Even as Apple became the nation’s most profitable technology company, it avoided billions in taxes in the United States and around the world through a web of subsidiaries so complex it spanned continents and went beyond anything most experts had ever seen, Congressional investigators disclosed on Monday.

The much vaunted mining sector, often credited with getting Australia through the global financial crisis, is ripping us off. That's the message from last week's budget.

And the message from the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott’s Budget reply is that he will help it continue to do so.

Four nights ago, when a nervous Wayne Swan rose to deliver the budget that was crafted to create a ''stronger, smarter, fairer Australia'', the public galleries were sparsely populated and unanimated, his colleagues were stoic, sullen and stern, and the mood almost funereal.

Computers could take some tough decisions out of our hands, if we let them. Is there still a place for human judgement?

What if the government could save hundreds of millions of dollars by listing a cheaper drug, shown to be just as effective as the one which costs the PBS more than any other medicine? You won’t find out so long as the company that owns both drugs keeps the bargain-priced cousin shut out.

Remember how Coca-Cola, in league with other beverage giants, killed off the NT's recycling scheme?

Coke took the NT government to the Federal Court over its 10 cent deposit recycling scheme, introduced in 2012 (it was similar to SA's scheme).

When Coca-Cola Amatil boss Terry Davis fronts the group's AGM Tuesday morning he will be asked to explain why a bottle of Coca-Cola costs up to two-thirds more in Australia than Asia.

Julia Gillard denounced the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement ahead of anti-Israeli protest action planned at the University of NSW yesterday.

According to Marc Corcoran on the ABC News website:

With just over four months to go before the federal election, Australians have switched off, with more than a third having little or no interest in September's election.

A national survey by Melbourne University also found most Australians believe the quality of leadership and the tone of debate is worse than usual. And 70 per cent lack confidence in the federal government, including almost half of Labor voters.

What is it that makes young men, reasonably well educated, in good health and nice looking, with long lives ahead of them, use powerful explosives to murder complete strangers because of political beliefs?