And the presumption of innocence has been reversed for welfare recipients ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

When I was in Canberra last week for the final sittings of the year, the press gallery largely had two concerns: whether the government would pass its environmental law changes (it did) and which party’s Christmas drinks to attend.

But beneath the frivolity, a short piece of law was tacked onto some otherwise uncontroversial legislation about welfare payments. Added only after the bill had been scrutinised, and without public disclosure, the changes escaped the notice of many.

But as social policy expert Zoe Staines and her colleagues explain, these changes, which are now law, give the government powers to cancel income support payments to people not convicted of or even charged with a serious crime, but merely accused of one. The changes, they argue, are highly concerning, and suggest politicians haven’t paid close enough attention to the lessons of Robodebt.

Erin Cooper-Douglas

Public Policy Editor

With a sneaky tweak, the government has made welfare recipients guilty until proven innocent

Zoe Staines, The University of Queensland; Francis Markham, Australian National University; Hannah McGlade, Curtin University; Thalia Anthony, University of Technology Sydney

The government’s laws cancelling social security payments for some accused of crimes turn a safety net into a weapon for punishing people.

Albanese government shies away from tougher recommendations from ‘jobs for mates’ inquiry

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

An independent inquiry has strongly condemned the politicisation of appointments to government boards despite the government rejecting much of the plan.

The clock is ticking on a golden opportunity for real change in Australia

Aruna Sathanapally, Grattan Institute

The government moved quickly after its election victory to seek ideas for economic reform. As it prepares the next federal budget, we cannot let that momentum lapse.

What’s working from home doing to your mental health? We tracked 16,000 Australians to find out

Jan Kabatek, The University of Melbourne; Ferdi Botha, The University of Melbourne

Is working from home good for your mental health? If so, how many days a week are best? A new study has some answers.

Australia’s national AI plan has just been released. Who exactly will benefit?

Jake Goldenfein, The University of Melbourne; Christine Parker, The University of Melbourne; Kimberlee Weatherall, University of Sydney

The government wants all of Australia to benefit from the global AI boom – but the plan lacks specificity.

Copper theft is hitting building sites, street lights – and now phones. How do we stop it?

Terry Goldsworthy, Bond University

There are different rules in different states on selling scrap copper. A 2023 inquiry found that makes it hard to stop thieves – who are even targeting cemeteries.

Euphemisms and false balance: how the media is helping to normalise far-right views

Imogen Richards, Deakin University

The mainstream media doesn’t simply cover far-right politics from a critical distance, it also helps to define what counts as politically acceptable.

Is postmodernism wrecking science? In a provocative book, scientists weigh the evidence

Fiona Helen Panther, The University of Western Australia

War on Science takes aim at science’s global culture wars. Edited by controversial physicist Lawrence Krauss, it argues evidence-based science is under threat.

The tiny clue that reveals if an animal has been illegally smuggled

Ricky Spencer, Western Sydney University; Yik Hei Sung, University of Suffolk

A new scientific technique can reveal if an animal has been taken from the wild, exposing the illegal wildlife trade.

Politics + Society
Giving men a common antidepressant could help tackle domestic violence: world-first study Tony Butler, UNSW Sydney; Emaediong I. Akpanekpo, UNSW Sydney; Lee Knight, UNSW Sydney; Peter William Schofield, University of Newcastle; Rhys Mantell, UNSW Sydney A commonly prescribed antidepressant has sparked a reduction in domestic violence reoffending among highly impulsive, violent men.

Health + Medicine
Taking a drug like Ozempic? What you need to know about risks of suicidal thoughts and contraception failure Nial Wheate, Macquarie University Australia’s regulator has issued warnings about the risk of suicidal thoughts and lower effectiveness of contraceptives in those taking Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.

Education

Adults like to talk about ‘big school’. This can make the change seem scary for some children

Kelly Simpson, Southern Cross University

‘Big school’ can sound grown up. But if a child is anxious about starting school, it can make the change loom larger in their minds.
What makes a healthy and safe boarding school culture?

Paul Kidson, Australian Catholic University

Boarding schools in Australia are diverse, and not like Hogwarts or other caricatures.

Environment + Energy

In 1939, a Royal Commission found burning forests leads to more bushfires. But this cycle of destruction can be stopped

Philip Zylstra, Curtin University; David Lindenmayer, Australian National University

After devastating fires in 1939, authorities began burning forests to reduce fuel load. But we now know this creates conditions for even worse fires.
NZ is taking aim at feral cats. Are we ready for the ethical and practical implications?

Courtney Addison, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Adding feral cats to the Predator Free 2050 hit-list may be justified – but it also forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about animal welfare.

Science + Technology
Temperatures in a patch of Antarctic moss can vary as much as an entire mountain range Krystal Randall, University of Wollongong The moss beds in Antarctica are like miniature forests – they create their own climate.

Arts + Culture
Oh. What. Fun. is a light, frivolous Christmas comedy – about motherhood and female rage Rachel Williamson, University of Canterbury Christmas films have long given us schmaltz. Oh. What. Fun. gives us disenchanted, disgruntled maternal point of view.

Immigration concerns
"I find your latest piece denying any negative impacts of our high immigration rate quite astonishing. There’s plenty of evidence that it is currently too high: 'The main factor in the loss of biodiversity is the increased rate of population growth. This has led to habitat change through land clearing and urbanisation, hunting and exploitation.'

Alongside this, we have had analysis of the housing situation by the likes of Alan Kohler, Ross Gittins and others stating that our high immigration rate is contributing to the problem, particularly in relation to rents. Then we have the ramping in hospitals, the infrastructure and housing backlog causing continual congestion in cities, constraints on water supplies requiring more desalination plants, waste dumps running out of space, constant loss and degradation of agricultural land and a struggle to effect the energy transition.

It’s all very well to say 'the government should spend more' to fix all these things, but there comes a point where resources reach a limit, and addressing these issues becomes practically unfeasible. We can’t create more land, more soil, more natural fresh water, or more biodiversity. It is not a matter of disliking or fearing migrants. It is a matter of ecological and social feasibility."
Elinor Hurst, Evandale SA

We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.