Inside Story

Books & arts What does the Albanese government believe in? Carol Johnson 18 December 2025 Perhaps a little more than Sean Kelly concedes in his latest Quarterly Essay Books & arts (Not) talking politics Caitlin Mahar 18 December 2025 Social theorist Sarah Stein Lubrano says the “marketplace of ideas” doesn’t work. But is the alternative any more promising? Other Voices Another reckoning (with China) Afra Wang 17 December 2025 A vast country can be seen in different but not necessarily contradictory ways International Where are all the Democrats? Lesley Russell 16 December 2025 And which ones will be standing in 2028?

National affairs Pacific headwinds Hamish McDonald 2 December 2025 A muddled year in the region for Labor ends with the Pacific affairs minister disagreeing with his own government International Regime change Michael Jacobs 2 December 2025 COP30’s shortcomings create a vital opportunity to reshape the UN climate talks Books & arts Dark passions and inflammatory speech James Walter 1 December 2025 Is democracy more likely to perish from within than at the hands of external enemies? Essays & reportage The Dismissal from below Frank Bongiorno (with James Watson) 28 November 2025 Fifty years later, what impact has the Dismissal had on Australian democracy?

Other Voices Which party is in trouble, again? Paul Krugman 7 November 2025 If more evidence of Donald Trump’s electoral toxicity was needed, this week’s votes provided it National affairs Jim Chalmers is here “to run the joint” Karen Middleton 7 November 2025 Was the treasurer channelling Paul Keating at ANU this week? International And then there were two Hamish McDonald 6 November 2025 Is the US president coming round to a power-sharing arrangement with China, as long predicted by Australian strategist Hugh White? Books & arts Dispirited voters Glyn Davis 30 October 2025 Political dejection creates disengaged citizens, says a new synthesis of psychology, sociology and political science