There is a debate to be had about 457 visas, writes Peter Mares, but it’s not the one we’ve been having
29 Mar 13 Comments (6)We know about the 457. What about the 485?
A different visa category could be the subject of future debates about temporary migration, writes Peter Mares
28 Mar 13 Comments (0)Can we afford to get back on the rails?
Australia’s largest cities still rely heavily on massive investments in rail before the second world war. With renewed interest in rail as a way of dealing with congestion, Peter Mares looks at what history can tell us about the value of reinvesting in railways
12 Dec 12 Comments (1)International students and the law of unintended consequences
The federal government’s new rules designed to increase student numbers could boost the number of migrants who are permanently temporary, writes Peter Mares
28 Sep 11 Comments (4)Lives on hold
Changes to Australia’s migration program have stranded tens of thousands of international graduates at the end of a queue that shows no sign of moving — and the immigration department has warned the issue could end up in court, writes Peter Mares
02 May 11 Comments (13)New South Wales: the verdict
Radio National’s The National Interest, presented by Inside Story contributor Peter Mares, looks at the implications of the 2011 New South Wales election result
27 Mar 11 Comments (0)A death in the rain
FROM THE ARCHIVE | This week Fijian fruit-picker Josefa Rauluni died in the Villawood detention centre. Peter Mares describes a similar case nearly ten years ago, and how the coroner’s inquest unfolded
24 Sep 10 Comments (0)Talking about our population
The election campaign showed how we don’t seem able to have a rational debate about population, writes Peter Mares
01 Sep 10 Comments (0)Capping and culling the migration queue
Legislation before parliament will give the immigration minister new power to “terminate” certain classes of visa application, reports Peter Mares
03 Jun 10 Comments (24)Hanging and clinging: two state elections
Peter Mares spoke to journalist Sue Neales and political scientist Haydon Manning about the likely shakedown in Tasmania and South Australia
22 Mar 10 Comments (0)
The fifth ripple: Australia’s place in the global refugee crisis
Without more resettlement places, interception in Indonesia is pointless, argues Peter Mares in this overview of recent trends in refugee movement
12 Nov 09 Comments (4)A blockage in the skilled migration pipeline
A dramatic rule change has left many would-be migrants in limbo. Peter Mares reports on the indefinite delays facing tens of thousands of applicants for permanent residency
03 Nov 09 Comments (10)The permanent shift to temporary migration
A serious debate about this fundamental shift in policy, and its implications, has barely begun, writes Peter Mares
17 Jun 09 Comments (4)The fifth wave
The human cost of turning back boats is too high, writes Peter Mares. So what are the alternatives?
21 Apr 09 Comments (3)Campaigning in turbulent times
Far North Queensland won’t decide Saturday’s state election, but it’s a barometer of the stresses brought on by the economic downturn, reports Peter Mares from Cairns
18 Mar 09 Comments (0)Gambling on the Productivity Commission
All the evidence is in, yet the government has ordered another inquiry into the impact of gambling, writes Peter Mares.
13 Mar 09 Comments (1)Solar policy trapped in the state shadowlands
All sides of politics agree that a German-style national feed-in tariff to encourage rooftop solar power makes sense. But Christine Milne’s bill to create the tariff is going nowhere. Peter Mares explains why
27 Nov 08 Comments (8)
