Margot Saville

Jul 20, 2024 | smh.com.au | Margot Saville

J.D. Vance - a powerful symbol of white working-class America - has been nominated as the vice president of Donald Trump's campaign. At the same time, Coalition leader Peter Dutton edged ahead of Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister in the Resolve opinion poll. These events are part of a trend that has swept liberal democracies around the world, in which working-class voters are turning increasingly to conservative parties.

Jun 12, 2024 | smh.com.au | Margot Saville

I love Harris Farm Drummoyne, but the car park terrifies me. Each visit, I drive around it praying to the parking gods that all the SUVs have left, so I don't have to shoehorn my car into the narrow gap between two three-tonne megafauna. In the past, sandwiched between two Balmain tanks, I've often had to open the door a crack and wriggle one arm and leg out of the car before levering my torso through the space.

May 1, 2024 | smh.com.au | Margot Saville

Last week I had a nasty shock. When I opened up an email from NRMA Insurance, the quote for my new car insurance premium had a 3 in front of it. In fact, the cost of insuring my 2019 Kia Picanto, which is worth about as much as a Taylor Swift ticket, had gone up 17 per cent to $3440. How did that happen? I know car insurance is expensive, especially when the policy covers a 21-year-old male driver. The tiny Kia was purchased in the mistaken belief that my son would not be seen dead in it.

Apr 12, 2024 | smh.com.au | Margot Saville

Right now, our transition to electric cars is on pause. The true believers have already bought their EV, downloaded the charging apps and bored everyone senseless with the length of their "range". Those of us who would like that warm inner glow, but can't afford to spend $61,900 on a new Model 3 Tesla, are waiting for prices to come down and the number of highway chargers to go up. US economist David Rapson says the EV revolution has arrived at the end of its first era.

Feb 28, 2024 | smh.com.au | Margot Saville

Eighteen months ago, the Coalition suffered its worst defeat in 70 years, losing an unprecedented 18 seats. Faced with these numbers, you would think it would be working hard on policies to take to the next election, to win back those seats. But you'd be dead wrong.