Parliament
We're back in town
Sarah Hanson-Young We politicians are back in Canberra this morning after a five-week winter recess. It sounds like a long break, but federal politicians work seven days a week, so it passed by in a flash. As a mother .
Stop campaigning against our economy
Mark Dreyfus Australians are proud of their economy and so they should be — it is one of the strongest in the advanced world.
Let conscience rule on gay marriage
Sarah Hanson-Young It's been a bit of a Bizzaro World in Australian federal politics in recent weeks. First we had the opposition saying they were concerned about the human rights of vulnerable people who will be ...
Something much worse than hate drove Norwegian gunman
Warwick McFadyen ''Would it be true to say that you finally felt that they weren’t really human beings?''
Government abandons principles over Malaysia deal
Sarah Hanson-Young Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has visited Kuala Lumpur to sign the Malaysian solution and now he and Prime Minister Julia Gillard are promoting it.
You call this a serious debate Tony Abbott?
Mark Dreyfus Let it never be said that Australians don't care about politics.
With new role comes greater responsibility
Sarah Hanson-Young Yesterday was a great day for the Greens. Our team in the Federal Parliament went from six to 10 with Governor-General Quentin Bryce presiding over the swearing-in of 12 senators from around the...
Why this is better than Rudd's scheme
Sarah Hanson-Young There are more than 13 billion reasons why the climate package unveiled on Sunday is better at putting a price on pollution than its predecessor.
New York spreads marriage equality news
Sarah Hanson-Young The colour and excitement of celebrations in New York at the weekend have been shown on TVs and in newspapers worldwide. People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and even religions danced in ..
CFI camels Australia
Mark Dreyfus Today, across vast stretches of arid Australia, roams the largest feral camel population in the world.
Where the Kiwis go we should follow
Mark Dreyfus On Wednesday I had the pleasure of meeting New Zealand's new High Commissioner to Australia, Major-General (retired) Martyn Dunne in Canberra.
Abbott's Great Big Plebiscite Fiasco
Mark Dreyfus When a man who previously dressed as a beer bottle in a publicity stunt criticises your publicity stunt for going too far, it should be a fairly good indication that yes, you have indeed gone too ..
Slow burn for the climate
Mark Dreyfus To use a phrase coined by former US vice president Al Gore and repeated several times at the Parliament House climate change forum this week, there may be no "silver bullet" to deal with climate ...
Rewriting history on climate change policy
Julie Bishop It was instructive to observe the reaction of the Greens yesterday to revelations that the Labor Government is being advised that a price on carbon of more than $40 per tonne would be needed to ...
Labor’s border protection chaos deepens
Julie Bishop The true cost of Labor's 2008 decision to weaken Australia's border protection laws became clearer last night when Treasurer Wayne Swan revealed a budget costs blowout of more than $1.
A park is not a paddock
Mark Dreyfus On Easter Saturday I'm looking forward to walking in Victoria's Alpine National Park, around Mount Beauty. The park is a national treasure, with well deserved National Heritage listing.
It's time to stop demonising the weak who seek sanctuary in our country
Sarah Hanson-Young Proponents of stronger measures against asylum seekers should be aware of the responses they generate among some Australians.
It's time to say 'I do' on same-sex marriage
Sarah Hanson-Young I receive hundreds of emails every week. But this weekend, one in particular caught my attention. It was from a Catholic priest who wrote in support of marriage equality. Many "Catholics are in ...
All heat, no rationality
Mark Dreyfus In the past week, industry leaders, environmental groups, journalists and many other Australians had no trouble in responding constructively to the announcement of a carbon price in Australia.
A revolution for the ages
Sarah Hanson-Young History was made last week. Not because Prime Minister Julia Gillard broke down in Parliament or because Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was struck dumb by a Channel 7 reporter, but because the people...
