Australia Post sell-off idea sparks anger

Gareth Hutchens and Clay Lucas Labor demands the federal government say if it plans to sell Australia Post, as a former commissioner of the competition regulator says the postal service should be privatised.

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• Opinion: Looking for ways to post a profit in a dead-letter world
• Sell-off would 'devastate' rural towns

Sales of Australian-made cars hit new low

TOBY HAGON Sales of Australian-made vehicles are at an all-time low, with a 15.2 per cent slump in 2013 despite record new-vehicle sales of 1.136 million.

Delay for announcement on Toyota's future

Sam Hall and Clay Lucas Toyota Australia has indicated it may delay an announcement on its manufacturing future until the second half of 2014, dispelling fears it is being pressured for a quick answer by its parent company in Japan.

PM sidesteps Bernardi abortion comments

DAN HARRISON Prime Minister Tony Abbott has once again distanced himself from Liberal senator Cory Bernardi after the backbencher called for a new debate on abortion, railed against ''non-traditional'' families and called for more flexible industrial relations laws.

Activitists on tail of Japanese whaling ship

ANDREW DARBY Activist ships were clinging grimly to the wake of the Japanese factory ship, Nisshin Maru, after it was caught butchering minke whales in the Antarctic.

Pressure on health costs 'enormous'

DAN HARRISON Former Liberal health minister Kay Patterson says people must be educated about the cost of health services they use, warning the government faces tough choices as the health budget comes under ''enormous'' pressure.

Chilly warning on Antarctica changes

PETER HANNAM Evidence of climate change in parts of Antarctica is as dramatic as anywhere in the world and has a potentially big impact for Australia, scientists say.

Brown coal projects fail to nab $90m on offer

TOM ARUP Two major proponents of new brown coal projects in the Latrobe Valley have revealed they missed out on government grants, narrowing the field of companies in line to share $90 million on offer.

Byelection date set in Rudd's former seat

DAVID WROE The by-election for ex-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's former federal seat will be held on February 8.

Clearing the waters on consular assistance

Donald Rothwell Australians in trouble overseas should be entitled to consular assistance enshrined in law to avoid inconsistencies.

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GP co-payments not the real answer

Tim Woodruff The recent proposal to introduce a co-payment for GP visits has ignited debate about the financing of - and principles underlying - the health system.

Aged care drug abuse that points to scandal

AMANDA VANSTONE Only a savvy relative stood between Auntie Wilma and a GP's dire regime of pills.

Unhealthy big business spreading great harm

Rob Moodie If our negotiators buckle under the pressure applied by third parties, the price of a new trade agreement will be very high.

'Tis the season for MPs to dump bad news

JONATHAN SWAN Opinion At the end of every year politicians observe a tradition as dear to them as Christmas. While Australians binge on food, drink and sunshine, federal ministers use the cover of the holidays to dump bad news on a presumably uninterested public.

Proposed $6 GP fee would hurt the poorest

GARETH HUTCHENS Would you mind paying a small fee to visit your doctor? There are good economic reasons why the idea is being considered, even if you don't like the sound of it.

Nuclear ruin beckons, if not for good luck

Bruce Anderson The Western world has lost control of the ship and it all started in 1888.

Republic idea lives on - for good reasons

GEOFF GALLOP The British Crown came to Australia in 1788 and has been with us ever since. It personified our links to a tradition that privileged some ideas without destroying others.

George Brandis' security clean-up leaves out messy questions

RICHARD ACKLAND Loose ends tend to clutter our lives and, supposedly, a new year is a good time to tidy them up or burn them to cinders.

Lack of accountability clouds climate debate

John McLean The world's so-called authority on climate change engages in exaggerated science and has become a political tool.

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Labor needs to rethink asylum seeker policy

Mike Richards A new year should see Labor take some moral leadership on the treatment of refugees.

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One wedding, three stories and fish porn

PAUL SHEEHAN Last Sunday, outside a pretty little church in Hunters Hill - St Peter Chanel, named after the only Catholic martyr in Polynesia - a wedding party and guests assembled. And assembled. And assembled.

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Centuries-old dispute haunts Sochi Olympics

James Barry North Caucasians have long railed against Russia's rubbery notions of people and place.

Resolution: to fund an equitable future for all

Sally Young The government is promising a tough budget to balance the books, but there are many tax loopholes it will likely ignore.

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The side effects of GP co-payments

Jennifer Doggett We should contribute to our healthcare costs. But this is not the best way.