A senior Russian diplomat says Australia-Russia relations are at a “historic low”, as Tony Abbott has pledged to “shirt-front” Vladimir Putin at the G20 next month over the downing of flight MH17. In a…
- Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
More than 600,000 children – 17.7% of all children in Australia – were living below the poverty line in 2012, a report released by the Australian Council of Social Service has found. Just over one third…
The G20 is bigger than the bad behaviour of any one country, and it would be unfortunate if the controversy over Russian president Vladimir Putin’s presence – now confirmed - were to overshadow next month’s…
Tony Abbott says the government won’t send doctors and nurses to help with the Ebola crisis without being “absolutely confident” all the risks are being properly managed. “At the moment, we cannot be confident…
The way our politicians are reacting in face of the Ebola crisis ravaging West Africa casts Australia’s character as a nation in a poor light. Federal MP Bob Katter claims aid workers who’ve been going…
University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Deupty Vice-Chancellor Frances Shannon discuss the week in politics including the governments probe into union corruption, Australia’s involvement…
Fairfax journalist Tony Wright tweeted on Thursday: “In-air bombing operational details against enemy on the bullhorn, on-water operational matters against leaky boats at 6 fathoms.” It’s a pretty accurate…
Suddenly, the debate about the need for freer speech has transformed into one about the limits that should be imposed on speech. And key allies of Tony Abbott in the earlier argument have become critics…
Labor elder John Faulkner has called for a radical overhaul of the party’s structure that would drastically reduce union representation at its state conferences. Faulkner, who has been a continuing voice…
The royal commission into union corruption has been extended for a year and given wider terms of reference, after finding evidence of criminal conduct by union officials. Attorney-General George Brandis…
Recently ASIO has taken on a quite public face in the discussion about fighting terrorism. Its immediate past chief, David Irvine, and its new head, Duncan Lewis, have appeared at ministerial news conferences…
Damning levels of mental illness and self harm are documented in the Human Rights Commission’s draft report on children in detention, which went to the government on Friday. The inquiry has concluded…
Announcing cabinet’s approval for our forces to enter combat against the Islamic State Tony Abbott said that “Australians are reluctant to reach out to conflicts many thousands of miles away”. That’s not…
Cabinet has given the go-ahead for Australia’s Super Hornet fighter jets to strike ISIL targets in Iraq, as well as for its special forces to start working with the Iraqi military as soon as legal documents…
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the debate on banning face coverings in parliament house, controversy…
For a prime minister who says he wants to promote Team Australia, Tony Abbott made a right mess of it this week. Somehow he managed to let the burqa, which as he correctly says no one actually wears to…
Update: Tony Abbott is effectively overruling Speaker Bronwyn Bishop and Senate president Stephen Parry’s decree that would see Muslim women with facial coverings confined to glass boxes when they observed…
The government tomorrow will introduce legislation to salvage a fraction of its social security budget savings but is shelving a raft of measures, including its attempt to make young people wait six months…
A friend of mine bought a burqa when we were travelling in Afghanistan in 2002. She’s worn it perhaps once at drinks in Parliament House – before the garment became an issue - though not, as far as I am…
Australia’s early warning and refuelling aircraft will operate over Iraq from today in support of American and other Coalition planes fighting terrorist group ISIL, but the government has yet to give the…
The Abbott government will appoint an outside expert to report on the lessons to be learned from Labor’s home insulation scheme, as it also prepares options for compensating families and businesses. Delivering…
The Senate has set up an extraordinarily broad inquiry into the Queensland government, in another demonstration of Clive Palmer’s power and his determination to pursue state premier Campbell Newman. It…
It’s difficult to see how Tony Abbott can avoid a summer reshuffle and easy to believe he’s not relishing the prospect. Few around the Coalition believe that Arthur Sinodinos will return to his assistant…
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics, including Clive Palmer’s deal with the Liberals to return temporary protection…
Bill Shorten will have been a year in his job next month. After its trouncing at the election, Labor is in a much better position than many would have expected, leading on a two party basis in the polls…
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