Struggling to get his head around Brittany Higgins’ explosive allegation of being raped in Parliament house, the Prime Minister drew on the ‘clarifying’ advice of his wife Jenny: “You have to...
By Kim Rubenstein
Processing power through partnership and collaboration
The contrasting models of demagoguery and democracy flared spectacularly over the Australian summer as the world witnessed the frenzied dying days of the Trump Presidency as it gave way to an...
It’s time to take stock of sexual harassment in Parliament
The recent ABC Four Corners program (Inside the Canberra Bubble) about sexist conduct in Federal Parliament and the potentially exploitative power imbalance between parliamentarians and staffers...
Would the government pass its own citizenship test?
Significant changes to Australia’s citizenship test, altering the way permanent residents can become Australian citizens, come into effect in just over two weeks. Mooted laws tightening access to...
Momentous week in court appointments
Judicial appointments to each of the highest courts in the United States and Australia made for a momentous week both for court watchers and anyone understanding the singular reach of these supreme...
Gender-equal decision making will benefit all
Australia’s federal system is buckling under the weight of border closures. The Commonwealth and States are in a loud dispute over who is responsible for failures of pandemic control when it comes...
High noon for High Court appointments
The punting-style analysis of the likely contenders for the next two High Court appointments due when Justice Geoffrey Nettle retires in December 2020 and Justice Virginia Bell in March 2021...
Shift the numbers, shift the culture
When chief justice Susan Kiefel revealed last week that an independent investigation had found six former associates had been sexually harassed by former justice Dyson Heydon, the news took me back...
The ‘Palace Letters’ and one Woman’s quest for truth
Continuing a family tradition, Professor Jenny Hocking's success in the High Court last Friday is a significant victory. It releases control over a vital part of Australia's history from the Queen's...