Despite presiding over an increasingly disillusioned electorate, today’s politicians are more focused on short-term political gain than long-term policy success, John Hewson writes.

Despite the growing threat to our health posed by climate change, wealth inequality, and poor working conditions, there remains a void in national policy to address the problem. Policymakers must act now or Australians will suffer, Sharon Friel writes.

Policy Forum has marked its fifth birthday with a fresh look, new layout, and a renewed focus. But the site’s commitment to showcasing the best analysis of the region’s policy challenges remains, Quentin Grafton and Martyn Pearce write.

Digital surveillance technology is raising all kinds of ethical problems - and China is a chief example. Bias against minority groups and political activists has become imbued in China’s smart city projects, reflecting a new ‘Big Other’ strategy that must be addressed, Fan Yang writes.

Australia is not doing enough to encourage innovation, but investment in education and support for those institutions that do innovate can create a fairer and more prosperous society, Joshua Gans and Andrew Leigh write.

The devastating scene of thousands of dead fish in one of Australia’s most important river systems highlights a failure of governance and policy, Quentin Grafton, Emma Carmody, Matthew Colloff, and John Williams write.