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.
- Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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.
The Abbott government has followed one step forward by a couple back. After an improved performance became the media story of last week, it’s been slipping and sliding all over the place.
Scott Morrison talks about his new portfolio, his time in immigration, his thoughts on policy and the political debate in Australia.
In racing parlance, Scott Morrison is sitting one out and one back, very well placed politically for both the short and longer terms.
Malcolm Turnbull has slapped down Joe Hockey over superannuation and said the government last year failed to make the case for budget repair, in comments that will be seen by some Liberals as raising his profile for the leadership.
Joe Hockey is the sort of guy who often leaps before looking too hard. This thought is particularly brought to mind by two completely different current manifestations of “Hockeyism”. One is Hockey’s thought…
Labor has widened its lead over the government in the latest Newspoll, although Tony Abbott’s better performance has seen an improvement in the prime minister’s personal approval numbers.
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics.
Sometimes the way events unfold is so surreal that it’s beyond any normal comprehension. It’s like that in the dreadful heart-wrenching story of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
By mid-century, Australia will have about 40,000 people aged 100 and above – well more than 300 times the 122 centenarians there were in 1975, according to the Intergenerational Report released on Thursday.
The government wants the public to take several political messages out of the Intergenerational Report Joe Hockey is releasing on Thursday.
Tony Abbott was in full confessional mode after Tuesday’s formal interment of the Medicare co-payment.
Tony Abbott says the troop escalation in Iraq marks “the next phase” of Australia’s contribution to disrupt, degrade and ultimately defeat Islamic State.
The cameras were in the cabinet room on Monday, apparently so the TV stations could get footage of the new line-up after last year’s reshuffle. But Tony Abbott also wanted to get a message out – one he’s…
The Senate has censured Attorney-General George Brandis, saying he is “unfit to hold the office”, over his behaviour in relation to Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs.
As Liberal MPs gather for more testing days in parliament, a Fairfax/Ipsos poll showing improvement in the ratings of both the Coalition and the prime minister should help Tony Abbott fireproof himself…
Contact Michelle for
- General
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Research supervision
- Location: Canberra
- Website
- X (formerly Twitter): @michellegrattan
- Article Feed
-
- Joined
