Separated by some 3000 km of Southern Ocean, the white sandy beaches and scorching summers of Australia might seem a world away from the white snowy ice shelves and polar extremes of Antarctica. To many, this might beg the question: why should Australians care about Antarctic research? For Australians, caring about Antarctica should not be a distant concern, but a deeply connected investment in a shared future. Phoebe Jackson, PhD candidate at Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, writes on the importance of Antarctica for Australia.

While housing is at the centre of the upcoming election, both major parties have simply proposed piecemeal solutions to a problem that has developed over decades. Manning Clifford provides a long-term view of potential supply-side focused reforms. 

(Image: ABC News: John Gunn)

Right now, there are over 200,000 students across Australia studying health sciences, comprising of medicine, nursing and allied health professions, among others. They play a critical role in our health system, caring for our sick and elderly, and entry into these fields of study are competitive. Upon entry into these programmes however, students are faced with a grim reality: the expectation to participate in a number of unpaid, full-time placements to further their training. Tianna Peck and Mac Hanlin explore this issue further.

It’s a topic that has dominated Australian politics for nearly two decades now, and one that will continue to divide Australians and be used as an ideological boondoggle on both sides of politics: energy. Mac Hanlin dives into the arguments around nuclear, and whether the math stacks up.