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Editor's note
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Tomorrow, it will be one year since Malcolm Turnbull was rolled as prime minister and – after some extraordinary internal wrangling – the Liberal Party elected Scott Morrison as its leader. With a largely unexpected election victory under his belt, how is Morrison faring as prime minister? So far, Michelle Grattan writes, his position appears to be strong: his leadership is authoritative and he has few constraints. Perhaps more noticeably,
there is no sign of the internal trouble-making or restless aspirants that characterised Turnbull’s time at the helm.
Morrison takes a practical approach to government. In this first year of his prime ministership, he has built an inner circle of trusted colleagues around himself and taken “deep dives” on policy issues including recycling, youth suicide, veterans’ mental health, NDIS, water and aged care.
This is not to say his leadership is without its challenges. There’s the increasingly difficult relationship with China to manage, he has the mixed blessing of being lionised by Donald Trump, and there are worries the economy might be about to head south. While Morrison has governed with few major ructions, these pressure points will test him in the coming months – and it’s still a long time until the next election.
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Amanda Dunn
Section Editor: Politics + Society
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Top stories
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Can Scott Morrison maintain the image of separation from the Canberra elite, given he’s its most powerful member?
AAP/The Conversation
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
After 12 months as prime minister, Morrison looks the strong leader, clearly in charge, with few constraints. But will he make a substantial entry in the history book of Australian prime ministers?
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Tim Fischer aboard a one-off passenger train last month to raise money for the Albury Wodonga Cancer Centre trust fund.
Sally Evans/ Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Tim Fischer leaves behind a political and personal legacy. He defied sceptics, managed his troops, and the support he provided to John Howard was crucial in achieving gun control.
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Protesters holding umbrellas amid heavy rain march in an anti-government rally in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
AAP/EPA/VIVEK PRAKASH
Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation; Justin Bergman, The Conversation
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has indicated she's open to dialogue. But unless she meets the demonstrators' demands, the protest movement isn't going to end anytime soon.
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Plant extinctions have skyrocketed, driven in large part by land clearing and climate change.
Graphic Node/Unsplash
Jaco Le Roux, Macquarie University; Florencia Yanelli, Stellenbosch University; Heidi Hirsch, Stellenbosch University; José María Iriondo Alegría, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Marcel Rejmánek, University of California, Davis; Maria Loreto Castillo, Stellenbosch University
Human-driven land clearing and climate change are sending plants extinct at a rapid rate, risking a devastating biodiversity crash.
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Business + Economy
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Richard Holden, UNSW
With a relatively low debt to GDP ratio, Australia was never at risk of becoming Greece. But Germany, with negative interest rates and scant prospects for economic growth, is an open question.
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Health + Medicine
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Louise Remond, University of Technology Sydney
There's a difference between having low days and feeling bad all the time. The latter is a common feature of depression.
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Clare Collins, University of Newcastle
Low-fat milk provides no extra benefit for your heart over full-fat milk, if you're healthy. But it's too soon to pour the low-fat options down the sink.
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Arts + Culture
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Samia Khatun, SOAS, University of London
For decades, a book wrongly identified as 'The Holy Koran' was kept at a mosque in Broken Hill. Who was the unnamed traveller who brought Bengali stories of the prophets to the Australian desert?
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Brendan Keogh, Queensland University of Technology
The Australian Classification Board has "refused classification" for at least four videogames in recent months. Such bans show the introduction of an R18+ classification was not a win for players.
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Felicity Jensz, University of Münster
The USA has a long colonial history – as does Denmark. The USA has even tried to buy Greenland before. But this time, Greenland isn't Denmark's to sell.
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Politics + Society
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Vicki Sentas, UNSW; Michael Grewcock, UNSW
In a non-policing context, having to perform such acts would be a serious assault. This is why strip searches are meant to be a last resort and only used in serious and urgent circumstances.
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John Blaxland, Australian National University
US-Iran tension in the Strait of Hormuz is just one of many looming security challenges that need closer scrutiny.
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Bianca Fileborn, University of Melbourne; Hannah McCann, University of Melbourne; Matthew Mitchell, University of Melbourne; Priya Kunjan, University of Melbourne
Proposed reforms in Victoria will not only remove barriers for many TGD people to navigate their daily lives more safely, but help to make gender categories in general less strictly defined.
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Wes Mountain, The Conversation
Australia has committed to joining the US and the UK in a mission to protect oil ships in the Strait of Hormuz. But why is the Strait the source of so much tension between the US and Iran?
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Education
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Luke Zaphir, The University of Queensland
Whether it's a school debate or just a conversation in every day life, here are three principles to keep in mind when having an argument.
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Science + Technology
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Rachel A. Ankeny, University of Adelaide
South Australia has lifted its moratorium on GM crops, while Tasmania has extended its ban. But the question should no longer be a simple binary of being "for" or "against" GM technology.
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Lewis Mitchell, University of Adelaide; Joshua Ross, University of Adelaide
Mathematician Hannah Fry has called for tech and data scientists to make an ethical pledge, as medical doctors do. But the same result might be delivered by simply asking people to mind their bias.
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Environment + Energy
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Scott Hamilton, University of Melbourne; Changlong Wang, University of Melbourne; Roger Dargaville, Monash University
State renewable energy targets have been driving energy investment in Australia. 'Where and when' the generation and transmission build occurs varies substantially under a national approach.
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Cities
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Libby Porter, RMIT University; Amaara Raheem, RMIT University; Blanche Verlie, RMIT University; Bronwyn Lay, RMIT University; Mick Douglas, RMIT University
The Victorian government plans to destroy trees and sites sacred to Djab Warrung people to make way for the Western Highway at the same time as it seeks heritage listing for the Eastern Freeway.
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Featured jobs
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University of Western Australia — Tullamarine, Victoria
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University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria
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La Trobe University — Bundoora, Victoria
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The Conversation AU — Wellington, Wellington
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Featured events
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245 Punt Road , Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia — Niagara Galleries
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Forum Theatre, Level 1 Arts West Building, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia — University of Melbourne
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Moorooduc Highway, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia — Monash University
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TBA, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2600, Australia — Australia New Zealand School of Government
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