Rudd saved Labor, leaked polling shows
Jonathan Swan, Bianca Hall, Rick Feneley Labor would have been reduced to a parliamentary rump worse than in the Whitlam defeat of 1975 had it not replaced Julia Gillard with Kevin Rudd as prime minister, according to leaked internal polling.
Latest political news
Clive Palmer wins Fairfax by just 36 votes
BIANCA HALL Mining giant Clive Palmer has narrowly won the seat of Fairfax by just 36 votes, in a knife-edge result destined for a recount.
Ruddock warns new ministers
BIANCA HALL Liberal Party elder Philip Ruddock has warned the new government to beware of conflict-of-interest pitfalls that brought down seven of former prime minister John Howard's cabinet ministers in two years.
Navy ready for Abbott's boat policy
Tim Barlass The head of the Royal Australian Navy is ready to enforce Prime Minister Tony Abbott's pledge to ''turn back the boats'' saying procedures are well developed to execute the policy.
War footing: Minister eyes next hotspot
DAVID WROE Australia's new Defence Minister David Johnston says he wants the military to be battle-ready for future conflicts in the unstable Middle East and south Asia, including the possibility of fresh trouble in Afghanistan.
Morris leads in lobby powers
Warming heads into the danger zone
Silence descends on boat arrival figures
Armed Russians detain Australian activists
Deaths in custody list ignores asylum seekers, says study
Catholics mark Liberals' turnaround
ASIO chief comes out of shadows for 'masterclass'
Electoral chief cautious about online voting
WA Premier urged Abbott to raise GST
Climate warrior an early victim of axe
Car industry facing wipe-out
Comment & Analysis
Can people power save Labor from itself?
Michael Gordon Opinion The script for Labor in defeat usually involves retribution, introspection and recrimination.
An uneasy start to the new normal
MARK KENNY Opinion Tony Abbott vows to start as he means to go on. And it's abundantly clear he is in no rush.
No surprise Abbott's crew is light on women
Judith Ireland Opinion There was something genteel about the ceremony that took place at Yarralumla on Wednesday.
Tony's taken politics out of our faces
JACQUELINE MALEY Opinion The most lucid commentary I heard throughout the election campaign came from a Brisbane cafe owner on the Sunday morning after the poll.
Let's give Abbott a chance to prove himself
MIKE CARLTON Here is an olive branch: it would be a good idea to give Tony Abbott some time to prove himself as prime minister.
Casualties pile up in orderly fashion
MALCOLM MAIDEN The ''first 100 days'' playbook for Tony Abbott is rolling out pretty much according to plan.
How far will the climate purge go?
TOM ARUP Opinion The axing of the Climate Commission should be no surprise.
Grassroots say could be catastrophic
Michael Egan The new scheme will do nothing to enhance democracy and nothing to help Labor's prospects.
Abbott sexism gibes miss the point
WALEED ALY When acting Opposition Leader Chris Bowen quipped this week that there were now more women in Afghanistan's cabinet than Australia's, he must have known the line would stick.
Special features
The talented Miss Julie
Australia's new Foreign Affairs Minister, and the only woman in the Abbott cabinet, set her sights high very early.
So guess who's coming for afternoon tea?
There are gem cakes and tea on the table waiting for the Candidate to arrive.
Strap yourself in, we're going back to the future
So Tony Abbott would have you believe that the past six years were an aberration.
This man has a big job - stopping the boats
An impressive military CV bodes well but this remains an onerous task.
Women in Tony's world
Rocco Bloggo Let’s get one thing absolutely straight – Tony Abbott has no problem with women and their rightful place in the world.
Albanese and Shorten put loyalty to the test
Michael Gordon Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese have traded gentle barbs about loyalty in the Labor leadership contest.
Happy birthday Mr (former) PM Lee
Daniel Flitton Singapore's former leader Lee Kuan Yew has been around long enough to collect prime ministers in a scrapbook.
