Editorial

As the ACT’s election season gets underway, it is important to think about the process of the election, and what the ACT needs from this process. The election can be a contest of bold ideas about the sort of society we want, or a series of largely unsubstantiated assertions about which party can deliver city […]

For an alarming proportion of Canberrans, securing and keeping appropriate housing is a struggle that is too often unsuccessful.  A quarter of a century ago, young adults worried about whether they could afford to buy a house, but for many that concern is now about whether they can afford to rent an apartment.  A growing number […]

Earlier this week, my children witnessed a man hastily push a trolley loaded with groceries out of Woolworths, skipping payment at self-checkout.  While no one in my family had seen anything similar before a couple of years ago, it is now a semi-regular occurrence. I’ve been wrestling with how to help my kids interpret this.  […]

The golden period between Christmas and New Year’s Day has traditionally been a time when Australians relaxed and recharged for the year ahead.  As climate change worsens, this period of respite will be viewed differently by today’s children, who will come to associate it with predictably unpredictable extreme weather events.  This year, many in Queensland were […]

There is growing understanding about the depth and extent of the Australian cost-of-living crisis, which is driving thousands of working families into poverty. It is less well appreciated that the most dramatic effects of the crisis will be in permanently remaking economic and social relationships across communities, driving and solidifying inequality. Without decisive government intervention, […]

The non-profit community sector plays an essential role in helping people and families affected by gambling harms to rebuild their lives. Harms from gambling add to the workload of a wide range of services provided by the community sector. The community sector is stretched to the breaking point by these gambling harms.  To the ACT […]

The ACT is home to the highest median income nationally at $1158 a week. Almost one in 10 Canberrans earns over $3000 a week.  This relatively high median income hides the fact that 9 per cent of Canberrans live in poverty, including more than one in 10 children.  It is easy to look away from […]