Four months in, this year has already been a remarkable showcase for existential and catastrophic risk. A severe drought, devastating bushfires, hazardous smoke, towns running dry – these events all demonstrate the consequences of human-induced climate change.

While the above may seem like isolated threats, they are parts of a larger puzzle...

Despite nearly three decades without a recession, Australia’s last proper budget surplus came a dozen years ago – just before the Global Financial Crisis hit.

Two or three months back, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg were on the cusp of fixing that.

Now, the next surplus may be further off again....

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has led a bipartisan call for a global inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, noting Australia will insist on an independent review, not one conducted by the World Health Organisation.

Labor’s shadow health minister, Chris Bowen, has given his full backing to the idea, saying

we...