AU Edition - Today's top story: Australia has 3 competing migration policies. The problem? None are based in evidence October 15, 2026 AU Edition   Migration has been in the news almost all year, but rarely more so than in the past month. Since September 14, One Nation, Labor and the Coalition have all announced policies on the topic, offering up a bevy of figures, rules and mooted solutions. With all the numbers floating around, you’d be forgiven for not knowing which party wants to do what and when, let alone how their proposals compare. Migration expert Peter McDonald has done the hard work for you, explaining what these policies have in common and how they diverge. Despite the many differences, McDonald writes that all three share a focus on one particular metric to measure migration. Unfortunately, this number is among the least helpful for making evidence-based policy in the national interest.   Erin Cooper-Douglas Public Policy Editor   Today's newsletter supported by The Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG)   Australia has 3 competing migration policies. The problem? None are based in evidence Peter McDonald, The University of Melbourne One Nation, the Coalition and Labor have all released migration plans in the last month. How do they compare to one another? It’s no secret drug firms donate to political parties. But it’s still a secret exactly how much, and why Deborah Gleeson, La Trobe University; Barbara Mintzes, University of Sydney; Cassandra de Lacy-Vawdon, La Trobe University Donations of A$7.7 million over a decade have been disclosed. But that’s not the full amount, a new study shows. How the ‘digital duty of care’ bill could undermine vital sex and drug education online Isabelle Volpe, Curtin University; UNSW ; Daniel Reeders, Australian National University; Kate Seear, Deakin University; Kath Albury, Swinburne University of Technology Safety messages about drugs and sex are already routinely misidentified and removed from social media platforms. The proposed bill would take this further. Senate throws out budget plan to remove health insurance top up for older people Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra The Senate has rejected the government’s controversial budget measure to cut the private health insurance rebate for people 65 and older. View from The Hill: everyone is on the lookout for Albanese-Chalmers tension Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra The ins and outs of the Albanese-Chalmers relationship is in the wider context of positioning for succession. Australia urgently needs a national bushfire database. Here’s what it could look like Nader Naderpajouh, University of Sydney; Matt Duckham, RMIT University; Raghad Emran, University of Sydney; Soniya Rijal, University of Sydney Bushfires will only become fiercer and more frequent in the face of climate change. School teachers are burning out at alarming rates. How can we help keep them happy in their jobs? Luke Aaron Tomlin, The University of Western Australia; The Kids Research Institute Australia Supporting teacher wellbeing means more than stepping in once they are already overwhelmed and ready to leave the profession. NAZA: harrowing documentary shows how killing in Gaza became just another day’s work Ayesha Jehangir, UNSW Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor offer us a look inside the systems used by the Israeli military to target Palestinians. Renters and home buyers are seeing AI-‘enhanced’ property photos. Now NSW is changing the rules Paul Harrison, Deakin University Renters and homebuyers have been turning up to properties to find a very different reality from the ads. There’s even a name for it: ‘housefishing’. Hordes of yabbies are trashing rivers in Africa. How did this happen? Rachael King, South Australian Museum In the 1980s and 1990s, the hardy redclaw crayfish was exported from Australia around the world. But escapee yabbies have become a nightmare. Politics + Society By making protests conditional on state approval, governments are eroding our democracy Maria O'Sullivan, Deakin University A new report maps how protest permit systems work in every state and territory. The result is a tangle of laws, council by-laws and complicated rules. DemosAU MRP poll has Labor winning clear majority of House seats on just 27% of primary vote Adrian Beaumont, The University of Melbourne A new batch of polls bring better news for the Albanese Labor government, with support for One Nation seeming to have eased off. Domestic violence is a national crisis in PNG. The Chiefs NRL team must do more to support women Michelle O'Shea, Western Sydney University; Rohini Balram, Western Sydney University PNG is grappling with despicable rates of gender-based violence. Why isn’t a women’s team part of the Australian government’s $600m NRL deal? Voters want stronger action on AI. Can NZ afford to keep taking a soft approach? Andrew Lensen, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington As AI and its impacts become harder to avoid, other countries are setting rules for its use. New Zealand has some catching up to do. Environment + Energy Australian scavengers don’t just eat everything and slink away. They approach a carcass like a buffet Niraj Meisuria, University of Sydney; Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney First come the eagles, then the dingoes. And then the foxes, to fight over the scraps. Our detection dogs are helping protect one of Australia’s most imperiled lizards Naomi Hodgens, Flinders University Highly trained canines, Sugar and Moss, are helping protect the critically endangered Victorian grassland earless dragon. Science + Technology Why are there so many plants? New research reveals two key phases in Earth’s past Kale Sniderman, The University of Melbourne; Chris Mays, University College Cork; Natural History Museum Vienna; Greg Jordan, University of Tasmania Extreme greenhouse events in the past killed many plants – but also gave rise to new ones. Arts + Culture Loops, flashbacks and fractured narratives: why filmmakers love to play with time Ben McCann, Adelaide University Cinema, almost from its infancy, has been drawn to telling stories out of sequence – and forcing audiences to reassemble what they have just seen. Manifesto of Silences reimagines opera from a Deaf perspective, as a space to process trauma communally Samuel Martin, Australian National University The Deaf-led theatrical work explores the tragic consequences of the Milan Conference of 1880, which resulted in the suppression of sign language around the world. Books + Ideas What was Australia’s first novel? Maggie Nolan, The University of Queensland A riches to rags tale written by a convict was published in Hobart in 1830. On mainland Australia, an Irish widow published a gothic melodrama in 1838. Your Say I agree with Jim Chalmers’ warning to those on the progressive side of politics not to 'scold' or 'mock' potential One Nation voters, but instead to take seriously the task of persuading them away from the insurgent party. In 2016, Hillary Clinton paid dearly for calling Trump supporters 'deplorables'. Politicians need to be visible, open to discussion, and willing to woo rather than boo potential One Nation supporters. — Elizabeth Mackenzie Read the article I was reading your piece, ‘Invasive species do much more damage in Australia and NZ than elsewhere. But why?’, and it reminded me of a parks and wildlife officer in South Australia who, some 20 years ago, suggested that the loss of dingoes as predators had contributed to the lack of natural control over kangaroo populations. He noted that kangaroos remain in plague proportions due to reduced population-control activities, including hunting by both 'settlers' and Aboriginal people. Foxes, much maligned, were suggested as a compensating factor, filling the void left by dingoes. It makes one wonder what other introduced species might help establish a balanced ecosystem. Rather than selectively exterminating species that could be useful, perhaps we should consider alternative strategies. — Angelo Morella, Athelstone SA Read the article   We'd love to hear from you. Each day we publish an edited selection of your views on our stories. Email us     Featured Events, Courses & Jobs View all Canberra Writers Festival 15 - 18 October 2026 • The Future of Quantum 21 October 2026 • Carlton Who’s afraid of the dark? The night-time world of late antiquity 19 October 2026 • Parkville