Emma Griffiths is ABC News Online's chief political correspondent. She has spent 15 years reporting for ABC TV and Radio News and Current Affairs, including a stint as Moscow correspondent. She has covered state politics in both Queensland and New South Wales and is on her second stint in the federal parliamentary press gallery.
Follow Emma on Twitter: @ejgriffiths
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Tensions at the Manus Island detention centre erupted into a violent breakout last night, after asylum seekers were told their only option for resettlement was to live in Papua New Guinea.
Thirty-five asylum seekers escaped from the centre through a fence about 6:15pm (local time) but Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says they were quickly recaptured.
Mr Morrison says all "non-essential staff" were evacuated, several internal fences were knocked down, safety-glass panels were smashed, bunk beds were "broken apart" and the pieces used as weapons and thrown.
Eight asylum seekers have been arrested and 19 have been treated at the centre's medical clinic, but Mr Morrison says none of the patients are "exhibiting life-threatening conditions".
Topics: refugees, immigration, community-and-society, federal-government, government-and-politics, papua-new-guinea
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Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says 35 asylum seekers escaped from the Manus Island detention centre last night but were quickly recaptured.
Mr Morrison says the breakout happened about 6:15pm (local time) and was the result of "much-heightened" tensions at the facility.
"Within about an hour and a quarter, control was restored to the centre," he said.
"All things were quiet last night."
Eight asylum seekers have been arrested and 19 have been treated at the centre's medical clinic, but Mr Morrison says none of the patients are "exhibiting life-threatening conditions".
Topics: immigration, community-and-society, refugees, federal-government, papua-new-guinea, australia, pacific
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The Government is being "dragged kicking and screaming" on the issue of whether to help Qantas, Treasurer Joe Hockey says, even as he continues to give strong indications that the airline will receive some assistance.
Topics: air-transport, federal-government, company-news, business-economics-and-finance, australia
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Treasurer Joe Hockey says the latest jobs figures illustrate the challenge ahead for the Coalition government and has stressed that the May budget will be "focused on growth".
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, federal-government, budget, australia
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A Special Forces commando who died as he led an assault on an enemy-held building during fighting in an Afghan village last year has been posthumously awarded Australia's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross (VC).
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, federal-parliament, abbott-tony, army, defence-forces, defence-and-national-security, australia, tas
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Qantas boss Alan Joyce has increased pressure on Federal Coalition MPs, saying government policy will "have to change" to guarantee the airline's role as Australia's national carrier.
The call comes as the Abbott Government fends off criticism over its handling of calls for assistance from fruit processor SPC Ardmona and the end of Australia's car manufacturing sector.
In a speech on Wednesday night Mr Joyce said Qantas's role as national carrier was one it wanted to "continue playing for many decades to come".
"But to do so, we have to change - and so does government policy."
Topics: air-transport, industry, business-economics-and-finance, federal-government, government-and-politics, australia
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told Parliament that the nation is failing to meet the "more important and the more meaningful targets" in Indigenous disadvantage
Mr Abbott has delivered this year's Closing the Gap report, which covers areas such as life expectancy, education and unemployment, and aims to breach the divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by 2030.
He told MPs that the targets to halve the gap in child mortality within a decade and to have 95 per cent of remote children enrolled in preschool are on track.
However, he revealed the "bad news" that there is almost no progress in closing the life expectancy gap and very little improvement in literacy and employment.
Mr Abbott, who is also the minister responsible for Indigenous affairs, announced he wants to set a new target to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous school attendance within five years.
Topics: indigenous-policy, government-and-politics, community-and-society, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, federal-government, federal-parliament, australia, nt
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Victorian Premier Denis Napthine meets the PM in the wake of the Toyota closure - but there are no details of any federal assistance.
Topics: automotive, industry, business-economics-and-finance, government-and-politics, unions, australia, vic
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From budget cuts to asylum seekers and the carbon tax, what are the other top political issues for the year?
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, parliament, federal-parliament, australia
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Toyota has made the "heart-breaking" announcement that it will stop making cars in Australia in 2017, bringing an end to the nation's car manufacturing sector.
Around 2,500 Toyota workers will lose their jobs, while the loss of the wider automotive industry will put tens of thousands more jobs at risk.
Toyota Australia president and CEO Max Yasuda, and Toyota Motor Corporation president and CEO Akio Toyoda, broke the news to employees at the company's Altona plant this afternoon.
"To now have to break the news.. to the many people who have supported our production for many years is most regretful for Toyota and for me personally simply heartbreaking," Mr Toyoda said.
The world's biggest carmarker blamed the high Australian dollar, high costs, and free trade agreements for the decision to close down.
Unions have warned the decision could plunge south-east Australia into a recession, but PM Tony Abbott says "better days will come".
Topics: manufacturing, industry, australia
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced a royal commission into union governance and corruption to "shine a spotlight into the dark corners" of the movement.
During the election the Coalition promised a judicial inquiry into the union movement, following allegations of corruption and links to criminal gangs.
Today Mr Abbott announced that the commission would be led by former High Court Justice Dyson Hayden, with "broad" terms of reference.
"This Royal Commission is designed to shine a great, big spotlight into the dark corners of our community to ensure that honest workers and honest businesses get a fair go," Mr Abbott said.
"Honest workers and honest unionists should not be ripped off by corrupt officials and honest businesses should be able to go about their work without fear of intimidation, corruption (and) standover tactics."
Topics: royal-commissions, unions, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, australia
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The Prime Minister has declared he wants to make Australia the "affordable energy capital" of the world and says the system of promoting renewable energy is pushing up power prices.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, business-economics-and-finance, environment, alternative-energy, government-and-politics, federal-government, climate-change, emissions-trading, australia, ipswich-4305
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Tony Abbott says union leader Paul Howes has delivered a "powerful assault" on federal Labor's campaign over industrial relations.
Topics: unions, government-and-politics, federal-government, bill-shorten, abbott-tony, australia
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The Federal Government is considering bringing forward a new system of drought relief assistance for farmers.
Topics: drought, disasters-and-accidents, government-and-politics, business-economics-and-finance, federal-government, qld, nsw, australia
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused the ABC of finding "sorry" the hardest word to say but has refrained from adding his voice to calls from senior ministers for the broadcaster to apologise over its coverage of abuse allegations by asylum seekers.
Topics: broadcasting, information-and-communication, refugees, community-and-society, foreign-affairs, federal-government, government-and-politics
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Federal Liberal backbencher Sharman Stone is increasing pressure on her Coalition colleagues over a decision not to give taxpayer support to the troubled fruit processor SPC Ardmona, stating in an email that orchardists are committing and attempting suicide.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony, liberals, suicide, fruit, rural, shepparton-3630, vic, australia
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Former PMs Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard have been asked to provide documents to the royal commission investigating the former Labor government's troubled home insulation scheme.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, alp, australia
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The Federal Government's plan to make state schools "hum" by becoming independent is attacked by the education union.
Topics: education, secondary-schools, public-schools, primary-schools, federal-government, government-and-politics, schools, australia
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott joined forces with Deborra-Lee Furness and her husband Hugh Jackman to make it easier to adopt children both locally and overseas within a year.
Topics: community-and-society, family-and-children, government-and-politics, adoption, federal-government, australia
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Tony Abbott signals his signature multi-billion-dollar paid parental leave scheme may face changes.
Topics: government-and-politics, world-politics, social-policy, federal-government, abbott-tony, work, welfare, australia
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott says many Holden workers will be "liberated" by the loss of their jobs at the carmaker.
Mr Abbott has announced plans for a $100 million fund to help create jobs in the states affected by the closure of Holden in Australia.
The Labor Government in South Australia has already slammed the package as "pathetic" and "insulting", and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has accused the PM of treating workers with "absolute contempt".
Holden's decision will put 2,900 people out of work - 1,600 from the manufacturing plant in South Australia and 1,300 in Victoria.
Mr Abbott has conceded that some workers will have difficulty finding new jobs.
"Some of them will find it difficult, but many of them will probably be liberated to pursue new opportunities and to get on with their lives," he said.
Topics: automotive, industry, business-economics-and-finance, federal-government, melbourne-3000, adelaide-5000, vic, sa
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The Federal Government has promised to deliver the National Disability Insurance Scheme "in full", but says it will not be delivered with a "blank cheque".
Concerns about the future of the multi-billion dollar scheme have been triggered by yesterday's budget update, which painted a dire picture of the economy.
The Labor government committed $14.3 billion to the scheme over seven years in the 2012-13 budget, but Treasurer Joe Hockey has signalled changes to the rollout of the scheme.
"We are determined to deliver the NDIS but it has to be affordable," he told AM.
Labor's Disability Reform spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says the Government must rule out changes like limiting the level of support or slowing the rollout.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, budget, disabilities, australia
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The Abbott Government's first budget statement has revealed an economy in dire trouble with historically deep deficits, more people out of work, slower wage growth and massive revenue write-downs.
Treasurer Joe Hockey has unveiled the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, warning that wasteful spending will have to be "eliminated" but that Australians will also wear some hip-pocket pain.
"Much of the projected growth in spending is from social programs, including welfare, education and health," Mr Hockey said in his speech at the National Press Club.
"Spending reform will inevitably require difficult choices about the policies that Australians need now and in the years to come.
The Opposition says the Government has painted the bleakest picture possible, in a "cheap trick" to justify widespread cuts in the May Budget.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, budget, business-economics-and-finance, australia
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott has warned the Government will have to introduce "serious policy change" to break a decade run of deficits.
Treasurer Joe Hockey will today unveil the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which is expected to reveal a deficit of close to $50 billion this financial year and more than $120 billion over the forward estimates.
The Government says that if left unchecked, the current economic settings will spur deficit budgets for the next 10 years.
Mr Abbott says the figures released today will trigger an acceleration of the Coalition's budget "repair job" and show "the full extent of Labor's debt and deficit disaster".
But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Government should cut its own wasteful spending, rather than blame Labor.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, budget, australia
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The Abbott Government has reversed its decision on around $1 billion in road funding, announcing that it will proceed with the projects the day before a budget update is expected to show this year's deficit will blow out to nearly $50 billion.
The latest budget figures and revenue forecasts will be unveiled in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) tomorrow.
The dire budget talk comes as the Coalition marks its first 100 days in office, with some frustration at its inability to have key laws passed by the Senate.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has already blamed "Labor's profligacy" for the deficit.
But Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen says the state of the budget is the Coalition's responsibility.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, budget, business-economics-and-finance, australia
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