In Melbourne the “Indi expats” number about 30. They include nieces and nephews of Cathy McGowan, independent candidate for the north east Victorian seat, and relatives of family and friends. The “Indi…
- Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Today’s Nielsen poll has the Coalition in front, leading Labor 52-48% on a two-party vote. As Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott prepare to go head to head in an hour-long debate at the National Press Club tomorrow…
When leaders take on media moguls, it always makes for a spicy story. When the characters are Kevin Rudd and Rupert Murdoch, one hangs out for the next episode. In the Labor camp, a few people must be…
Kim Williams has resigned as chief executive of News Corp Australia, in a move that has shocked the media industry. Williams, who has held the post only since December 2011, gave no reason publicly. But…
This first campaign week, at least so far, has been nobody’s child. It has seen plenty of activity, spending and scares, the Murdoch factor, and Peter Beattie’s spectacular re-entry. But neither Kevin…
Kevin Rudd has done well to recruit Peter Beattie. Just as Bob Carr was a good catch for Julia Gillard. There is nothing wrong with a bit of recycling in politics, provided that, as with other products…
Opposition leader Tony Abbott says he has never discussed the National Broadband Network with media proprietor Rupert Murdoch, after prime minister Kevin Rudd challenged him to reveal any conversation…
There are only 150 seats in the House of Representatives. You would think it would not be beyond the wit and wisdom of the major parties, which fight to be the government, to choose good, or at least appropriate…
The other day Greens leader Christine Milne noticed a tweet saying “Get out of the way Christine and leave it to the big boys”. “I just thought to myself, that is so symptomatic of the certain element…
Tony Abbott says his $5 billion company tax relief can be paid for out of the $17 billion cuts he has already announced, but the government is conjuring up a bigger, broader GST being needed under a Coalition…
Opposition leader Tony Abbott will promise business a 1.5% company tax cut from July 1 2015, at a cost of $5 billion over the budget period. Abbott will say the measure will further help Australian businesses…
It’s hard to imagine Rupert Murdoch sitting on Twitter, isn’t it? But tweet he does and today Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his deputy Anthony Albanese tweeted back. For “tweet” and “tweeted” in that sentence…
The interest rate drop of 25 basis points to 2.5% - a new half century record low – will be a relief to mortgage holders focused on cost of living, an issue biting in this election. It’s positive news…
When you want to avoid an exam you need a really good excuse. There was no way Tony Abbott would ever have accepted the invitation to debate Kevin Rudd on Sky tonight. But as it happened he was able to…
Kevin Rudd spent $650 million today - $450 million in the afternoon for out-of- hours school care, after $200 million in the morning for the car industry. Not a bad effort in a campaign where money is…
The government has handed out $200 million to help the embattled car industry, in its first major campaign commitment, as well as mandating a 100% Australian-made target for the purchase of Commonwealth…
It was freezing in the Prime Minister’s courtyard at Parliament House. But there was no way that Kevin Rudd was going to launch his election 2013 campaign anywhere else. It was in this courtyard, after…
Kevin Rudd has called an election for September 7, with Labor and the Coalition entering the campaign close in two party terms and the next five weeks likely to be decisive for the outcome. Rudd went to…
Kevin Rudd has raised new uncertainty over the election timetable by saying his intention is to be in St Petersburg for the G20 and declaring that he has not settled on an election date. The PM had been…
The government has done its best to make a bad economic situation as politically salvageable as possible. It had to bring down today’s statement, because the worsening numbers would have come out early…
The deficit will blow out to $30 billion this financial year and Australia will remain in the red for 12 months longer than the budget promised, after a $33 billion write-down in revenue. Growth has been…
Tony Abbott has moved to neutralise school funding as an election issue by promising to match “dollar for dollar” the money that Labor has promised over the next four years. Making his dramatic announcement…
With the polls so close, could the unthinkable happen? Might we see another hung parliament? On the balance of probabilities, surely not. But just consider, hypothetically, what it would be like if, say…
The government will introduce a scheme to insure deposits in Australian banks, which will raise $733 million over four years to help the embattled budget bottom line. If passed on in full to deposit customers…
With the election imminent, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has a nifty new (free) app, based on census data, to tell you all you need to know about your electorate, and every other one in the country…
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