The Coalition would slash Australia’s foreign aid program by a massive $4.5 billion over the forward estimates, to finance its nearly $5 billion infrastructure plan to build roads, bridges and freight…
- Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Kevin Rudd will claim the mantle of superior economic management and try to pin a European-type austerity label onto Tony Abbott, in the PM’s last major speech of the campaign at the National Press Club…
On the cusp of the election, Eden-Monaro voters overwhelmingly do not believe promises will be honoured, whoever is in government after Saturday. The national battle has left people across the spectrum…
For almost two million Australian voters, this election is over. They’ve marked their ballots. As of yesterday, 1.2 million of the 14.7 million on the roll had put in pre-poll votes and 750,000 postal…
Talk to mining billionaire Clive Palmer and you move into a different zone, where normal laws of probability are not applied. Palmer says polling over the last few days suggests he can win two Senate seats…
In election campaigns it’s always best to avoid the sticky paper, especially in the final days. But that’s where Labor found itself today, cornered into talking about what its stance might be in opposition…
It was a bruising encounter for the embattled Kevin Rudd when he appeared on Q&A. Most of the questions were critical or hostile. Presenter Tony Jones pushed him. Sometimes Rudd dodged; other times…
In his last set piece occasion of the campaign, at Canberra’s National Press Club, Tony Abbott returned to the issue that, more than any other, started him on the road to the victory the Coalition expects…
Tony Abbott is striving for the athlete’s discipline in this final election week. When The Conversation interviewed him at his Parliament House office, after his National Press Club address, it was clear…
Kevin Rudd would have to dramatically change the game in this last campaign week to alter a result that the latest Newspoll suggests is now virtually determined. The poll in The Australian shows Labor’s…
Kevin Rudd’s launch was all about political hope against the odds, but Treasurer Chris Bowen’s absence was the measure of electoral reality. Bowen missed this campaign landmark - with Rudd’s permission…
Kevin Rudd has pitched to the “battler” vote and small business at a campaign launch in which he declared Labor was “now engaged in the fight of our lives” but could prevail next Saturday. Rudd told an…
Bill Glasson is already a Liberal National Party hero. The 60-year-old eye surgeon and prime ministerial challenger received special mention and a rousing response at Tony Abbott’s Liberal launch in Brisbane…
Days after Kevin Rudd questioned whether Tony Abbott was too “impulsive” to handle international crises such as Syria, the opposition leader was sounding a good deal more measured than the Prime Minister…
It’s hard to imagine how things could have looked much worse for Labor this week. Kevin Rudd’s attack on Tony Abbott’s paid parental leave scheme might be working – and how funny is that? – and the undecided…
Amid an election row about numbers that has become both feral and arcane the heads of Treasury, Finance and the Parliamentary Budget Office have called out Kevin Rudd’s attempt to use their authority to…
The government claims to have found a $10 billion hole in the opposition’s $31.6 billion savings package. Labor bases its figure on material prepared before the caretaker period by Treasury, the Finance…
Who “won” or “lost” tonight’s debate – and opinion was divided – was less important that what new was said by Kevin Rudd. Most notably, Rudd seemed to significantly toughen the government line on foreign…
Kevin Rudd is living two lives. He’s fighting, and on all the evidence losing, an election campaign. Between times, he’s also keeping himself very busy on the international stage. What an irony. Thanks…
The Coalition has released a package of additional savings, bringing its total savings put out so far to $31.6 billion. Savings announced by shadow treasurer Joe Hockey and finance spokesman Andrew Robb…
Kevin Rudd has questioned whether Tony Abbott has the “temperament” to deal with foreign issues, notably the Syrian crisis. The Prime Minister said Abbott lacked a background in foreign affairs and had…
This election might be all about Queensland, but Kevin Rudd’s naval courting of the north smelt of electoral desperation and is backfiring on him. The PM today held out the prospect of moving some of the…
A proposal to move some or all of the Garden Island naval base fleet from Sydney has been slammed as too costly and a blatant bid to shore up Labor support in Queensland. In a speech to the Lowy Institute…
Long term unemployed young people could receive up to $6500 if they held down a job for two years, under an initiative announced by Tony Abbott today. Under a job commitment bonus payment people aged 18…
After Kevin Rudd reached today for a vintage big idea - the fast train - in his quest for voter bait, he quickly received a large tick from Tim Fischer, former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader…
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