Category: Evening Report

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

The federal Opposition is in dire straits. Sunday’s disastrous Newspoll had the Liberals on 15% primary vote, with the Nationals at 3% – well below One Nation on 27%.

Despite the Coalition reuniting over the weekend, it’s yet to provide any answers about how it will win back key groups of voters, from Gen Z and Millennials, to urban voters in general.

Sussan Ley’s leadership appears terminal, with Angus Taylor readying for an imminent challenge.

But as Tony Barry explains on today’s podcast, a new leader alone won’t solve the Liberals’ problems, which run much deeper and mostly predate Ley’s leadership.

Barry is a former senior Liberal staffer and now director of the consultancy firm Redbridge, which does extensive polling and other political research.

On what focus groups are saying about the Liberal Party, Barry says “they just kind of laugh”.

There is substantive brand damage and they don’t take the party seriously. And the reason for that, of course, is because at the moment the Coalition is full of very unserious people.

On Taylor’s expected leadership challenge, Barry says just a change in personality at the top won’t be enough to lift the party’s “almost rock bottom” position.

The problem for the Liberal Party and the Coalition generally […] is they need to get their primary vote into the 40s. Now, in real terms, you’re talking about 3.4–3.5 million voters, give or take a couple of 100,000, extra […] Now, that is a phenomenal amount out of an electoral roll of around 18 million. So will one personality be able to win those three and a half million votes? Unlikely.

[…] If there is a change of leadership, it’s only going to be a success in the medium term if they can shape an economic narrative, perhaps put out some economic reform. And give people some hope that the Coalition does have an economic plan.

On what the Coalition should do to improve its situation, Barry says taking risks and a bold economic agenda are the only options.

I saw an interview with [former prime minister] John Howard […] where he encouraged some bold policy development. And one suggestion he had was to increase the GST rate, but offset that revenue gain with significant income tax cuts.

Because if the Coalition is to appeal to that Gen Z and millennial cohort – which they need to […] they’re polling catastrophically in that group – then having a policy prescription which lets them keep more of their income […] I think is an opportunity for the Coalition to increase their primary vote.

Barry says fewer than one in five (19%) of Australians now nominate the Coalition as the best party to manage the economy – traditionally one of the Coalition’s strong suits.

You go back to the Howard and Costello government and they had a very strong equity lead on that question. And the foundation of all their success was actually on economic management. Because […] in most years, there were income tax cuts. There was significant wage growth. And these were the things that Howard and Costello leveraged to keep on getting re-elected.

On the rising One Nation vote, Barry says there’s been a “hostile takeover” from One Nation poaching Coalition votes, based on a deep frustration with the status quo. He says many voters “want to empower One Nation to shake things up”.

We asked voters “Which of the following statements best represents your view about the political system? Minor change, major change, it doesn’t need any change, or “burn it all down?” 15% of voters said “burn it down”.

45% of voters said a more moderate […] “the system requires major change”. So that gives you a mindset of where a lot of the voters are at […]

Amongst One Nation voters, which we had at 27% [of the total], 83% of those who said they were intending to vote for One Nation said “burn it all down”.

[…] That sort of frustration is manifesting itself in Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce, who [voters] see as vehicles to really shake it all up, instead of this sort of almost sort of paper shuffling […] policy offerings that they’re getting from the major parties at the moment.

So as a veteran observer of federal politics, does Barry believe the next Liberal prime minister is in the Parliament today?

I think it’s quite possible. But it’s going to require an internal mindset change, not just from the Liberal Party but the Coalition as a whole, where they do make the internal trade-offs that are necessary to make themselves competitive again.

At the moment, we’re just seeing too many individuals who are […] trying to find points for internal difference, rather than [finding] that common ground […] I think it’s less about the personality and more about the focus of the party as a whole.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tony Barry on why a new Liberal leader isn’t a quick fix – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-tony-barry-on-why-a-new-liberal-leader-isnt-a-quick-fix-275547

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/politics-with-michelle-grattan-tony-barry-on-why-a-new-liberal-leader-isnt-a-quick-fix-275547/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Consuelo Martinez Reyes, Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies, Macquarie University

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) made history this weekend as the first Superbowl halftime headliner to sing only in Spanish – that too at a moment when the United States is facing a hostile anti-immigration climate.

The show’s message of love and togetherness has reverberated across countries and cultures. It is also chock-full of symbolism and messaging that represents an alternative America to the one taking shape under Donald Trump.

A fiesta celebrating Puerto Rican culture

The performance took place in a noticeably Puerto Rican setting. Fresh coconuts and piragua (snow cone) carts led the way to domino players and boxers (Puerto Rico is the world’s largest contributor of boxing champions per capita).

Bad Bunny opened with the viral hit Tití me preguntó (Tití asked me). He walks through a crew wearing costumes typical of Puerto Rican peasants, with traditional straw pava hats and humble string ropes for belts.

This sugarcane field set is a nod to an important aspect of Caribbean history, wherein sugarcane plantations represent a shared history of slavery. At the same time, sugarcanes signify an immediate link to land, hard work, national identity, and Puerto Rico’s agricultural roots.

The nation’s sugarcane industry was aggressively changed under Operation Bootstrap, a series of economic projects pushed by the US federal government from around 1947. This encouraged the establishment of factories, and private and foreign investment, to the detriment of the island’s economy and infrastructure. It provoked mass unemployment and migration to the US and, by the 1950s, had forever changed Puerto Ricans’ way of life.

While some audiences criticised the choice to sing the songs Tití me preguntó and Yo perreo sola (I twerk alone), due to their sexual lyrics, others lauded their inclusion as a form of LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. These were followed by the party-pleasers Safaera, Eoo, Party and Voy a llevarte pa PR.

Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance, singing a salsa-style version of her hit song Die with a Smile, atop a stage replica of the famous El Morro fortress in San Juan.

Gaga wore a light blue dress of the same shade that once featured in Puerto Rico’s original flag. This flag, however, was banned in 1948 under an American gag law (which ended in 1957) that tried to stifle the island’s independence movement.

During Gaga’s song, the scene of a live wedding (yes, the couple actually got married) cements Benito’s message of togetherness.

A show loaded with symbolism

Apart from matching the wedding theme, the prominence of white clothing in the show reflects a reality of Caribbean daily life, wherein white was often worn to combat the harsh heat.

It also recalls various attire customarily worn in local music genres such as bomba and plena, as well as in Afro-Cuban religious traditions such as santería.

Benito’s own white shirt is emblazoned with the name “Ocasio” and the number 64. This is an homage to his late-uncle, who was born in 1964. The tribute offers a tender lesson on Spanish naming customs, as well as the cultural importance of family.

At one point, we see Benito hand his recently-won Grammy trophy (his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos was the first-ever Spanish-language album to win Album of The Year) to kid actor Lincoln Fox. Viewers were quick to point out Fox’s resemblance to Liam Conejos, the five-year-old boy whose detention by ICE agents last month caused national outrage.

Ricky Martin sang the heavily political track Lo que le pasó a Hawaii (What happened to Hawaii). This song pleads for Puerto Rico to not share a similar fate to Hawaii – the last state to join the union, at the cost of significant cultural loss, land, language and tradition.

Martin is framed by sparks coming from electrical poles in the background. They symbolise Puerto Rico’s poor electrical infrastructure, which was worsened in the aftermath of hurricanes María and Irma in 2017, and the electrical grid’s privatisation in 2021.

The show closes on a lighter note, with songs that highlight Puerto Ricanness. The track Café con Ron (Coffee with rum) takes the audience back to island customs, and the opening cañaveral (sugarcane fields).

Meanwhile, DtMF/Debí tirar más fotos (I should have taken more photos) evokes nostalgia for the past, and serves as a reminder of intercontinental unity.

Behind the crowd of pleneros (Puerto Rican drum players), a background screen reads: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” – a direct challenge to the the anti-immigration policies currently permeating the US.

Benito track list also pays tribute to iconic reggaeton predecessors, with the inclusion of tracks by Tego Calderón, and Daddy Yankee’s 2004 hit Gasolina, among others.

Freedom in the face of oppression

President Donald Trump described the event as “one of the worst, EVER!” and a “slap in the face” to the US. I never thought I would agree with Trump, but a slap in the face it was – one that reminded us all of the fabric of what constitutes American culture.

Bad Bunny’s performance not only provided visibility to the significant Latinx/Latine population that holds the US together. It also served as evidence that accommodating to Anglo culture is no longer a requirement to fit in – especially not for the younger generations.

As Bad Bunny pronounced the famous line “God Bless America” – going on to list multiple countries and territories, including Puerto Rico – he imparts a lesson all Spanish-speakers have been given at least once in our lives. For us, “America” is not limited to the land that lies between Canada and Mexico, but rather extends across continents.

Benito’s geography lesson closes with Seguimos aquí (We are still here) which, due to the Spanish language’s use of the present tense as future, can also be translated into “we will continue to be here”. A powerful message indeed.

Consuelo Martinez Reyes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Unpacking Bad Bunny’s Superbowl show – an alternative joyful vision for America – https://theconversation.com/unpacking-bad-bunnys-superbowl-show-an-alternative-joyful-vision-for-america-275545

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/unpacking-bad-bunnys-superbowl-show-an-alternative-joyful-vision-for-america-275545/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darryn Snell, Associate professor, School of Management, RMIT University

Australia is still dragging its feet on decarbonising the economy. Last September, the Albanese government committed to a 62–70% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 and net zero by 2050. However, only one month later, the government conceded it would fall just shy of its 2030 target and likely miss net zero without significant changes.

Delays to the construction of renewable energy projects around the country means coal-fired power stations scheduled for closure have had their operations extended. The many reasons for Australia’s slow progress on decarbonisation are well documented, and include a lack of transmission lines, poor federal coordination, and uncertainty over the lifetime of coal-fired power stations. But the implications of these delays for workers has been largely overlooked.

In our recent book, we analyse numerous reports and studies that forecast the clean energy transition will stimulate a jobs boom. In these predictions, new green career opportunities will mean workers who lose their jobs in fossil fuel sectors can take advantage of new job opportunities in a “just transition” — one in which no-one is left behind.

But are these claims true? Our research shows many of new renewable energy jobs are short-term and insecure: they are heavily focused on the construction and installation phase of projects, rather than long-term operations. The delays in the energy transition presents additional challenges for workers and their communities.

Old coal power plants are becoming unsafe

Coal-fired power generation still contributes 45% of Australia’s total electricity generation. Many of the roughly 15 remaining coal-fired power stations are ageing and becoming increasingly unreliable.

Recent research published by Reliability Watch found these power plants have suffered a combined 119 breakdowns over the six months to September 2025, and were unable to meet their generation commitments 22% of the time. For workers employed in these power stations it means their workplaces are becoming less safe to work in.

Queensland’s Callide Power Stations has suffered a series of serious incidents in recent years, including a generator unit explosion and cooling tower collapse in which workers’ lives were put at serious risk.

Similarly, Victoria’s 1970s-era Yallourn W Power Station has suffered a series of major breakdowns. In June 2025, a large section of an air duct crashed down onto scaffolding used for ongoing maintenance work. Luckily no workers were in the vicinity at the time. The plant is scheduled to close in 2028.

With delays in renewable energy coming online, state governments have had to extend the operational life of some ageing generators, such as the Eraring plant in New South Wales. Unions, quite rightly, are raising concerns about how worker safety can be maintained until closure.

Promised careers put on hold

To remain competitive in the job market, workers at coal plants slated to close have been encouraged to become more employable by gaining sustainability and environmental skills. Authorities have encouraged education and training providers to meet the workforce needs of the new “green” economy.

Universities and TAFE institutes have responded by developing new programs to provide qualifications in emerging occupations such as green construction, battery manufacturing, green steel, hydrogen production and offshore wind. The Clean Energy Council has even developed a careers guide for people interested in new clean energy jobs.

The problem is, the new jobs may not arrive in time. Workers who will lose their jobs when Yallourn closes have been encouraged to reskill to work in the offshore wind industry.

Unfortunately, ongoing delays in offshore wind developments means it’s unlikely there will be any local jobs in offshore wind when the power station closes in two years’ time. For energy regions, the uncertainty surrounding new renewable energy projects places them at risk of becoming “left-behind places” with high unemployment and socio-economic disadvantage.

In an earlier Conversation article, we pointed out workers in offshore oil and gas are also facing uncertainty, but decommissioning work could provide important job opportunities. Coordination of transition strategies at federal and state level will be vital in assisting both these groups of workers.

The environmental justification for accelerating Australia’s decarbonisation efforts is unquestionable. However, the tens of thousands of workers who will be relied on to deliver this transition must not be overlooked. They must be a primary consideration in any real “just” transition.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How delays in Australia’s switch to clean energy are hurting workers – https://theconversation.com/how-delays-in-australias-switch-to-clean-energy-are-hurting-workers-272818

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/how-delays-in-australias-switch-to-clean-energy-are-hurting-workers-272818/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Haswell, Professor of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology

Under the soils of the Kimberley lies one of the world’s last undeveloped large-scale reservoirs of onshore gas, according to the gas company hoping to extract it.

Last month, the Western Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended approval for Bennett Resources, a subsidiary of Black Mountain Energy, to begin exploration by drilling 20 wells across ten sites near the Kimberley’s Martuwarra Fitzroy River and applying hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

If officially approved and results are favourable, exploration is likely just the start. The company – majority-owned by US oil and gas company Black Mountain – wants to begin full-scale production to extract an estimated 420 billion cubic metres of gas. Doing so would require hundreds or thousands of wells drilled into many aquifers, with connecting roads, gas processing plants, wastewater ponds, water treatment plants, compressor stations and new pipelines.

For the mining-friendly WA government, the economic benefits would appeal. But the EPA’s recommendation has triggered an immediate backlash from Aboriginal and environmental groups. The Office of Appeals Commissioner reports an unprecedented number of appeals have been lodged before the February 10 deadline.

As health and Indigenous knowledge experts, we have real concern about these plans. We now know much more about the harms fracking can do to the health of humans, wildlife, groundwater and rivers.

What is this project?

Black Mountain Energy has exploration rights over a 3,700 square kilometre area in the Canning Basin between Fitzroy Crossing and Derby. The exploration wells would be drilled west of Fitzroy Crossing.

Major oil and gas companies interested in this basin’s gas reservoirs have progressively pulled out due to vast infrastructure costs.

But Black Mountain Energy appears determined. The company first announced its plans in 2020 but encountered difficulties raising funding. It’s not guaranteed to proceed even with state backing, as the federal government has to sign off too.

If these first wells go ahead, fracking rigs will drill down 2–5km into the rock, before shifting into horizontal mode. Then, the rigs force megalitres of fresh water, sand and chemicals under high pressure into the rock layers to fracture them. This allows methane gas contaminated with toxic gases, including benzene and toluene, to be collected at the surface. Millions of litres of contaminated salty wastewater are also produced and must be managed. The process is repeated up to 70 times per well.

Some of the wells will be drilled within 2km of important tributaries of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River system.

Most gas would be exported, which would likely require a new pipeline to Karratha, almost 1,000km away.

How was this assessed?

The moratorium on fracking in WA was only lifted in 2018, following a state Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing. The government stated 20 protections would be in place before fracking would be allowed, but only half of these are complete.

The WA government points to the fact fracking is banned in 98% of the state. But the 2% where it isn’t banned covers parts of the breathtaking and culturally rich Kimberley region.

In considering this exploration project, the state EPA found the harm to the environment, culture and human health to be “unlikely” or “insignificant”.

But an independent federal scientific committee on onshore gas and coal found there were risks to threatened species from ecological disturbance and possible chemical contamination.

Since 2018, the evidence base of the environmental, physical and spiritual health risks around fracking have advanced significantly through documentation of Aboriginal knowledge and Western scientific research.

Threats to a sacred river

For the Kimberley’s First Nations groups, the waters of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River System lie at the heart of their spirituality.

Aboriginal people consider the Martuwarra River of Life and its groundwater systems to be an ancient life force – serpent beings that bring the Kimberley vast life and landscapes.

Stories carried through generations emphasise a deep moral responsibility to protect and manage the river and its groundwater. The deeply held spiritual beliefs of the people of the Kimberley are grounded in their values, ethics and virtues as a duty of care under First Law to protect public interests, ground and surface waters of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River, and the whole living system.

The Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (chaired by co-author Anne Poelina) and the Kimberley Land Council strongly reject both the Valhalla proposal and the EPA’s view that cultural risks from fracking and water contamination are low.

Evidence from Western scientific research

As well as adding to climate change, these projects can damage waterways and groundwater, wildlife and human health at every step, from extraction to transport to processing to liquefaction and eventual burning.

Since the 2018 fracking inquiry, the rigour and quantity of evidence showing the harms have significantly increased. There are now consistent findings of harm to people living near fracking operations in nations such as the United States, Canada and Australia.

This evidence base captures risks to water quality (through contamination and over-extraction) and air quality (including emissions of toxic gases such as benzene and toluene).

Risks to human health associated with air and water contamination include increased risk of hospitalisation for cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases and some cancers, especially in children. Higher rates of birth complications and birth defects have been observed downwind and downstream of oil and gas operations.

To our knowledge, there are no studies demonstrating these risks to environment, climate and health can be reduced through regulation.

What’s next?

More than 35,000 people live in the Kimberley, and around half identify as Aboriginal. The region is extremely sensitive to climate change and its people are at heightened risk from most health issues associated with oil and gas operations.

The WA EPA recommended approval of this exploration project without fully examining the evidence. The agency excluded human health concerns due to transient and “sparse populations”.

Policymakers must heed the accumulated evidence showing clear risks of harm. To approve drilling and fracking in the Kimberley is to approve a process we now know does damage to many things we care about, from human health to wildlife to culture to sacred rivers.

Black Mountain Energy was approached for comment but did not respond before deadline.

Melissa Haswell is affiliated with the Climate and Health Alliance, Doctors for the Environment Australia and the Public Health Association of Australia.

Anne Poelina is affiliated with Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council and receives funding from Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council.

David Shearman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. If fracking begins in the Kimberley, it could damage a sacred river – https://theconversation.com/if-fracking-begins-in-the-kimberley-it-could-damage-a-sacred-river-274631

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/if-fracking-begins-in-the-kimberley-it-could-damage-a-sacred-river-274631/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margarita Vladimirova, Sessional Academic, Faculty of Law, Monash University

A seemingly minor decision handed down last week by the Administrative Review Tribunal may open the door to widespread use of facial recognition technology in shops and other privately owned spaces in Australia.

The decision held that Bunnings was entitled to an exception to some rules around the use of facial recognition technology. In particular, it said the hardware giant did not need to seek the consent of customers before using the technology on them.

The tribunal’s decision may yet be appealed to the Federal Court – but if it stands, it raises worrying questions about the future of privacy, biometric data, surveillance and consent in Australia.

What the Bunnings case is about

Between January 2019 and November 2021, Bunnings conducted a trial of facial recognition technology across at least 62 stores in Victoria and New South Wales, following an initial two-month pilot in November 2018.

The technology was integrated into in-store security cameras and captured the facial images of all individuals entering the premises. These images were then analysed to generate a searchable database of facial identifiers.

In November 2024 the Privacy Commissioner ruled that Bunnings breached the privacy of “likely hundreds of thousands” of Australians through its use of facial recognition technology.

There were five key points in the finding:

1. customers did not consent to the collection of their facial information

2. customers did not know their biometrics were being collected, due to signage that was unclear and sometimes missing

3. Bunnings lacked relevant staff training on using facial recognition technology

4. Bunnings lacked clear policy describing how they managed collected personal information, and

5. the use of the technology was more than the “minimum, reasonably required to mitigate” organised retail crime and threatening situations.

Overall, the use of facial recognition technology on thousands of people to prevent retail crime was declared to be unproportionate. However, the commissioner acknowledged the technology’s potential to reduce violence and theft.

The tribunal decision on exception

In its review of the Privacy Commisioner’s determination, the Administrative Review Tribunal supported all the Privacy Commissioner’s findings but one: the one related to consent.

The tribunal set aside the Privacy Commissioner’s finding that Bunnings violated one of the privacy principles by collecting facial information from customers without consent, arguing that Bunnings’ actions fall under an exception to the requirement for consent.

What is the exception?

Australia’s privacy act protects personal sensitive information, including facial information. It states that such information can be collected only with consent of an individual.

However, there is a list of exceptions provided in section 16 (A).

The exception the tribunal considers applies to Bunnings is:

the entity reasonably believes that the collection, use or disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any individual, or to public health or safety.

The tribunal collected personal testimonies from Bunnings workers. It found the workers reasonably believed the technology is necessary to combat retail crime and protect staff and customers from violence, abuse and intimidation within their stores. These sometimes involved weapons, acts of physical violence or aggression, death threats or other threats of violence.

The future of biometrics and consent

This decision has consequences well beyond Bunnings. It may be crucial to the control of individuals’ biometric information in Australia.

If the decision is not appealed to the Federal Court, we may see a future in which retailers and other organisations can use biometric technologies on members of the public without consent. All they will need to justify their actions is a risk-management narrative based on personal statements.

This shift would make consent an optional constraint. It could be displaced whenever biometric surveillance is framed as efficient, preventative or protective.

The Bunnings case risks eroding the basic structure of privacy law.

Biometric data is unique, permanent and non-revocable. Yet the decision treats biometric data collection as dependent on the needs and beliefs of the entity collecting it. The choice of the individuals affected does not come into it.

Privacy law and surveillance

The circumstances of the Bunnings case seem different from what was envisioned in 1988 when the privacy laws were drafted. For example, the OAIC Guidelines of the Privacy Act 1988 focused on more severe cases:

a potentially harmful threat […] such as a threatened outbreak of infectious disease. This allows […] preventative action to stop a serious threat from escalating before it materialises.

[…] if time permits, attempts could be made to seek the consent from the relevant individuals for the collection, use or disclosure, before relying on this permitted general situation.

These guidelines considered consent to be a cornerstone of biometric collection, and not easily waived.

However, if facial recognition becomes normalised, privacy protection becomes more difficult. Data management protocols may need to be tightened, and laws may need to be changed.

The ruling lowers the threshold for more surveillance. If non-consensual biometric processing is accepted in retail, the same logic can apply to workplaces, schools and other public but privately owned spaces. Each expansion can be justified using the same language of safety, deterrence or necessity.

Most importantly, the decision reshapes the meaning of consent itself. Consent risks becoming symbolic rather than operative. It may be formally recognised in law, but practically irrelevant.

Margarita Vladimirova used to work for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

– ref. Bunnings decision may open door to facial recognition surveillance free-for-all – https://theconversation.com/bunnings-decision-may-open-door-to-facial-recognition-surveillance-free-for-all-275392

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/bunnings-decision-may-open-door-to-facial-recognition-surveillance-free-for-all-275392/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Brookes, Senior Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University

The media and cartooning world shifted mightily between Jon Kudelka’s earliest contributions to The Mercury in Hobart in the early 1990s and to his last regular gig at The Saturday Paper, before the diagnosis and treatment of his glioblastoma sparked retirement in April 2025.

In contributions to these publications, and The Australian and The Age, Kudelka’s cartoons have been published for readers across the political spectrum, resisting the polarisation of the contemporary Australian media.

The award-winning cartoonist died in Hobart on Sunday, aged 53. Alongside the cartoons, he had a flourishing creative career evident to anyone who wandered into the Kudelka Gallery in Salamanca Place that was envisioned as a “retirement policy”.

The national conscience

If cartoonists are the persistent voice of the national conscience, then Kudelka’s was superficially quizzical but often searing in its conviction.

He turned his attention to hypocrisy, political grandstanding and manipulation; or to deep-seated social and political inequality in cartoons as beautiful as they were powerful.

In 2016, Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles, in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, was valued at A$350 million. Coalition Senator James Paterson – either mischievously or out of proper philistinism – suggested we might now sell the painting and bank the profit.

Kudelka’s cartoon invites you in, almost sweetly, with the classic cliché and the childish-looking “suits”. He then skewers the reductive economic thinking with the punchline and exposes the violence inherent in the system with the small but savage chainsaw. But look how beautifully, how affectionately, he copied the great artwork.

The man himself knew a lot about art, and he could really paint.

When Kudelka won his first Walkley Award in 2008 for Welcome to Brendan, the members of the judging panel pointed to the way the “wistful, beautiful drawing” has a subtle power. It offers insight into the isolation of then Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson, as he struggled to decide on a position on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s upcoming apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples.

A decade later, Kudelka won a second Walkley for a cartoon with a sharper edge. From the Heart calls for a visceral response, reimagining the shape of Uluru as a raised middle finger to capture response to the Turnbull government’s dismissal of the main recommendations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Kudelka’s cartoons paid attention to the issues, large and small, whose many threads make up the fabric of national life. They invited readers in, while laying bare the true shape of power and influence.

On 14 October 2023, the day of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, his cartoon in The Mercury pushed back against those political slogans that played on voters’ feelings and fears rather than the facts, reminding them it wasn’t too late to inform themselves.

A willingness to think publicly

Kudelka’s contribution to Australian cartooning is larger than the cartoons he leaves behind. It lives in his willingness to think and reflect publicly about the profession: the licence editorial cartoonists are afforded to contribute meaningfully to the life of the nation, and the (mundane as well as exceptional) sacrifices this requires.

We interviewed him late last year for our research on Australian editorial cartooning. Surrounded by the Tassie-inspired artwork that fills his gallery, he reflected on his career with unusual openness, wit and warmth.

His somewhat accidental spearheading of a cartoonists’ boycott of the 2023 Walkleys offers a powerful insight into his convictions.

In a blog post, Kudelka explained he was choosing not to enter a cartoon that year after a review of award categories failed to introduce a new category on climate reporting, and the ongoing sponsorship of the Walkleys by Ampol.

He argued:

Whether this sponsorship influences journos or not, people seeing a bunch of allegedly well informed media types hobnobbing on a fossil fuel company’s dime makes people think well they must think this isn’t so bad so maybe it isn’t (spoiler alert: it is).

Some cartoonists followed suit. Others disagreed. This sparked a range of conversations about the changing culture within cartooning and, more broadly, about the history of the awards and their founder.

Change followed: the Australian Cartoonists’ Association instituted a new award for a climate-change related cartoon; the Walkley Foundation moved both to change its sponsorship policy and distance itself from the racist views espoused by W. G. Walkley in a 1961 newspaper column.

The issue continues to frame – if not define – Kudelka’s online presence. The front page of his blog now reads:

I mostly use this blog for causing trouble with the Walkley Awards and selling calendars these days, but mostly the latter.

In April 2025, Kudelka retired after more than three decades of professional cartooning. He reflected in a wry piece for The Saturday Paper that being an Australian political cartoonist had started “feeling a bit like Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a hill every day”.

He was happier, he realised, taking his time “making things”, with the weight of the daily deadline lifted from his shoulders.

‘Not today’

Kudelka left us with two self-portrait cartoons.

In the first, the cartoonist stares into the “abyss” for inspiration as a deadline approaches.

In the second, he potters about his studio, looking for his pen.

Meanwhile, on the wall hangs a gentle phrase laced with the honesty, humour and satirical sharpness that characterised Kudelka’s creative and cartooning life: “Not today”.

Stephanie Brookes receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is an Associate Member of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association.

Richard Scully receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an Associate Member of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association.

Robert Phiddian receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an Associate Member of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association.

– ref. As beautiful as they were powerful: Jon Kudelka’s political cartoons were made with true conviction – https://theconversation.com/as-beautiful-as-they-were-powerful-jon-kudelkas-political-cartoons-were-made-with-true-conviction-275538

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/as-beautiful-as-they-were-powerful-jon-kudelkas-political-cartoons-were-made-with-true-conviction-275538/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Polyakov, Clinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne

Prospective parents are being marketed genetic tests that claim to predict which IVF embryo will grow into the tallest, smartest or healthiest child.

But these tests cannot deliver what they promise. The benefits are likely minimal, while the risks to patients, offspring and society are real.

Parents deserve accurate information, not marketing hype, when making profound decisions about their future children.

Which tests are we talking about?

Prospective parents can already have their IVF embryos tested for inherited conditions. But these tests often relate to a single gene, such as for cystic fibrosis.

However, this latest type of testing tries to predict complex traits influenced by thousands of genes operating together. The testing generates “polygenic risk scores” for individual embryos.

This is said to be an embryo’s theoretical risk of developing conditions, such as heart disease or Alzheimer’s, or having certain traits, such as high IQ or above-average height. Parents can then use these scores to choose which embryo or embryos to transfer.

Although Australian companies do not offer these tests, multiple companies in the United States do so.

One, Nucleus Genomics, has papered New York with posters to market these tests with the tagline “Have your best baby”.

The company offers to screen embryos for up to 2,000 traits. These include eye colour, IQ, baldness, and conditions people usually develop later in life, such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

What the research actually shows

Our group examined whether this technology is ready for clinical use. We evaluated polygenic risk scores for embryo selection using the same framework used to assess any medical screening test.

We showed these predictions are extremely uncertain.

Researchers cannot examine the benefits for predicting late-onset diseases at all since the outcomes will not be known for decades. And mathematical modelling shows vanishingly small benefits, perhaps a few IQ points and 1–3 centimetres in height.

To some people, 3cm in height might sound a lot. But we cannot be certain how relevant this and other predicted benefits are, for a number of reasons.

Polygenic risk scores have been derived from studying people currently in their 50s and 60s who lived in vastly different environments. They grew up without smartphones, current levels of processed foods, air pollution and microplastic exposure. Their education, health care and lifestyle factors were fundamentally different.

This matters because traits and diseases result from lifelong interactions between genes and the environment. The same genetic variants that contributed to diabetes in the 60s might behave differently today. So we cannot assume genetic patterns from past populations will predict outcomes in radically transformed environments in the future.

Lifestyle and environmental factors cannot be captured by genetic testing. So polygenic risk scores examine only one side of a complex equation, ignoring the environmental side, which may be equally or more important.

Consider IQ. Early childhood education, nutrition, parental engagement and socioeconomic factors have an enormous impact on cognitive development. Choosing an embryo with a marginally “better” genetic score for IQ, while ignoring these proven influences, is like predicting a plant’s height from its seed alone, without considering soil, sunlight or water.

There’s also pleiotropy, where one gene affects multiple traits. For example, selecting for higher educational achievement might inadvertently increase your risk of choosing an embryo with a higher risk of bipolar disorder.

So many issues and concerns

In Australia, National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines recommend preimplantation genetic testing to avoid serious genetic conditions. But polygenic risk scores aim to predict the future risk of developing a condition or trait. They are not a diagnosis. So, using polygenic risk scores for embryo selection is inconsistent with the guidelines, and operate in a regulatory grey zone.

That doesn’t stop prospective parents – including from Australia – sending a sample, or genetic information derived from their sample, overseas for analysis.

There are also profound ethical concerns. This technology echoes eugenics movements that ended in forced sterilisation and Nazi atrocities. Selecting embryos for traits such as intelligence or skin colour risks entrenching discrimination and deepening social inequalities.

Another troubling aspect is decision paralysis. When parents receive polygenic risk scores for multiple embryos across dozens of conditions and traits, how do they choose between embryos with a higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease, schizophrenia, higher IQ, and height or any combination?

These aren’t straightforward medical decisions; they’re impossible value judgements.

Parents may find themselves paralysed by the weight of these choices, second-guessing their decisions for years, or choosing not to transfer any embryos.

There’s a cruel irony: couples who undergo IVF solely for polygenic risk score testing, rather than for fertility issues, reduce their chances of having a healthy baby.

That’s because IVF carries risks, such as an increased risk of high blood pressure in pregnancy and preterm delivery. The very process of obtaining a biopsy from an embryo to analyse its DNA may also affect pregnancy outcomes.

So prospective parents may be trading proven risks for unproven benefits.

What’s the take-home message?

The “best” child isn’t the one with the highest genetic score; it is one born into a loving family with access to good nutrition, education and health care.

These environmental factors have far more influence on how a child develops than tiny variations in DNA.

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I would like to acknowledge Dr Genia Rozen from the University of Melbourne, who was a coauthor on our research and contributed to this article.

Alex Polyakov is the Medical Director of Genea Fertility Melbourne.

– ref. Want a tall, smart child? How IVF tests are selling a dream – https://theconversation.com/want-a-tall-smart-child-how-ivf-tests-are-selling-a-dream-275211

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/want-a-tall-smart-child-how-ivf-tests-are-selling-a-dream-275211/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology

School is back and, with it, the daily task of packing a lunchbox.

If your child is coming home with uneaten sandwiches, you’re not alone. They’re easy to make and transport, but sometimes the last thing kids (or adults) want to eat.

The food kids eat at school typically provides at least one-third of their daily energy intake. So a nutritious lunchbox is an important way to support their overall health, as well as their focus and performance at school.

While sandwiches may be an obvious lunchbox choice, there are loads of other options.

What can you pack instead?

If you don’t want to stray too far from the sandwich, but want to change things up, try out sandwich sushi, or a sandwich roll. It uses similar ingredients to a sandwich but in the shape of a sushi roll.

To make sandwich sushi, cut the crusts off, flatten the bread using a rolling pin or your hand. Spread the bread with a dip or other ingredient such as avocado or tuna, fill with ingredients such as sliced cucumber or carrot, then roll and cut it like sushi.

You may also be inspired to try making some sushi rolls. These take a little more preparation, including cooking the sushi rice in advance, but are a great sandwich alternative.

If you want to stick with bread, a roll, wrap or pita pocket may be enough change to keep the lunchbox feeling fresh. You could try out recipes like this chicken and avocado wrap or ham and salad pita pocket.

A frittata is another good option for replacing the sandwich as the main lunchbox meal. Frittatas need to be prepared in advance but can be easily adapted based on ingredients you’ve got in the fridge or cupboard such as cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, baby spinach, roasted pumpkin or frozen corn.

Likewise, a savoury muffin (like these cheesy corn muffins) takes a bit or preparation but can be bulk cooked and portioned in advance to make mornings quick and easy. There are lots of different recipes for savoury muffins, so find one that suits your tastes. This recipe uses zucchini, carrot, peas and corn.

Dinner leftovers can also make great lunchbox meals. Stir fry with noodles, or a hearty salad like this Mexican-style one with beans, can be packed into containers to make a nutritious lunch.

Other salad options include pasta salad or this balsamic bean salad.

To make a salad that’s going to be filling for lunch, try to include some wholegrain carbohydrates (such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta, barley, lentils or quionoa) and a source of protein (such as egg, cheese, tofu, kidney beans or chicken).

Having an insulated lunch box or thermos can help to keep foods hot or cold until lunch time.

What else should a lunchbox include?

A lunchbox is more than just the main meal: a balanced lunchbox should include a main meal, a fruit or vegetable snack, another snack and a drink.

Snack options might include plain popcorn, hard boiled eggs, yoghurt, cheese sticks, crackers and fresh fruit and vegetables (which can be cut into pieces for easier munching).

For a balanced lunchbox, try to include at least one item from each of these food groups:

1. fruit (such as banana, grapes, apple, berries, pear, stone fruit, melon)

2. vegetables (carrots, celery, pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber)

3. grain and cereal foods (rice, wholegrain crackers, noodles, bread, wraps)

4. meat or meat alternatives (eggs, nuts, chicken, tuna, lentils, tofu)

5. milk, yoghurt or cheese (or non-dairy alternatives like soy milk)

6. water.

Including foods from each of these groups will help to ensure the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Using a lunchbox with multiple compartments can help with packing a small portion of each different food. For example, rice crackers in one compartment, cheese cubes in another, and some cherry tomatoes and mini cucumbers in a third.

Offering variety and keeping portions small can also help to manage fussy eating.

Making it easier for parents

Parents juggle food preferences, logistics, societal expectations, time, nutrition and other pressures.

As a society, we need to better support families to create healthy and sustainable lunchboxes. Research suggests suggests this could include:

• giving students a longer time to eat lunch at school
• teaching students about the value of food
• supporting healthy canteen policies
• restricting marketing to children
• improving the clarity of food labelling.

Some experts also argue we should move to a school-provided lunch program.

These changes can’t be implemented by schools or parents alone but require action across multiple industries and government departments.

In the meantime, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges and value the effort associated with putting together the daily lunchbox.

Margaret Murray does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. My kids (and I) hate sandwiches, what I can pack for lunch instead? – https://theconversation.com/my-kids-and-i-hate-sandwiches-what-i-can-pack-for-lunch-instead-275207

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/my-kids-and-i-hate-sandwiches-what-i-can-pack-for-lunch-instead-275207/

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 10, 2026.

The 4 big changes to gun laws that would make NZ safer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Getty Images New Zealand is undertaking the most significant rewrite of firearms law in over 40 years. Overall, it’s a welcome step, as the law was messy and times have changed. But that’s not to say the proposed law

Amid an Olympic boom, it’s risky timing to lift a ban on developers’ political donations
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University Queensland is a step closer to lifting a ban on political donations from property developers – despite a corruption watchdog’s warning that doing so in a A$7 billion Olympics building boom could raise “risks of undue or improper

Why do nose and ear hairs become longer and thicker as we age?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University LarsZahnerPhotography/Getty Growing older often brings unexpected grooming challenges. This is particularly apparent when some areas that, when young, we could otherwise ignore start to develop hair. This includes our nose and ears, where hair grows thicker and

Can Australia build one of the world’s largest data centres?
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Angelakis, PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Adelaide University Nathan Angelakis, CC BY-NC Most seals give birth to a pup around the same time each year, and wean them and send them on their way within 12 months in an annual cycle. Australian sea lions

ADHD prescriptions are up tenfold, with the wealthiest kids most likely to be medicated
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Prosser, Partner, Government & Public Sector, Providence / Honorary Fellow, Australian National University Phil Boorman/Getty Images The number of young people in Australia prescribed medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased more that tenfold in 20 years, our new research shows, while it is no longer

The lower Murray is officially on life support. Will we save it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Whiterod, Researcher, Adelaide University Michael Obeysekera/Unsplash, CC BY At 2,500 km long, the Murray is Australia’s longest river. It provides 3 million people with drinking water and irrigates around 1.5 million hectares of farmland. But this intensive use has come at a cost: the lower Murray

6 tips to survive and thrive in your first year of university
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophia Waters, Senior Lecturer in Writing, University of New England Photo by RDNE Stock project/Pexels University study is a major commitment and is quite different to high school. This big new phase of life can feel both daunting and exciting. But many first years don’t have anyone

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From ‘this machine kills fascists’ to ‘King Trump’s private army’: the art of protest music
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Herzog backlash crushes Albo’s ‘social cohesion’ – thousands protest nationwide
Amid revelations of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, the Australian government and media have entirely lost control of the Israel narrative. As thousands massed around the country tonight to protest against the visit of President Herzog, the government’s claims of fostering “social cohesion” are a shambles. The mainstream media, too. Any remaining

Isaac Herzog visit: protesters lose challenge to sweeping special police powers. What now?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor of Law, Member of Deakin Cyber and the Centre for Law as Protection, Deakin University, Deakin University The NSW Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the extraordinary powers given to police to disrupt protests against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Sydney

View from The Hill: Liberals desperate for a path out of purgatory
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government in question time on Monday was already targeting Angus Taylor as likely Liberal leader, while the aspirant’s supporters were grappling with the mechanics of organising the challenge. Sunday’s appalling Newspoll, showing the Liberals on a primary vote

Communal bathing was a public good. Then it got hijacked by wellness culture
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer E. Cheng, Researcher and Lecturer in Sociology, Western Sydney University Sergey Mironov/Getty Bathhouses are making a wave in Australia and overseas. And it’s not an isolated trend; it reflects the broader advancement of the global wellness economy, which some reports suggest is outpacing even IT and

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Hatfield-Dodds, Honorary Professor of Public Policy, Australian National University Ludvig Hedenborg/Pexels, CC BY-NC-ND In less than ten years, Australia has to cut its emissions 62–75% below 2005 levels. Given reductions in emissions over the past 20 years, that translates to cutting emissions 47–65% below current levels.

Yes, One Nation’s poll numbers are climbing. But major party status – let alone government – is still a long way off
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, La Trobe University Recent polling has delivered a spike for the anti-immigration party One Nation, triggering media speculation that Australian politics is on the cusp of a populist realignment. The latest Newspoll had Labor on 33%, One Nation on 27% and

Japan’s rock star leader now has the political backing to push a bold agenda. Will she deliver?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer in International Studies in the School of Society and Culture, Adelaide University Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has delivered her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections she called shortly after taking office. Now that she has consolidated her

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/er-report-a-roundup-of-significant-articles-on-eveningreport-nz-for-february-10-2026/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University

Queensland is a step closer to lifting a ban on political donations from property developers – despite a corruption watchdog’s warning that doing so in a A$7 billion Olympics building boom could raise “risks of undue or improper influence”.

Last Friday, a parliamentary committee with a majority of Liberal National members tabled a report supporting the state government’s proposed electoral law overhaul.

Among a raft of changes, the proposed law would undo a nearly decade-old ban on property developers donating to state political candidates. The current ban on developer donations to local government elections would remain.

Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory all currently ban donations from property developers. South Australia has gone further, last year banning all political donations.

With billions in taxpayers’ dollars being spent on the Games, what’s the argument for lifting the ban? And does it stand up?

Billions in development underway

Between now and the opening ceremony of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, at least A$7 billion will be spent on Olympic and Paralympic games infrastructure across Queensland, from new stadiums to athlete villages. Some $3.4 billion of that is federal funding – meaning all Australian taxpayers are chipping in.

Facing major challenges to meet that deadline, the Liberal National government passed laws to fast track approvals on Games infrastructure. That means they’re not subject to standard planning and environmental laws.

In a submission to the parliamentary committee, Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission warned of “increased risks of actual or perceived corruption” tied to political donations in the lead up to the Olympics.

There is concern that the reintroduction of property developer donations could exacerbate real and/or perceived risks of undue or improper influence, particularly as developer interests align closely with major projects.

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Read more:
The fast-tracking of Brisbane’s Olympic infrastructure plans could backfire

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Why are developers treated differently?

But when does trying to guard against corruption cross the line into impeding people’s freedom of political communication?

A decade ago, property developer and former Newcastle mayor Jeff McCloy challenged the validity of NSW laws capping political donations and banning donations from property developers.

In 2015, a majority of High Court judges upheld the validity of NSW’s ban on property developer donations, noting in their judgement there was:

an apparently strong factual basis for the perception of a risk of corruption and undue influence as the result of political donations from property developers.

A series of seven reports and a position paper of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has identified corruption and other misconduct in the handling of property development applications since 1990, and the existence of a large measure of public concern over the influence which property developers have hitherto exercised over state and local government members and officials.

That history is an example of why property developers’ donations have come under more scrutiny than others and face tighter restrictions in some parts of Australia.

Why did Queensland bring in a ban?

Queensland’s ban on donations from property developers was introduced by the Labor government in 2018. It followed a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation that exposed widespread corruption, non-compliance with election funding rules, and undisclosed conflicts of interest by local government officials.

Following that investigation, mayors, councillors and council officers in Queensland faced dozens of criminal charges.

Then anti-corruption commissioner Alan MacSporran said local government was a “broken” system, and “a hotbed of perceived corruption”.

The Queensland anti-corruption body had previously conducted investigations on developer donations and conflicts of interest in 1991, 2006 and 2015, showing this had become a systemic problem at a local government level.

The Crime and Corruption Commission report only recommended banning political donations at a local government level. But the then Labor state government took it a step further, arguing if it was “good enough for one level of government, it’s good enough for all levels of government”.

Looking ahead

The LNP has long argued the ban wasn’t recommended at a state level, unfairly stigmatises developers, and was really about Labor creating an uneven playing field for electoral donations.

However, there has been a long history of corruption in Australia directly relating to property developers. Any weakening of political finance regulation increases the risk of both actual and perceived corruption in government.

The LNP government has a clear majority to pass this bill. There’s every sign it will go ahead.

But the bill still has to be voted on in state parliament. This gives the Queensland government time to reconsider its approach, both to preserve the integrity of its electoral system and to protect public perceptions of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Yee-Fui Ng has previously received funding from the New South Wales Electoral Commission, New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption and the New South Wales Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters.

– ref. Amid an Olympic boom, it’s risky timing to lift a ban on developers’ political donations – https://theconversation.com/amid-an-olympic-boom-its-risky-timing-to-lift-a-ban-on-developers-political-donations-274740

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/amid-an-olympic-boom-its-risky-timing-to-lift-a-ban-on-developers-political-donations-274740/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato

New Zealand is undertaking the most significant rewrite of firearms law in over 40 years. Overall, it’s a welcome step, as the law was messy and times have changed.

But that’s not to say the proposed law can’t be improved further.

While controls on the kinds of weapons used in the Christchurch terror attack will remain, as will a firearms register, other ways of ensuring public safety must be addressed.

Submissions on the Arms Bill close on February 16. From my recent research in nine comparable countries, I can see four main areas where New Zealand’s new law can be enhanced.

Greater protection from self-harm

There are considerably more firearms deaths in New Zealand from suicide than from homicide. The rate is lower than in the United States, but higher than in England, Wales and Australia.

The most practical way to protect unlicensed people wanting to self-harm is to implement the strictest possible standards for safe firearms storage.

To protect licensed gun owners, the law needs to encourage the building of effective communities of firearms owners, with leadership from the gun industry and related organisations.

As outlined below, this would be coupled with input from mental health professionals, new standards for licensing, with education and resources that dovetail with the Ministry of Health’s existing Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029.

Tighter control of trade and manufacture

The role of gangs and other criminal networks in the possession and supply of illegal or unlicensed firearms is already a serious problem.

According to the Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime, New Zealand is struggling to counter the threat, which has been growing for the past five years.

As well as being a party to the United Nations Convention Against Organized Crime, New Zealand will also have to improve domestic law.

The main challenge is ensuring full accountability for the estimated 1.5 million legal and licensed firearms, and the permanent removal from circulation of restricted firearms.

All firearms must be registered by the end of August 2028, with more than 400,000 now accounted for. So the crunch will come within the next two years. Three specific changes will be important.

1. Third party verification, such as by a gun dealer, between all private buyers and sellers of conventional firearms would help improve the oversight of these sales.

2. Greater restriction on the manufacture of firearms or their parts, especially with rapidly evolving technologies such as 3D printing, with specific licences authorising manufacture.

3. Another buyback at market rates of all guns that should be on the register but are currently unlicensed (though not necessarily in criminal hands).

Better monitoring of extremism

Political and ideological extremism is always a threat, with the biggest risks posed by alienated individuals estranged from their immediate communities.

While Australia has represented a gold-standard for firearms regulation, the Bondi terror attack showed the risk can never be reduced to zero.

But there are tools that can be built into the new law:

• mandatory searches of the social media accounts of all firearms applicants

• closer scrutiny of applicants if and when they are known to be close with high-risk individuals

• mandatory gun club membership for all gun owners as evidence of a “genuine reason” to possess a given class of firearms (already the case for handgun owners in New Zealand)

• education for club members in how to spot concerning signs of extremism and an obligation to report it (as exists in Quebec in Canada).

Beyond these changes, the Bondi terror attack may see tighter restrictions on the number of guns and amount of ammunition a person can possess.

In New Zealand, one person can own up to 12 pistols, but there is no limit on how many other standard firearms or how much legal ammunition they can own.

Australian regulators may look closely at the current limits in Western Australia, which stipulate a maximum of five firearms if someone possesses a hunting or recreational licence.

Tighter age and fitness restrictions

Just as there is a minimum age for driving a motor vehicle, followed by a learner’s licence with restrictions, firearms ownership should have clear age and stage limits.

Beneath a certain age – say ten – firearms should not be touched at all. Above that minimum age, young applicants should be encouraged and mentored into accredited training and safety programmes.

Licences should allow for access to firearms in gradual stages. Again, as with a driver’s licence, older owners should have shorter renewal periods, with medical certificates to confirm their fitness.

If a medical professional considers a person unsafe to drive, they “must” report them. But a health practitioner is only notified after a firearms licence is issued, and the current law says only that they “may” contact the police if they have concerns.

There should be no discretion in such cases – reporting should be mandatory.

And finally, it should be mandatory for all health officials to report any firearms injuries and accidents they become aware of in their clinical practice.

Alexander Gillespie is a member of the Ministerial Arms Advisory Group. He is also the recipient of a Borrin Foundation Justice Fellowship, which he used to visit nine different countries to study firearms regulation. None of the views in this article should be attributed to either organisation.

– ref. The 4 big changes to gun laws that would make NZ safer – https://theconversation.com/the-4-big-changes-to-gun-laws-that-would-make-nz-safer-275085

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/the-4-big-changes-to-gun-laws-that-would-make-nz-safer-275085/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University

Growing older often brings unexpected grooming challenges. This is particularly apparent when some areas that, when young, we could otherwise ignore start to develop hair.

This includes our nose and ears, where hair grows thicker and longer as we age. But why do hairs in these areas act like this?

The answer predominantly lies in our sex hormones.

Two types of hair

There are two types of hair that grows across our bodies.

Vellus hair is fine and colourless. This hair (also called “peach fuzz”) grows across most of our body, including our arms and neck.

Terminal hair is stiff, thick and darker. It stands up from our skin and is usually very obvious. Adult males have terminal hair on about 90% of their body, with females growing it on about 30% of their bodies.

Terminal hair stands up when we’re cold (giving goosebumps) and helps trap heat to keep us warm. It also protects us from the sun (such as hair on our scalp), and keeps dust and dirt out of our eyes through eyebrows and eyelashes.

As vellus hair is smaller, thinner and colourless, it is not usually an aesthetic problem (although it can be altered in some diseases). Instead, it is the terminal hair that is often noticed, and the primary target of our razor.

The normal process of hair development involves a growth phase (anagen), follicle-shrinking phase (catagen), and then a short resting phase (telogen) before the hair falls out and is replaced as the cycle begins again. Some 90% of the hair on our body is in the growth phase at any given time.

Nose, ear, eyelash and eyebrow hairs don’t usually grow too long. This is because the growth phase of the follicles only lasts about 100–150 days, meaning there is a limit to how long they can get.

Alternatively, the hair on your head has a growth phase that lasts several years, so it can grow to more than one meter in length if you don’t get it cut.

Why do we have hair in our nose and ears?

We have about 120 hairs growing in each of our nasal cavities, with an average length of about 1 centimetre.

As you breathe through your nostrils, the hair in your nose works with the mucus to block and collect dust, pollen and other particles that could make their way to your lungs.

The hair in the ears also plays a protective role, trapping foreign objects and working with the earwax to facilitate self-cleaning processes.

What is the effect of ageing?

Androgens are a group of sex hormones that play a key role in puberty, development, and sexual health. The most common androgen is testosterone.

These androgens influence hair growth, and are the key to understanding why we have longer and thicker hairs in our nose and ears.

Hairs in different parts of the body respond to androgens differently. Unlike some hairs that are stimulated at puberty (such as pubic hairs and facial hair in males), some hairs, such as the eyelashes, don’t respond at all to androgens. Others increase hair size much slower, like the ear canal hair that can take up to 30 years.

Females have lower levels of androgens in the body, so major hair growth changes are more localised to the underarms and pubic regions.

We don’t have much data to support various conclusions about hair growth in later life, as most studies have focused on why we lose hair (such as balding) rather than why we have too much.

Nonetheless, there are still some hypotheses about why we grow more ear and nose hair as we age.

1. As we age, the body is exposed to androgens for a long time. This prolonged exposure makes some parts of the body more sensitive to testosterone, potentially stimulating the growth of hairs.

2. Over time, and long-term exposure to testosterone, some of the fine vellus hairs may undergo a conversion and become the darker, longer terminal hairs. This terminal hair then sticks out of our noses and ears.

3. Alongside increased levels of androgens as we go through puberty, a protein called SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) is also released. This protein helps control the amount of testosterone and estrogen reaching your tissues. During ageing, the levels of SHBG levels may decrease faster than androgens, leaving testosterone to stimulate ear and nose hair growth.

4. Hair simply changes with age. This can result in changes in colour, thinning, and follicle alterations. There might be variations occurring in the follicles that respond to our body’s changing environment, stimulating longer hair growth.

Most of the impact of hairy ears and noses is observed in males, as they have larger amounts of testosterone.

Should we be worried?

It’s not usually a problem. Having a hairy ear (auricular hypertrichosis) does not appear to impact hearing at all. Note that if you are using hearing aids, excessive hair can impact their effectiveness, so in these rarer cases it is worth having a chat with your doctor.

The largest issue appears to be the appearance of these hairs, which can make some people self-conscious.

To address this, avoid plucking hairs out (such as with tweezers), as this can lead to infections, ingrown hairs and inflammation.

Instead, it is safest to reach for the trimmers (or employ laser hair removal processes) to clean up the area a little.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Why do nose and ear hairs become longer and thicker as we age? – https://theconversation.com/why-do-nose-and-ear-hairs-become-longer-and-thicker-as-we-age-270677

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/why-do-nose-and-ear-hairs-become-longer-and-thicker-as-we-age-270677/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophia Duan, Associate Dean, Research and Industry Engagement, La Trobe University

The global economy is bracing for major job disruption as artificial intelligence (AI) advances and spreads across industries. Experts have been warning about this shift for years, and fiercely debating whether the benefits of an AI revolution will outweigh the cost of mass displacement in the workforce.

Few sectors expose this tension as clearly as agriculture. Pressure on farming is intensifying. Global food demand is projected to rise by 35–56% by 2050, driven by population growth, urbanisation and changing diets.

This helps explain why AI is increasingly promoted as a productivity solution to produce more food with fewer inputs, under more volatile conditions.

Yet on farms, enthusiasm for AI is often tempered by caution. And that caution is not simply about whether jobs will disappear. A deeper concern is risk, and who bears responsibility if the technology fails.

Technological change

Agriculture is not a controlled environment. Farming is biological, dynamic and deeply context-dependent, shaped by weather, soils, ecosystems and animal behaviour. Because of this complexity, AI is (and will continue to be) rarely used to replace people outright. Instead, it automates specific tasks.

Automation has been a big part of the farming story for decades, long before AI arrived on the scene. From mechanised harvesting and GPS-guided tractors to automated milking systems and variable-rate fertiliser application, technology has gradually changed how farms operate.

But AI is different. Rather than replacing farmers, AI is mainly being used to support decision-making in environments that are too complex, variable and context-dependent to be fully automated.

Most current uses of AI support monitoring and optimisation: detecting crop stress from satellite imagery, predicting irrigation needs, tracking livestock behaviour or flagging disease and weed risks. Farmers and farm workers still interpret the information and decide how to respond.

AI is automating tasks, not whole jobs

Our previous research with colleagues from CSIRO’s Data61 explored the future of Australia’s agricultural workforce, showing how digital and automated technologies are changing how farm work is done rather than removing the need for people. Demand is growing for skills in decision-making, oversight and technology management, particularly as labour shortages persist. However, adoption of advanced technology in farming remains limited, especially among small producers.

It’s a similar story internationally. For example, in the United States, only around 25% of farms used advanced technology by 2019, with adoption of automatic steering and machinery guidance systems more common on larger operations. These technologies automate specific tasks and can reduce fatigue, but they do not eliminate farm operators.

Across other industries, evidence from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows about 60% of jobs in advanced economies are exposed to AI.

Separate findings from the OECD indicate AI exposure is primarily at the task level, with only about 27–28% of employment currently in occupations at high risk of full automation.

Uneven gains

The productivity promise of AI and other types of digitalisation in agriculture is genuine. In practice, however, these gains are uneven.

Evidence shows adoption and benefits vary widely by farm size, crop type, region, and access to capital, data and skills. It also risks leaving some farmers behind due to poor connectivity and limited digital access, constraining their use of data-driven and AI-enabled tools.

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Read more:
Logged out: farmers in Far North Queensland are being left behind by the digital economy

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Risk and reward

This is where the core tension lies. When AI-supported decisions succeed, efficiency improves. When they fail, humans carry the consequences.

For example, if an irrigation system mistimes watering, the farmer bears the yield loss or soil damage. If a particular crop disease is missed, a whole season’s income may be wiped out.

AI systems do not absorb financial loss, regulatory scrutiny or reputational damage. Farmers and advisers do. This dynamic is central to our research through the Australian government’s Soil CRC program on how easy it is for farmers to actually adopt these new technologies.

That work shows farmers assess technologies not just on technical performance, but on how they affect business risk, autonomy and accountability.

The future of farming

AI will continue to reshape Australian agriculture. The most important question is not whether it replaces farm jobs, but who carries the risk when AI becomes part of everyday decisions.

If AI is designed to genuinely support human judgement, backed by shared accountability and proper assurance, it can make farming safer, more resilient and more skilled.

If not, it risks quietly increasing exposure for those already operating at the edge of uncertainty.

Productivity gains are possible. But they will only be realised and socially accepted when AI systems are designed not just to optimise outcomes, but to protect the people who live with the consequences.

Sophia Duan receives research funding through multiple competitive research programs. Research supported by the Australian government Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program relates to the broader research discussed in this article. She does not work for, consult, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.

David A. Fleming-Muñoz has received research funding from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, CSIRO, and the Greater Melbourne Foundation. He does not work for, consult, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.

– ref. AI isn’t likely to wipe out all farming jobs – but it is changing who bears the risks – https://theconversation.com/ai-isnt-likely-to-wipe-out-all-farming-jobs-but-it-is-changing-who-bears-the-risks-275227

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/ai-isnt-likely-to-wipe-out-all-farming-jobs-but-it-is-changing-who-bears-the-risks-275227/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophia Waters, Senior Lecturer in Writing, University of New England

University study is a major commitment and is quite different to high school. This big new phase of life can feel both daunting and exciting.

But many first years don’t have anyone they can ask for advice on transitioning from school to uni, or may be the first in their family to go to uni.

Reaping the benefits of uni doesn’t happen through hope or just turning up to lectures – you need to ask questions, and be an active, independent learner.

Over the last two decades, I have taught thousands of first year students from various disciplinary backgrounds. I regularly teach a large first year academic writing class, and have designed and managed undergraduate arts courses for nearly half a decade. Providing these evidence-based tips in the early weeks of study helps students take control and set them up for success.

Uni lecturers generally expect students to devote ten to 15 hours of study to each subject each week.

If you’re enrolled in three or more subjects, your studies are almost equivalent to a full-time job.

You might spend this time:

• reading the subject materials (study guides, textbook chapters, set readings)
• going to lectures
• attending tutorials/seminars/workshops
• working on assessment tasks
• reading widely and reflecting on what you’ve read
• regularly checking online learning management systems (such as Blackboard, Moodle or Canvas) for updates and discussion.

So, what do you need to know to survive and thrive as a first year at uni?

1. Do the readings before class, and attend

Reading ahead of time will help you get familiar with what will be taught and identify tricky things to listen out for.

Prepare some questions on these trouble spots to ask in class. It’s likely your classmates will have the same queries.

Just because you have newfound independence, or haven’t done the readings, does not mean it’s OK to skip class.

Showing up helps you stay informed about the subject content and housekeeping, like due dates and how to tackle assignments. Some classes require you to attend or participate to pass.

Going to lectures and tutorials, and having dedicated study hours gives structure and purpose to your day, which help you adjust to university life and stay on track.

2. Keep up. It’s easier than catching up

The study timetable outlines what topics and readings will be covered weekly. Put that timetable somewhere you can see it often. Letting your readings and work pile up can become pretty scary. Missing lectures and ignoring your work will make life harder than it needs to be.

Much of uni study success is about being organised. Your lecturers will have devised the most appropriate order in which to teach you new information.

Prioritise your readings and remember you might have to read them a few times to grasp the content – this is normal in academia.

3. Take notes in class and on your textbooks

This means you can record your interpretation and understanding of what the lecturer is saying while it’s being said.

Your understanding of a topic is really tested when you paraphrase it into your own words.

Once you’ve made your in-class notes, write them up while they’re fresh in your mind. To improve retention, opt for handwriting these rather than typing. You might have to block out some time directly after class for this.

Your textbook and readings are not designed to remain pristine. Write notes in the margins, circle important words and phrases, and use sticky notes.

4. Use positive reframing

When you’re working through new material, it’s easy to succumb to the overwhelm and start directing a lot of negative energy towards it.

Rather than “I can’t do this” and “This is too hard”, try “I can’t do this yet” and “This is challenging. It’ll be such an achievement when I nail it.”

Learning a new skill involves shifting from controlled processing to automatic processing. Initially it takes lots of time and mental effort to develop a new skill. With practice, it gets easier.

Your time at uni is about more than just achieving good marks. It is about cultivating your curiosity.

5. Keep a glossary of terms and practise what you’ve learnt

Each week you’ll be learning new terms and concepts. Keeping a log of these as you learn them, giving a brief definition and example or two, will make revision easier.

Work these new terms into your assignments to show your marker you’ve engaged with the subject materials.

Some subjects have weekly exercises and activities to help you understand and consolidate the topic. Take these seriously and use them to revise.

6. Know what’s expected

Yes, you need to know when assignments are due. But you also need to know the university policies and guidelines around things such as asking for an extension, plagiarism, AI use, and conduct. If in doubt, ask your lecturers.

Overall, self-reliance and independence are crucial.

Part of becoming a good student is about taking responsibility for your learning, showing initiative and independence.

Sophia Waters does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. 6 tips to survive and thrive in your first year of university – https://theconversation.com/6-tips-to-survive-and-thrive-in-your-first-year-of-university-274011

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/6-tips-to-survive-and-thrive-in-your-first-year-of-university-274011/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Whiterod, Researcher, Adelaide University

At 2,500 km long, the Murray is Australia’s longest river. It provides 3 million people with drinking water and irrigates around 1.5 million hectares of farmland.

But this intensive use has come at a cost: the lower Murray — defined as the River Murray downstream of the Darling River and its meandering creeks and floodplains — is now dangerously environmentally degraded.

In mid January, the lower Murray was listed as a critically endangered ecological community under Australia’s nature laws. This means there’s an extremely high chance its native ecosystems will become extinct within the immediate future, in as little as ten years. The Macquarie Marshes in northern New South Wales, one of the largest inland wetlands in south east Australia, was listed as endangered on the same day.

The health of the lower Murray matters greatly. It is the lifeblood for a large swathe of southern Australia and supports a diverse range of unique plants and animals, local economies and the well-being of people that love and rely on it.

Connecting the basin to the sea

The lower Murray is one of a growing number of Australian ecological communities at risk of becoming extinct. These communities include all the plants and animals co-existing in an area, in some cases for millions of years.

The lower Murray winds through expansive floodplains, limestone gorges and swamplands as it flows 830 kilometres downstream from its junction with the Darling River to the sea near Goolwa.

The internationally recognised lower reaches of the river, including Lakes Alexandrina and Albert and the Murray Estuary, connect the vast Murray-Darling Basin with the ocean. This includes the famous Coorong, the setting of the book Storm Boy which captured the hearts of Australians and showed us the glory of a rich wetland landscape full of abundant fish and birdlife.

Less water, less life

The lower Murray supports a wealth of native Australian fauna. But the development of weirs and barrages since the twentieth century to regulate the water level and divert water for irrigation have dramatically altered the flow of the river.

This regulation has supported increased European settlement, trade, and agriculture along the river, setting the scene for the region as we know it today.

Nowadays, inflow to the Lower Lakes is about half of what it once was prior to European settlement. In those days, the river experienced flows the plants and animals needed, which connected floodplains to the river and flushed the whole Murray-Darling Basin.

However, river regulation has drastically altered the water flow and ecology of the lower Murray. The destruction of native vegetation, poor water quality and invasive species such as foxes and carp have also taken their toll.

It is increasingly clear the lower Murray region is changing at a rapid rate, to a drier and warmer climate with less flow and more extreme droughts.

To a casual observer, these lower stretches of the Murray appear to be doing okay. The river typically has water, thanks in part to how it is managed, and it still experiences big replenishing floods.

You can still catch an iconic Murray cod (pondi in Ngarrindjeri language), and the pelican (ngori in Ngarrindjeri) still effortlessly roams the Coorong. But look more closely and the danger signs are clear.

Signs of a slow death

Many wetlands on the floodplain have dried up, depriving native animals of their homes, and the several-hundred-year-old river red gums are dying. Poor water quality and algal blooms are now common threats in the lower Murray lakes and Coorong.

The true state of the lower Murray became evident during the Millennium Drought of the 2000s. Between 2007 and 2010, no flow was discharged out the Murray Mouth , with floodplain wetlands drying and the water level of the Lower Lakes dropping to below sea level. This caused the drying of the habitats of freshwater animals and exposed acidic sediments in the Lower Lakes.

The Coorong became hypersaline — five times as salty as the ocean — above what most animals and plants could survive. The Millennium Drought led to the near ecological collapse of Lower Lakes and Coorong, and hints at what the future may hold if the lower Murray ecological community becomes extinct. An extinct river is one so fundamentally degraded that it no longer functions as it should. Everything relying on it suffers or disappears.

Protecting the river

The lower Murray ecological community was first listed as threatened in 2013, before losing that status later the same year. It was nominated again in 2023 with a rigorous, science-based assessment, and was approved in mid January 2026.

Recovery will take considerable effort. Australia’s independent Threatened Species Scientific Committee undertook the lower Murray’s assessment, and gave advice to federal Environment Minister Murray Watt, who made the final decision.

This listing is a wake-up call. The conservation advice identifies what actions are needed to protect and restore the river, lakes and wetlands. These include connecting with communities so the recovery becomes a shared responsibility, and greater research and monitoring to guide management.

The listing does not halt existing activities such as agriculture. But major new developments must now consider impacts on the ecological community, including its critical habitats and key species. Returning water to the Murray through the Commonwealth’s water for the environment program has been important, and must continue as the review of the Murray Darling Basin Plan takes shape.

Beyond more water for the river, complementary measures such as creating fish ladders and reducing invasive species will be needed to give the environment a fighting chance.

Nick Whiterod works for the Goyder Institute for Water Research, Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre, which is funded by the national government to deliver research in the CLLMM region. He is the chair of the New South Wales Fisheries Scientific Committee.

Margaret Shanafield receives research funding from the Australian Research Council, National Water Grid, and Goyder Institute. She is currently an Alexander von Humboldt research fellow.

Thomas Prowse does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The lower Murray is officially on life support. Will we save it? – https://theconversation.com/the-lower-murray-is-officially-on-life-support-will-we-save-it-274969

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/the-lower-murray-is-officially-on-life-support-will-we-save-it-274969/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Prosser, Partner, Government & Public Sector, Providence / Honorary Fellow, Australian National University

The number of young people in Australia prescribed medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased more that tenfold in 20 years, our new research shows, while it is no longer most prevalent in poorer areas.

Children living in the lowest socioeconomic postcodes used to have the highest rates of ADHD prescriptions. But this has flipped, with kids from wealthier families now most likely to be prescribed.

So does this mean ADHD prescription depends on how much your parents earn?

Not quite. Overall, the variation in prescription levels has narrowed around the national average over the last 20 years. But there is a stark difference between the most and least wealthy postcodes.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed disorder among Australian children. While symptoms vary from person to person, it’s associated with hyperactive and/or inattentive behaviours that cause challenges at home, school or work.

The most common approved treatment for ADHD is psychostimulant drugs.

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Read more:
How do stimulants actually work to reduce ADHD symptoms?

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What we studied

Our research team went back through two decades of national data from 2003 to 2022. We looked at official prescription records from Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), which subsidises medication.

We wanted to find out how prescription rates change and differ between states and territories. We also wanted to know whether living in a wealthy or disadvantaged postcode plays a role in accessing prescription.

To look at ADHD prescriptions by postcode, we used an established way of comparing postcodes by calculating something called a “standardised medication ratio”.

If a postcode had the national average rate of prescriptions, its score was 1.0. Higher than one means more prescriptions than average, lower means fewer.

What we found

Between 2003 and 2022, the number of children aged 5–17 on ADHD medication increased from 20,147 people (0.5% of the youth population) in 2003 to 246,021 young people (or 4.2%) in 2022.

The biggest jump was in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID pandemic, when prescriptions spiked, especially for older teens (15–17 years), up by 2.1 percentage points from 3.1% in 2020 to 5.2% in 2022.

Lockdowns seem to have pushed more families to get help or at least start paying more attention to neurodivergence and learning issues.

Back in the 1990s, your chances of getting ADHD medication really depended on where you lived or how much your parents earned.

Some states, such as Queensland and Western Australia, were prescribing more than others. As our data shows, rates were higher still in Western Australia and Tasmania in 2003.

When standardising for populations (adjusting for the number of children living in a postcode), we can see how this trend varied by state and territory over the 20 years.

Over time the differences have narrowed.

This suggests clinicians are becoming more consistent in how they diagnose and treat ADHD. This is largely the result of the efforts to standardise best practices across the nation and remove the big variations of 20 years ago.

As some states and territories expand prescription to GPs, robust training and standardisation will be vital to avoid some of the past inconsistencies.

So how does wealth come into it?

For a long time in Australia, it was the kids in the most disadvantaged areas who were more likely to be prescribed ADHD medications.

This may have been because behaviour symptoms can stand out more when schools and families have fewer resources to manage them.

But this pattern has flipped. These days, it’s the wealthiest postcodes – the top 10% – where kids are most likely to be prescribed medication.

In 2003, richer areas were least likely to have kids medicated for ADHD, with a ratio of 0.612 (remembering that 1.000 is the national standard). By 2021, they’d climbed all the way to the top with a ratio of 1.245.

At the time, seven of ten deciles had ratios between 0.948 and 1.039, while the lowest 10% of postcodes had a ratio of 0.708.

Why the switch?

It probably has a lot to do with access. Twenty years ago, we did not see today’s level of demand and the health system could largely cover the demand.

Now, getting a diagnosis can take multiple specialist appointments, psychological assessments and possibly months on a waiting list. The poorest families might face longer waits or may not pursue diagnosis and medication at all if it feels out of reach.

However this data shows that, on average, most postcodes now sit close to the national average. So, it’s only the very top and very bottom income groups that have flipped in twenty years.

The limits of the data

It’s important to note a few caveats. The data only includes prescriptions filled in the PBS system. That means prescriptions from the private medical system are not included, which means the trend in the highest postcodes may be even higher.

The study also couldn’t look at the influence of culture or ethnicity, since the data was anonymous.

And while stimulants are mainly prescribed for ADHD, a tiny number are used to treat other conditions (such as narcolepsy).

Diagnostic guidelines have shifted over the years, most notably when guidelines changed to allow diagnosis of ADHD and autism in 2013, but this did not result in a notable jump in prescriptions in our study.

The real growth came steadily over time, then sped up around COVID since 2020.

Importantly, the study didn’t look at how many repeat prescriptions were taken each year or compare individual postcodes to the national rate, so it does not speak to whether ADHD is being overdiagnosed or overmedicated in some postcodes.

What does it all mean?

Our findings show more people are accepting ADHD and getting help. This points to better acceptance of neurodivergence, more consistent care, and a society trying help all its kids thrive in new and changing times.

More standardised practices and consistent care means we’re moving away from the “postcode lottery” effect, where treatment depends too heavily on where you live.

However, the flip in highest diagnosis ratios from the poorest postcodes to the richest means we still need to look closely at access and equity of treatment.

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Read more:
ADHD prescribing has changed over the years – a new guide aims to bring doctors up to speed

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Yogi Vidyattama had previously received funding from Mental Health Australia on access to mental health care in Australia.

Brenton Prosser does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. ADHD prescriptions are up tenfold, with the wealthiest kids most likely to be medicated – https://theconversation.com/adhd-prescriptions-are-up-tenfold-with-the-wealthiest-kids-most-likely-to-be-medicated-274938

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/adhd-prescriptions-are-up-tenfold-with-the-wealthiest-kids-most-likely-to-be-medicated-274938/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Angelakis, PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Adelaide University

Most seals give birth to a pup around the same time each year, and wean them and send them on their way within 12 months in an annual cycle.

Australian sea lions are different. They have an 18-month breeding cycle, out of sync with the seasons, which has puzzled scientists for years.

So compared to other seals, Australian sea lion mothers spend an extra six months or more nursing their pups. Why this is so remains a mystery.

In our latest study, we captured footage of an Australian sea lion mother taking her 11-month old pup on an 8-hour foraging trip to sea. This footage provides the first direct evidence we have that Australian sea lion mothers pass on foraging skills to their pups – which may have helped shape the unique life and reproductive patterns of this endangered creature.

What a sealcam showed

To get a closer look at how Australian sea lions rear their young, we attached an underwater camera, a GPS tracker and a dive recorder to an 8-year-old sea lion mother from the colony at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

A few days later, when the mother returned to the colony from sea, we collected the devices, downloaded the data, and took a look at the camera recording. We captured amazing footage of the mother and pup diving at sea together and foraging across different habitats such as sponge gardens, kelp reefs and large sandy plains.

We were even lucky enough to collect footage of the mother capturing a giant cuttlefish and taking it to the surface to devour, with the pup close by throughout the whole capture.

This finding suggests Australian sea lion mothers use social learning to pass on foraging skills to pups, and can demonstrate to them how to locate, capture and consume prey.

Many sea creatures learn from their mothers

This social learning of foraging behaviour from mother to offspring is well known in other marine mammals.

Bottlenose dolphin mothers teach their calves how to use sponges when they forage on the seabed. Orcas and sea otters also inherit dietary preferences from their mothers.

In these species, this social learning of behaviour is thought to be critical to raising young, assisting them in learning how to hunt challenging prey, or to hunt in diverse habitats.

Scientists have speculated before that seals may use social learning when raising pups. However, finding direct evidence of these behaviours has remained elusive.

Earlier research has suggested Australian sea lion pups require lots of experience and knowledge of foraging grounds to hunt successfully. Therefore, the extra months pups spend with their mothers may provide the opportunity for them to develop their foraging skills while accompanying them on trips at sea.

Social learning and biology

The video we collected in this study provides exciting new insight into evolutionary and ecological factors that may have helped shape the unique 18-month breeding cycle and life of the Australian sea lion. Social learning may be an important component of the development of foraging behaviour in Australian sea lion pups.

Australian sea lion mothers take sole care in raising their pups, so they are critical to the survival of the pups, and the success of Australian sea lion populations. Australian sea lions are endangered, with their populations declining by more than 60% over the last 40 years.

Continued research using underwater cameras will improve our knowledge on the unique lives of Australian sea lions. Understanding the ecology and evolutionary biology of the species is key to protecting their populations into the future.

This research was conducted by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences) and the University of Adelaide. Funding for this research was provided by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP), Marine and Coastal Hub. Additional operating costs were funded by the Ecological Society of Australia via a Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment.

– ref. Sea lion camera reveals mother taking pup on educational foraging expedition in the wild – https://theconversation.com/sea-lion-camera-reveals-mother-taking-pup-on-educational-foraging-expedition-in-the-wild-275407

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/sea-lion-camera-reveals-mother-taking-pup-on-educational-foraging-expedition-in-the-wild-275407/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Cumbo, Lecturer, Transdisciplinary School, University of Technology Sydney

➡️ Click here to read the full interactive

Bronwyn Cumbo receives funding from the Australia Public Policy Challenge Grant for her research investigating possibilities and challenges to establishing New South Wales as a sustainable data centre hub.

Digital Storytelling Team does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Can Australia build one of the world’s largest data centres? – https://theconversation.com/can-australia-build-one-of-the-worlds-largest-data-centres-273703

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/can-australia-build-one-of-the-worlds-largest-data-centres-273703/

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor of Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University

In January, over the course of three days, Bruce Springsteen wrote, recorded and released the political protest song Streets of Minneapolis.

The song’s release was a matter of urgency and reflects Springsteen’s fury towards the Minneapolis immigration enforcement operation from the United States Department of Homeland Security with around 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and agents.

Last month, Renée Good and Alex Pretti were killed by ICE in separate incidents. In his lyrics, Springsteen names them as a memorial tribute, “citizens [who] stood for justice”. He refers to ICE as “King Trump’s private army”.

Springsteen marches in the footsteps of protest songs from legendary artists such as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan who raised their lyrical voices in a direct response against injustice.

The Dust Bowl migrants

On January 30 Tom Morello, the guitarist with social activist rock band Rage Against the Machine, held a benefit concert to support the families of the Minneapolis ICE shooting victims.

Morello described it as “a concert of solidarity and resistance to defend Minnesota” and against “the rising tide of the state of terror”.

Springsteen was a surprise guest artist. In addition to performing Streets of Minneapolis he played his 1995 song, The Ghost of Tom Joad.

Tom Joad is a character in John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath, about the Dust Bowl migrants from Oklahoma. During the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl migrants left Oklahoma and travelled west, forced off the land by drought and the intensive farming methods. Springsteen’s song describes “the new world order” where homelessness, policing and inequality prevail.

Woody Guthrie also sang about Tom Joad on his 1940 album Dust Bowl Ballads. Guthrie travelled south to California with migrants who scraped a living working in others’ fields and picking fruit in others’ orchards.

Tom Joad is a working class man who stands up to authority through the call for collective action. Guthrie’s two songs about the character featured on Guthrie’s first and most successful recording, bring national attention to the plight of the Dust Bowl farmers.

Guthrie emblazoned on his guitars the slogan “This machine kills fascists”.

The civil rights movement

When Robert Zimmerman left his parental home in Hibbing, Minnesota, to reinvent himself in New York as Bob Dylan, he achieved his desire to meet Guthrie.

One of Dylan’s very early compositions was The Death Of Emmett Till, which he performed for a Congress on Racial Equality benefit concert in 1962. It didn’t appear on an album until the compilation album Broadside Ballads, Vol.6, in 1972, under his pseudonym Blind Boy Grunt.

Emmett Till was a 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally murdered in 1955 by two white brothers in Mississippi. His murder, and their acquittal by an all white jury, caused public outrage, and became a catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement. Emmett Till has been memorialised in many songs, but Dylan’s focus, with an accusation in the lyrics that the jury “helped the brothers”, is the most well-known tribute.

Dylan went on to write many songs for the civil rights movement and anti-war songs such as Blowin’ In The Wind, Masters of War and A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall, all on his second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963).

The Vietnam War

In 1970, Neil Young composed Ohio about the murder by Ohio National Guard of four protesters against the Vietnam War on the campus of Kent State University. The song was recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young but the studio version only appeared on the 1974 compilation, So Far.

The activist rock song became an anthem of the anti-Vietnam War movement. Young’s horror toward the killing of protestors motivated him to write and record the song quickly, with a rush to release it.

The song got radio play, but was banned by some stations for its anti-war sentiments. Within three weeks of the shooting, it reached number 14 on the Billboard charts. The opening lyrics, “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, we’re finally on our own”, remarks on a heightened state of alert for ordinary people.

Trump’s America

The title of Lucinda Williams’ first overtly political album, 2025’s World’s Gone Wrong, echoes Dylan’s 1993 album, World Gone Wrong.

Music magazine Uncut called it a “compelling, compassionate, state of the nation address”.

The album focuses on the destruction of civil society in Trump’s America. Something’s Gotta Give is a song of anger and disillusionment with America. Black Tears connects present day America to its long history of injustice with the lyrics “400 years is long enough, How long will [Black tears] rain down?”.

Jesse Welles’ song Join ICE is a satirical recruitment song, adopting the tone of a recruitment pitch to expose the abuse of power “If you’re lackin’ control and authority, come with me and hunt down minorities,” he sings.

Popular music, especially in America, has always been bound up with political commentary.

But it hasn’t always been on the side of the oppressed. Written and sung by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler, The Ballad Of The Green Berets, supporting the United States Army Special Forces in Vietnam, was number one on the Billboard singles charts for five weeks in 1966.

Can a Trump acolyte manage a similar feat about ICE?

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. From ‘this machine kills fascists’ to ‘King Trump’s private army’: the art of protest music – https://theconversation.com/from-this-machine-kills-fascists-to-king-trumps-private-army-the-art-of-protest-music-274974

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/10/from-this-machine-kills-fascists-to-king-trumps-private-army-the-art-of-protest-music-274974/

Amid revelations of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, the Australian government and media have entirely lost control of the Israel narrative.

As thousands massed around the country tonight to protest against the visit of President Herzog, the government’s claims of fostering “social cohesion” are a shambles.

The mainstream media, too. Any remaining shred of credibility shattered.

Amid the soft-shoe interviews published over the weekend, did any of them bother to ask Herzog whether he was the Herzog in the email from Jeffrey Epstein?

The Herzog “coming to the island this weekend” with former Israel PM and Epstein confidante Ehud Barak?

It appears not. What of the “ceasefire” in Gaza, where dozens are still being slaughtered daily, or the destruction of UN infrastructure, West Bank land theft, allegations of organ harvesting of Palestinians, and prison torture? Any questions?

There is no record of it from the “journals of record”.

Instead, blatantly peddling the tired rhetoric of the government and Israel lobby, critics of Herzog are branded by Herzog in the Murdoch press as

waging a brainwash campaign against Jews.

While in the Nine papers, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald debunked critics as “futile fury” and had the Israel president calling for a new dawn which would “reignite the passion and love between our nations”.

The plain fact of the matter is that Australians, like most people in the world, don’t like genocide.

They don’t like apartheid either, or lies.

By the time Isaac Herzog turned up at the International Convention Centre (ICC) this evening for “an evening of light and solidarity”, hundreds of thousands of Australians were protesting across the country.

How long can politicians and lobbyists continue to peddle the line that the protesters are tearing up the social cohesion, not themselves?

Herzog sponsors – IDF links
Sponsoring tonight’s dinner at the ICC are Australian charities involved in funding the IDF, which is in turn accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.

Founded in 1927, the ZFA describes itself as the peak body representing Zionist organisations in Australia, with more than 200 affiliated groups. It is the Australian branch of the World Zionist Organisation (WZO)

In its 2024 financial report, the federation said it was dependent on funding from the WZO and Keren Hayesod for “the majority of its revenue used to operate the business”. The ZFA also maintains an office in Israel.

The WZO has long played a role in Israeli settlement policy.

Israeli advocacy group Peace Now says the WZO’s Settlement Division, funded by the Israeli government, has since the 1970s helped plan, finance and manage illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank, including administering land transferred to settlers.

Ties to UIA and JNF
The ZFA’s constitution commits it to supporting the fundraising of two bodies it calls the “National Funds”: Keren Hayesod — United Israel Appeal (UIA) and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael — Jewish National Fund (JNF).

It states that one of the Federation’s objects is “to support the fundraising activities of the National Funds”, and that state Zionist councils must take steps to ensure the “maximum success” of United Israel campaigns.

An investigation by Michel West Media found that UIA and JNF have been funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars in tax-deductible donations to Israel, where some of these funds are used to fund the IDF and illegal settlements.

The ZFA is also the organisation behind the racial discrimination case against journalist Mary Kostakidis over social media posts relating to the genocide.

The federation has publicly rejected United Nations and International Court of Justice (ICJ) findings critical of Israel.

It described a UN Commission of Inquiry finding that Israel committed genocide in Gaza as “a baseless and biased assault on truth and justice”, and rejected the ICJ advisory opinion that Israel has committed a “plausible” genocide in Gaza as “politically driven” and “deeply flawed”.

The ZFA did not respond to requests for comment.

Scope for Herzog arrest
“There is both a legal scope and a moral duty to arrest Isaac Herzog on arrival,” said Chris Sidoti, a Commissioner on the UN Commission of Inquiry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem and Israel, in a live broadcast on The West Report.

Despite these concerns, Herzog’s visit has proceeded as planned. When asked about Sidoti’s remarks and the ICJ’s findings on genocide, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, “President Herzog is being invited to Australia to honour the victims of Bondi and to be with and provide support to Australia’s Jewish community.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/09/herzog-backlash-crushes-albos-social-cohesion-thousands-protest-nationwide/