more than halved, with the EV market awash with excess capacity and production.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
Ask an expert
I just got divorced. What should I do with the settlement?
Port-divorce, it’s best to not rush into any rash financial decisions you could regret later.
- by Paridhi Jain
Analysis
Aged care
Why are people inflating their wealth for better aged care?
Retirees are artificially inflating the value of their assets, in numerous instances borrowing money to get the accommodation of their choice.
- by Rachel Lane