As the Abbott government prepares Australia’s post-2020 emissions targets for this year’s Paris conference, the chairman of the Prime Minister’s business advisory council has make an extraordinary intervention in the climate debate.
- Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Frances Shannon and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics, including the Green’s leadership change, predictions for next week’s federal budget, and the importance of next week’s budget for Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey.
Here we are with the budget almost upon us and Tony Abbott has had to assure the public, and Joe Hockey, that the Treasurer won’t be sacked if it’s a flop.
A crackdown on the pension assets test will save the budget A$2.4 billion over the forward estimates, the government says.
The Greens mostly like to keep their party ‘internals’ internal. The leadership transition from Christine Milne to Victorian senator Richard Di Natale was marked by secrecy and tightly stitched up.
Victorian Senator Richard Di Natale has been elected Greens’ leader unopposed, after Christine Milne announced she would not contest the next federal election.
Registration of small businesses will be streamlined as part of the government’s package for the sector, which will be a centrepiece of Tuesday’s budget.
Joe Hockey sounded almost pleading, in his appeal after the Reserve Bank announced an interest rate cut of 0.25 of a percentage point, taking the cash rate to 2%, a new record low.
The government goes into next week’s budget trailing Labor on a two-party basis but satisfaction with Tony Abbott has risen to a seven month high in the latest Newspoll.
Against the grim outlook of a continuing massive deficit, Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten are both seeking to frame the debate ahead of Treasurer Joe Hockey bringing down his second budget next week.
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics.
Since Tony Abbott became prime minister, three issues have strained relations with Indonesia. Before the fracture over the fate of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, there were difficulties from the Coalition’s tow-back policy and a major crisis after revelations of Australian spying.
Australia needs new “philosophical underpinnings” for the major spending areas of health, education and retirement income, Business Council of Australia President Catherine Livingstone has said.
Australia has taken the unprecedented step of withdrawing its ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Grigson.
A $250 million two-year pilot scheme would subsidise 4000 nannies to care for 10,000 children in families who cannot access mainstream services.
As Labor steps up its internal debate on whether its MPs should be “bound” on a vote for marriage equality, Tony Abbott’s gay sister Christine Forster believes that would “certainly improve the numbers” to pass the reform.
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the lead up to May’s budget, Prime Minster Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey’s challenge in selling the budget, Labor’s new superannuation policy and rivalries in the cabinet.
A shiver might have gone down Joe Hockey’s spine when he read a report that some colleagues were angry he’d missed Monday’s meeting of cabinet’s expenditure review committee.
A Labor government would crack down on the superannuation tax breaks enjoyed by high income earners, raising more than $14 billion over ten years, under a policy released by Bill Shorten on Tuesday.
After an extensive round of consultations with health professionals and patients, Health Minister Sussan Ley has announced that yet more work needs to be done to find solutions to Medicare’s problems.
The government is locked in a major battle with pharmacists as it looks for $3 billion in budget savings from the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Julie Bishop’s high profile as foreign minister must surely be rivalling that of Kevin Rudd.
States ready for arm wrestle with Abbott to get better deal on hospitals, schools.
University of Canberra Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Nicholas Klomp and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics.
Bitter battles about money hang heavily over the Council of Australian Governments meeting, though Tony Abbott wants it to concentrate on the less divisive topics.
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