It is disappointing that the Brits are doing the wrong thing on 5G, having not exhausted other possibilities. Instead they have doubled down on a flawed and outdated cybersecurity model to convince themselves that they can manage the risk that Chinese intelligence services could use Huawei’s access to UK telco networks to insert bad code. […]
Public transport plays a vital role in cities around the world, connecting people to their jobs, schools and communities. The best systems are fast, clean, comfortable and efficient, reliably moving millions of people from home to work and back again every day. But in many developing regions, inadequate public transport depends heavily on ageing fleets […]
2020 is shaping up as a dismal year for the economy, with no progress on many of the key measures that matter for Australians. Unemployment will stay above 5% and probably rise rather than fall. Economic growth will continue to have a “1” in front of it, instead of the “2” or “3” that used […]
Australia Day has been plagued by controversies in recent years, and 2020 has been no different. Contentious issues include whether it is appropriate to celebrate on the day of mourning for our First Nation’s peoples and whether a dress code should be imposed on those attending citizenship ceremonies. The latest controversy centres on who should […]
A key question facing us all after Australia’s unprecedented bushfires is how will we do reconstruction differently? We need to ensure our rebuilding and recovery efforts make us safer, protect our environment and improve our ability to cope with future disasters. Australia could learn from the innovative approach India adopted in 2001 after the nation’s […]
Like a lot of corporate chieftains, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is a book person. He reads books, he writes them, he gives them to the people around him. And in an on-stage interview last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he discussed no fewer than five of them, averaging one mention of […]
While solar and wind power are rapidly becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels in areas with lots of sun and wind, they still can’t provide the 24/7 power we’ve become used to. At present, that’s not big a problem because the grid still features plenty of fossil fuel plants that can provide constant baseload or ramp […]
By 2030, there will be one billion more people walking the earth. That’s one billion extra children who will have a profound impact on society. For governments, improving people’s lives in the early years can have a radical impact on most of the challenges they are already grappling with. Problems such as inequality and obesity are rooted in the first five years, as are many of the most effective solutions.
Danielle Wood will take over as CEO of the Grattan Institute in July. She recently spoke to The Mandarin about the government's response to the APS review, why reform isn't occurring, and the big challenges governments will face in the next decade.
While accepting her Crystal Award on the opening day of the 2020 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Australian artist and filmmaker Lynette Wallworth set the tone for the week’s discussions on climate change. “I am standing here a traveller from a new reality: a burning Australia, where amidst the endless falling ash, the […]
Will getting full bars on your 5G connection mean getting caught out by sudden weather changes? The question may strike you as hypothetical, nonsensical even, but it is at the core of ongoing disputes between meteorologists and telecommunications companies. Everyone else, including you and I, are caught in the middle, wanting both 5G’s faster connection […]
The platform economy is changing how companies interact with customers. Enterprises need to connect with their customers efficiently to successfully and rapidly match the latter’s wants and needs with services and products. Being able to authenticate users to enable efficient and effective interaction with organizations is vital to business strategies of the future. Password-based consumer […]
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked the head of his department to investigate whether Bridget McKenzie violated ministerial standards when she dispensed sports grants to clubs in marginal seats and those being targeted by the Coalition in last year’s election. It is generally accepted by Australians that “public office is a public trust”. The nature […]
Even countries that have broken ties with each other need to communicate in times of crisis and war. That includes the U.S. and Iran, which have not had an official way to talk directly to each other since President Jimmy Carter cut off diplomatic and consular relations in April 1980, as part of the Tehran […]
A new generation entering the labour market and shaking up old habits is nothing unusual. But the fast pace of technological change, combined with the number of generations working together at the same time (baby boomers, generation X, millennials and generation Z) creates a new situation. The increase in life expectancy results in an ageing […]
