Independent
Labor must not walk away from moral leadership at the UN
Julie Bishop There is no excuse for the Federal Labor government to delay an announcement that Australia will boycott the upcoming Durban III conference in New York.
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 .
Rights of children should be above politics
Sarah Hanson-Young Yesterday the High Court extended an injunction to hear a legal challenge to the Malaysian people-swap deal. The full bench of the court in Canberra will now sit on August 22. The Greens maintain ...
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.
CFI camels Australia
Mark Dreyfus Today, across vast stretches of arid Australia, roams the largest feral camel population in the world.
Don't export our humanity
Sarah Hanson-Young As we gear up for World Refugee Day next Monday, it's time to remind the Gillard government why it should not be exporting Australia's humanity to third countries.
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.
Frustrating crawl to save the Murray
Sarah Hanson-Young If medals were handed out for inaction, Australia's water ministers would take the gold.
One rule for Tony, another for the rest of us
Mark Dreyfus FOR Tony Abbott, the definition of an acceptable levy is apparently one imposed by the Coalition.
Conservatives leave Abbott out in the cold on climate change
Mark Dreyfus Last week the Federal Opposition’s climate-change policies were effectively rejected by its conservative political allies locally and internationally.
Sustainable reforms you can bank on
Mark Dreyfus A fundamental goal of the Gillard Government is to continue building a stronger, broader and more competitive economy. The Reserve Bank's decision to lift the cash rate on Melbourne Cup Day was a ...
A lesson for the majors
Sarah Hanson-Young Right now I am on an eight-hour road trip to the Thai-Burma border, which gives me time to reflect on the amazing parliamentary year that is finally drawing to a close.
Reviving 'hit list' fears
Anna Patty The new alliance between Labor and the Greens has private schools sweating about the future of their $27 billion in taxpayer funding.
Same book, different cover
Julie Bishop The swearing-in of a woman as Prime Minister of Australia is a milestone for women in this country, however, a number of woman leaders in our region have contacted me in recent days expressing a ...
Looming political war over the Murray
Tom Arup There is a political storm set to descend on Canberra that is still largely unnoticed by the commentariat — the release of the draft Murray-Darling Basin plan.
Effectiveness matters in aid debate
Julie Bishop Our foreign aid programs should be subject to the same tests of value for money and effectiveness as every other program in the Federal Budget, including cost-benefit analyses.
Resources need to be shared by the owners
Lindsay Tanner When Australia became a nation in 1901, we had the highest living standards per head in the world. Since then we've dropped down the league ladder a bit.
Peter and the Environment Laws
Tom Arup On my desk in The Age’s Canberra bureau there is a giant stack of environmental reports commissioned by the Rudd and Howard Governments, with a smattering of State Government reports.
The Coalition's Debt Reduction Plan
Helen Coonan Yesterday Malcolm Turnbull, Joe Hockey and I launched the Coalition's Debt Reduction Plan. The Plan outlines the Coalition's ...
Green Timber Woes
Tom Arup The independent Green Building Council of Australia is facing unprecedented pressure from State and Federal Governments to change its environmental standards for sustainable timber.
