Flat White

In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.

EXCLUSIVE: Why is the RACV putting asylum seekers ahead of its pensioner members?

31 March 2020 5:18 pm

Every state has its own motoring organisation and roadside assistance service. New South Wales has the NRMA, Queensland the RACQ,…

We need strength to survive, not a shutdown of our economy

31 March 2020 3:25 pm

Australia needs strength to survive the coronavirus, but many policies designed to manage the spread may be counterproductively weakening our…

Forget coronavirus. Think of the bright future we can build learning from the lessons

31 March 2020 1:09 pm

Finally, as the curve begins to flatten, the global panicdemodium (new word) dies down and media get bored with ringing…

Italy as the model? That a brave call, even for the(ir) ABC

31 March 2020 10:56 am

The health situation in Italy is dire. Tragically, over 11,000 people have died in excess of 100,000 people have caught…

Coronavirus will create zombie borrowers: still walking, but dead from debt

31 March 2020 5:00 am

Plague and pestilence have always ushered in social and economic dislocation.  The Antonine Plague of the second century AD marked…

Will we now finally act on industrial relations – or lose even more jobs?

30 March 2020 5:33 pm

As the national cabinet scrambles to implement policies to contain coronavirus and lines stretch hundreds of meters outside Centrelink offices,…

Our school standards are poor enough already, but what if children can’t access online learning?

30 March 2020 3:35 pm

For millions of young Australians, it’s homeschooling from now on. As well as getting their heads around months of staying…

Coronavirus: not just a health crisis, but a crisis for our economy and liberty

30 March 2020 1:02 pm

Coronavirus is first and foremost a health crisis. But it is fast becoming an economic crisis as well. Some observers…

EXCLUSIVE: Extinction Rebellion hails the “beauty” of coronavirus

30 March 2020 9:42 am

We all remember Marlon Brando and Rebel Without A Cause. Meet the rebels without a brain, Extinction Rebellion. Their latest…

How red tape is compounding the coronavirus commerce crisis

30 March 2020 5:00 am

Red tape is exacerbating the economic fallout brought on by the coronavirus crisis by making it more difficult for businesses to adjust…

A wartime crisis requires wartime speeches: Scott Morrison and the battle for hearts and minds

29 March 2020 6:45 pm

The government’s battle against coronavirus is also a battle for the hearts and minds of Australians. If the Prime Minister…

Why the left just love a crisis

29 March 2020 4:30 pm

“Never let a good crisis go to waste”. This short and catchy dictum was articulated by Rahm Emanuel, former Obama…

Mental health in the corona crisis: we’re all in this together

29 March 2020 2:01 pm

While many are talking about the physical health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, few have been highlighting the…

Thank you, Earth Hour fans

28 March 2020 8:20 pm

A big thank you to all the people who are about to turn their lights off for Earth Hour. So…

You wouldn’t bloody believe it, but guess who’s asking for money – again

28 March 2020 6:44 pm

What do Fonzie and Adam Bandt have in common? They both jumped the shark. We were laughing earlier this afternoon…

The getting real we had to have

28 March 2020 4:37 pm

Something had to happen, it couldn’t go on forever. Coronavirus was unplanned but it will turn our world upside down.…

What doesn’t Adam Bandt get about social distancing?

28 March 2020 12:32 pm

Adam Bandt wants the Morrison government to emulate the Tories and pay workers who have lost their jobs because of…

Twit of the Day

27 March 2020 6:41 pm

It’s our third outing, so by now you should know the game. But as we missed yesterdays, here’s an update.…

Corona care: stay up to date. The experts aren’t infallible – let alone the media

27 March 2020 3:28 pm

There are a lot of basic data errors being made in the media as we try to get our head…

How localism and community spirit can see us through the corona crisis

27 March 2020 1:06 pm

Rather than more centralisation of powers with the government and bureaucrats in Canberra, a better approach to managing coronavirus would…

Sit down, have a Corona, and let’s talk about the nanny state

27 March 2020 11:11 am

Yesterday, we poor taxpayers paid the ABC to reprimand us for stockpiling alcohol in case of a lockdown. This prompted…

This crisis will show us who the leaders truly are

27 March 2020 3:00 am

It’s possible for both of the following statements to be accurate: 1. To stem this coronavirus pandemic, economic activity needs to be completely…

What’s woke this pandemic?

26 March 2020 5:36 pm

The world has lost its collective head and pandemic pandemonium is the new normal. Those who inhabit the world of…

How the coronavirus response shows we have lost our fundamental values

26 March 2020 3:00 pm

Australia’s response to the coronavirus threat reveals that we have lost our fundamental values. While our nation is faced with…

Greens spread the virulent virus of gender wars

26 March 2020 1:03 pm

Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes will have read that coronavirus is killing more men than women. In Italy, the…