JavaScript disabled. Please enable JavaScript to use My News, My Clippings, My Comments and user settings.

New feature Personalise your news, save articles to read later and customise settings View Demo

Hi there! Beta version

If you have trouble accessing our login form below, you can go to our login page.

National Times

The columnists More columnists

George Williams

Only political negligence can kill off this historic referendum

george-williams

Last week's Aboriginal tent embassy protest was an unhelpful distraction in the debate over changing Australia's constitution. However, it is not the death knell of the referendum.

Comments 12

Tim Colebatch

A generous serve of point-scoring over baseline economics.

tim-colebatch

AS WE climbed the steps into Rod Laver Arena, Hanrahan had never been happier - not because we were on our way to see Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in the final, but because there had never been so much bad economic news for him to bang on about.

The contributors More contributors

Amrit Dhillon

Rushdie affair reveals free speech is a slippery idea in India

Rushdie th

In Indian politics, staying in power, or coming to power, is more important than upholding principles such as freedom of expression that underpin democracy.

Clem Bastow

Why women are still keeping score

Clem Bastow

Something about a new year seems to inspire us to take stock and indulge in a little soul-searching: what did we do wrong last year? What are we going to do about it this year? When Australia Day rolls around we're given pause to consider how the country is ticking along.

Comments 35

The bloggers More blogs

John Birmingham

How to expedite the election

Blunt Instrument

10:22am I am buying no promises this election campaign. This time I am selling - my vote.

Comments 7

Dick Gross

Father Bob: tradition v modern life

Godless Gross

Will Father Bob become a forgotten man in a tiny local battle?

Comments 27

Rocco Fazzari

Australians rejoice, again

Rocco BlogGo

Celebrating Australia Day seems to involve paying homage to certain stereotypes.

Comments 27

Dick Gross

The taboo around body parts

Godless Gross

Why are we so squeamish about organ donation? Is the subject so appalling to us that we cannot bring ourselves to donate?

National Times Video More video

EU leaders agree on bailout fund

EU officials say they have reached an agreement at a summit on the introduction of a permanent euro zone bailout mechanism from July 2012.

Advertisement

Editor's picks

Katherine Murphy

A peek at the best and worst of Gillard

When I first arrived in the parliamentary press gallery as a cub reporter in 1996, my then bureau chief gave me a tip. Until you get your bearings in this place, he advised, gesturing absently at Parliament's labyrinthine corridors, follow Jessop.

Martin McKenzie-Murray

A new shade of true blue

Australia is a wonderful place, but it's wonderful in spite of its current politics. Reasoned debate should replace suspicion and indifference.

David Smith

Obama's message: fairness as patriotism

Today's State of the Union had all the hallmarks of a typical election-year address: an exclusive focus on big campaign issues, jabs at President Barack Obama's opponents and more mentions than usual of the word "American".

Ian Porter

Boom time hits manufacturing hard

As yet, there has been no recognition from the Gillard government that anything is amiss.

Melinda Tankard Reist

Another day, another fresh wave of e.hate

Most days when I turn on my computer I am offered wisdom on what would make me less angry about the treatment of women and girls.

Jane Archer

Cruise ships will sail on but bigger is no longer better

Until the weekend, the name Costa Concordia would have meant very little to anyone outside Italy. But in the space of a couple of hours late on Friday, when the ship hit rocks off the island of Giglio, all that changed. By Saturday morning, it was being compared to the Titanic.

Reader poll

Does the involvement of one of Julia Gillard's staffers in the Australia Day protests reflect badly on her?

Poll form
Yes

78%

No

22%

Total votes: 11934.

Would you like to vote?

You will need Cookies enabled to use our Voting Feature.

Poll closes in 30 minutes.

Disclaimer:

These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

Related coverage

Paul Sheehan: Ruckus puts referendum out of reach

Michelle Grattan: Embassy new blow to PM's credibility

Phillip Coorey: Bruised Gillard reassembles despondent troops

You tell us

national times stamp

Give us your feedback

Tell us what you would like us to cover and join the debate.