Byelection guide: what's at stake on Super Saturday

Editor's note

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten have been criss-crossing the country for weeks to spruik their parties’ candidates in Saturday’s all-important byelections – a key test for both the Liberals and Labor ahead of the next federal election.

We asked academics in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland to preview the five races being contested on ‘Super Saturday’, breaking down everything you need to know about the electorates, the leading candidates, and the major issues being debated.

Plus, with a federal election likely in the first half of 2019, we also look at what’s at stake for the party leaders, Turnbull and Shorten.

Justin Bergman

Deputy Editor: Politics + Society

Top story

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull campaigning at a Tasmania factory for Brett Whiteley, the Liberal candidate in the Braddon by-election. Bob Iddon

Byelection guide: what's at stake on Super Saturday

Rob Manwaring, Flinders University; Chris Salisbury, The University of Queensland; Ian Cook; Michael Lester, University of Tasmania

On Saturday, five federal seats will have a byelection, with particular attention being paid to tight races in Longman and Braddon. And all have implications for the major parties and their leaders.

Business + Economy
What should be done with the NBN in the long run? Mark A Gregory, RMIT University The NBN is on track to be privatised after the infrastructure is completed, but there are a number of other options that would retain the benefits of its disruption of the telecommunications market.

Science + Technology

Curious Kids: Why do volcanoes erupt?

Heather Handley, Macquarie University

When magma rises towards the surface gas bubbles start to form. Whether or not they can escape as the magma is rising affects how explosive the eruption will be.
Capturing the shadow of Saturn's moon Titan from right here on Earth

David Coward, University of Western Australia

Titan is more than a billion kilometres from our Sun but occasionally it's shadow can be seen here on Earth, with the right technology. That's what scientists gathered in Western Australia to observe.
Battle scars reveal the life of 'Mephisto', a WW1 German tank from a century ago

Michael Westaway, Griffith University

One hundred years after its capture from the battle fields of France, the last German battle tank of its kind is giving up its secrets to archeologists and forensic analysis.

Arts + Culture
Guide to the classics: The Tale of Genji, a 1,000-year-old Japanese masterpiece Rebecca Hausler, The University of Queensland; Tomoko Aoyama, The University of Queensland Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji, served in the Japanese imperial court. She transformed her experiences into an intricate narrative fusing fiction, history, and poetry.

Cities
Migration helps balance our ageing population – we don't need a moratorium Liz Allen, Australian National University Politicians across the spectrum have at some point targeted immigration as a contributor to out-of-control population growth. But would reducing, or banning, immigration take pressure off cities?

Health + Medicine

Women who have heart attacks receive poorer care than men

Clara Chow, George Institute for Global Health; David Brieger, University of Sydney

New research shows women receive sub-optimal care after they have a heart attack and are twice as likely than men to die six months after the attack.
Research Check: are phone-obsessed teens at greater risk of ADHD?

Hannah Kirk, Monash University

While the study found a link between high rates of digital media use and inattention and hyperactivity, it didn't find that one caused the other. Nor did it look specifically at clinically diagnosed ADHD.
Research Check: do neckties reduce blood supply to the brain?

Steve Kassem, Neuroscience Research Australia

Wearing a tie that causes slight discomfort can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5%, but the reduction is unlikely to cause any physical symptoms, which generally begin at a reduction of 10%.

Environment + Energy

Remembering Antarctica's nuclear past with 'Nukey Poo'

Hanne E.F. Nielsen, University of Tasmania

For just ten years Antarctica was home to a nuclear power station called "Nukey Poo".
Is the 'Zero Hour' youth climate march a turning point, or more of the same?

Marc Hudson, University of Manchester

This weekend sees a major youth climate rally in Washington DC. But do young people really hold the key to overcoming climate inaction, or are we wrong to put our faith in their ability to drive change?

Education
Move it, move it: how physical activity at school helps the mind (as well as the body) Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University Compulsory sport and physical education at school will improve children's memory, attention and ability to concentrate, not just boost fitness. The evidence is in.

Politics + Society

Leaders seek underdog status in byelection battle to be top dog

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The outcomes in Longman and Braddon are vital for Shorten, who would face very serious leadership instability if he lost both seats, and a rough patch if the ALP were defeated in one.
As Super Saturday nears, Labor gains poll lead in Braddon, but trails in Longman, while UK Tories slump

Adrian Beaumont, University of Melbourne

With the much anticipated Super Saturday byelections on Saturday, the polls in Longman and Braddon still show a very tight race.
Government report provides important opportunity to rethink Australia's relationship with India

Craig Jeffrey, University of Melbourne

A new government report outlines a strategy for the Australia-India relationship, and reminds is that India is not China, and must be considered in its own right.
VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the Mayo byelection and crossbenchers in the parliament

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

With just over a week until the Super Saturday byelections, there is great interest in each of the five seats in play, including Mayo in South Australia.