Bill Shorten has labelled this the year of ideas but obviously Labor would rather have the overwhelming attention on the Coalition for as long as possible.
- Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Bill Shorten should resist the witch-hunt against former ALP minister Martin Ferguson over his attacks on NSW Labor’s anti-privatisation campaign. The idea that the Labor Party should expel Ferguson…
In launching its national “conversation” about tax reform, the Abbott government is caught between the policy imperative of “leading” and the political requirement of “listening”.
The government’s long awaited tax discussion paper says Australia has a relatively low tax burden compared to other developed countries but its system faces “challenges from a changing world”.
Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop said the take out from the result was that “people are ready for reform as long as it’s explained to them, and that’s what Mike Baird did”. It was a pointed comment.
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including John Howard’s address at University of Canberra’s Future Leaders Congress and whether Prime Minister Tony Abbott should follow the Howard prescriptions.
Saturday’s New South Wales election will be seen as a major test of whether a popular leader can sell the public a much-disliked economic reform policy.
Many Liberal eyes are already on Julie Bishop. And given she’s indicated that if there were to be a leadership contest she’d likely be in it, the Foreign Minister will come under increasing scrutiny in coming months.
Treasurer Joe Hockey has indicated the government is preparing to announce Australia will enter negotiations to join China’s infrastructure bank.
Playing the slogan game might degrade the political debate, but it worked alright for Tony Abbott – so now Bill Shorten’s launched into it ahead of the May budget. Labor has unveiled its “Mr Abbott. Don’t…
The Coalition has had a substantial lift in the latest Newspoll, now trailing Labor in two-party terms 49-51% compared with 45-55% a fortnight ago. This is its best two-party result since September. The…
The day that then immigration minister Scott Morrison announced an inquiry into allegation of abuse in the Nauru detention centre, News Corps tabloids ran dramatic claims against Save the Children.
Malcolm Fraser – as opposition leader, prime minister and in retirement – was always a polarising figure, a characteristic coming through in some of the assessment of his legacy.
Stephen Parker and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the recent chatter of a double dissolution, what would happen to crossbenchers if it did happen and three Nationals crossing the floor in the Senate.
Malcolm Fraser has been lauded for his humanitarian work, including supporting asylum seekers and commitment to multiculturalism.
One government man has an interesting theory on why Tony Abbott mightn’t mind talk of a double dissolution election. The PM finds governing very hard – and would love to be back on the campaign trail.
Tony Abbott is making a particular hash of his messaging this week. The prime minister – and some other senior ministers too (think Treasurer Joe Hockey) – often throws out lines seemingly without much…
Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten are both desperate, for their separate reasons, to get the metadata legislation cleared away this parliamentary fortnight rather than have it hanging until the budget session…
The Senate has defeated the government’s plan to deregulate university fees 34 votes to 30, with Labor, the Greens and five of the other eight crossbenchers combining against it.
Cabinet’s national security committee last October favoured Australia’s new submarine fleet being mostly constructed overseas with the ASC having only limited work.
Education Minister Christopher Pyne has announced a last-ditch effort to try to save the government’s plan to deregulate university fees, which faces defeat in the Senate.
The government appears set this week for another Senate rejection of its plan to deregulate university fees. And it can’t just blame a difficult crossbench.
PUP is now in a tiny kennel, which will be an interesting test of the relationship between the bombastic but diminished Clive Palmer and his lone Senate player, the understated and unassuming Dio Wang
The Senate numbers have been thrown into new confusion and Clive Palmer’s power much weakened with the defection of the Palmer United Party’s Senate leader, Glenn Lazarus.
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics.
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