Carbon tax is gone: repeal bills pass the Senate
LISA COX 1:43pm The Abbott government says it has not left Australia's environmental policy in limbo with the repeal of the carbon tax and it will push ahead with "plan A" to convince the Senate to support its Direct Action policy.
- Analysis: Abbott battles the future on climate change by axing carbon tax
- Analysis: Back to 'ground zero' with carbon tax repeal
- Carbon price helped curb emissions, ANU study finds
- The Pulse Live: Judith Ireland blogs live
- Business uncertain whether carbon price repeal will lead to falls in prices
- World's media respond to carbon tax repeal
Latest political news
Senate blows $3.5b hole in asset plan
MATTHEW KNOTT 6:31pm One of the centrepieces of the Abbott government's budget – a new $6 billion fund to encourage state governments to privatise their assets – was gutted by 60 per cent by the Senate.
Credlin pledges to help Coalition women
JAMES MASSOLA 4:56pm The Prime Minister's chief of staff Peta Credlin has promised to help Coalition women rise through the ranks of conservative politics and into public life, while dismissing the idea of female quotas.
PM defends laws that would jail journalists
DAVID WROE 3:07pm Prime Minister Tony Abbott has urged journalists not to report on national security matters that could endanger the country as he defended laws that would criminalise disclosure of certain ASIO operations.
MPs have to 'stop drinking Canberra Kool-Aid'
MATTHEW KNOTT 4:11pm Senators should be banned from serving as ministers, corporate donations should be outlawed and all perks should end when politicians leave office, according to outspoken Liberal Party senator Cory Bernardi.
Morcombes take Daniel's legacy to Canberra
Fergus Hunter 5:51pm Bruce and Denise Morcombe have asked federal politicians to support a national safety curriculum which they say will help prevent sex abuses like those perpetrated by the recently-jailed Rolf Harris.
Changes to NBN Senate committee deferred
MATTHEW KNOTT 5:32pm The Abbott government has again deferred a vote on a motion to dissolve the current NBN oversight committee.
Joe Hockey comments anger fellow Libs
Joe Hockey's threat to bypass the Senate with cuts outside Parliament has touched off a Labor scare campaign and sparked concerns over the Treasurer's judgment.
Asylum seekers in high-seas prison
MICHAEL GORDON More than 150 asylum seekers whose boat was intercepted near Christmas Island more than two weeks ago are being held behind locked doors on a customs ship.
Blocks 'could blow $12b hole' in deficit plan
GARETH HUTCHENS Senate set to give more money back to voters than government has tried to save through its budget cuts, a former Treasury official warns.
Donnelly's teacher denies punching students
TIMNA JACKS 4:12pm He may have resorted to the strap now and then, but Kevin Donnelly's PE teacher denies ever threatening to punch a student.
Donnelly co-chair rejects corporal punishment
MATTHEW KNOTT 12:21pm The co-chair of the Abbott government's national curriculum review has publicly disassociated himself from comments by his fellow co-chair, Kevin Donnelly, supporting corporal punishment in schools.
Lib Dem senator frustrated at Palmer party
GARETH HUTCHENS 1:17pm David Leyonhjelm says it's 'hard to figure out' the purpose of the obstruction, other than to cause the 'maximum amount of disruption'.
Telstra scores $200 million win over NBN Co
David Ramli 10:48am Taxpayers have been left holding the bill after NBN Co lost a $200 million case against Telstra in the NSW Supreme Court.
ASIO concerns grow over returned jihadists
DAVID WROE 9:31am The nation’s top spy has expressed concern about ‘‘tens’’ of former Australian jihadists who have already returned from fighting in the Middle East and who may now pose a terrorism threat at home.
Plain packagng sparks plunge in smoking
Harriet Alexander A dramatic decline in smoking rates has coincided with the introduction of plain packaging laws.
Assange loses court appeal in Sweden
Niklas Magnusson 10:45am WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lost a bid to cancel a Swedish detention order for alleged sexual assault as he fights to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he sought asylum two years ago.
Lib calls for GST rise, sale of Triple J
JAMES MASSOLA An incoming Liberal senator has set out a radical libertarian program in his maiden speech.
Kiwis fight for social service rights in Australia
DANIEL FLITTON Kiwis living in Australia are making a bold pitch to win a place in New Zealand’s Parliament - and from there to lobby for fairer access to social services and permanent residency rights in Australia.
Hospital visit for ill Senator Nick Xenophon
1:44am Independent senator Nick Xenophon released from hospital where he was taken for tests after feeling unwell at Parliament House.
Renewable energy industry grinds to a halt
PETER HANNAM Australia's investment in renewable energy all but dried up in the first half of 2014 amid uncertainty fuelled by the government's latest review of the mandatory target.
Fairfax defends Hockey articles
LOUISE HALL Fairfax Media says it was in the public interest to publish details about a fund-raising forum that offered access to Treasurer Joe Hockey in exchange for donations of thousands of dollars.
Anti-gay and anti-Islam activists team up
NOEL TOWELL One of Australia's highest-profile anti-gay activists has recruited one of the nation's busiest anti-Islam campaigners to help him get his job back as an Army Reserve officer.
Turnbull pushes ahead on media moves
Jake Mitchell Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is pushing ahead with media sector reform that could trigger mergers and acquisitions among the major players but aims to retain diversity in key markets.
Banks dividend bonanza could end
Australian soldier dies on Mt Cook
Carbon tax likely to survive another day
Australia 'may have breached' convention
Corporal punishment views slammed
Changes afoot for NBN Senate inquiry
Bishop: I never said 'stand up to China'
Palmer helps water down financial laws
Carbon tax strain taking toll on MPs
Lib-Labor agree to keep Qantas Australian
Super system may face a major changes
ATO compliance ability 'gutted'
Liberals to speak at hardline pro-life event
No interviews, five months after Manus death
'Double tragedy' for indigenous Australians
Spies, internet firms focus of security reforms
Seven months late to declare donations
Push for overhaul of domestic violence laws
Inquiry: Former CFMEU official called triple-0
Hockey criticises ASIC over CBA scandal
Government set to push data retention laws
Action required on high superannuation fees
Support for gay marriage at all-time high
Madigan slams Palmer for treatment of staff
Foreign-made army boots under scruitiny
Senate blocks uni funding cuts
PM's rooms get $51,500 spruce-up
Fewer ATO jobs may cost $1b in revenue
Warning on restriction of childcare funding
Comment & Analysis
Lamb to slaughter of carbon tax
PETER MARTIN Opinion The good news is that without the carbon tax you won’t be paying $100 for a Sunday roast. But you never did.
Praise of Japanese submariners too far
Julie Szego 12:15am The Prime Minister's comments about Japan's submariners virtually prostituted our history for his own geo-political ends.
Using violence sends a very poor message
Ross Tarlinton 12:15am For many years, I have listened to arguments both "for" and "against" the place of corporal punishment in schools.
Big puzzle of Palmer's backflip
JOHN COLLETT For all his huffing and puffing about protecting the little people, Palmer has traded his support for practically nothing in return.
Carbon tax a blip in power price scandal
ROSS GITTINS Prime Minister Tony Abbott is right about one thing: the price of electricity has shot up and is now a lot higher than it should be. It's a scandal, in fact.
Pomp and flattery a Australian celebrates
Jonathan Holmes An academic study explores the broadsheet’s new role as a vitriolic attack dog.
Cormann can't escape conflicts
ADELE FERGUSON The Murray inquiry found conflicted remuneration structures "undermine" the ability of customers to get quality advice.
Murray's independence shines through
ELIZABETH KNIGHT David Murray's assignment appears to have been more coloured by improving the operation of the system from the perspective of the consumer and the community rather than a desire to maintain the status quo.
Special features
Labor 'disgraceful' big business 'pathetic': Milne
The Greens Leader says she is "personally devastated" by the repeal of the carbon tax.
Battle lines drawn
Mark Kenny The imaginary banner behind Tony Abbott might have read ''Emission accomplished!'' such was his obvious delight as he strode to the lectern on Thursday.
Passions run deep in face of carbon repeal
Chris Johnson The death of the carbon tax may well have been an inevitability, but it took the new Senate its entire first sitting fortnight to finally vote it down.
Abbott battles the future by axing carbon tax
Tom Arup Australia is in a climate coma. The bitter five-year political tussle over carbon pricing has left us numb and weary of the debate.
PM leads cheers for Murdoch 'gift'
Tony Wright Every Australian political leader since Black Jack McEwen and John Gorton has cosied up to Rupert Murdoch – or tried to – but none has done it quite so publicly or effusively as Tony Abbott.
The Hazaras of Dandenong
Laurie Nowell Melbourne's south-east has become home to a thriving community of Hazaras, enjoying a haven from violent persecution in their homelands. But life for these new migrants still has many challenges.
Gallipoli relics show humour and courage
Nick Miller London: In a corner of a foreign museum there’s a 99-year-old army biscuit, tough as nails, a survivor of the conflict that helped forge Australia.
Battle of the scare campaign
Old scare campaigns about the Commission of Audit and the carbon tax were refreshed in question time on Wednesday.
Homophobia is never a joke: Wong
Labor Senator Penny Wong praises Ian Thorpe, and takes aim at football commentator Brian Taylor.
Does Clive Palmer have a women problem?
Jacqueline Maley Some of the habits of Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer has many asking if everyone’s favourite jolly billionaire has a women problem.
Beard growing champ praises Ricky Muir
The founder of the Australian Beard and Moustache club has praised newly sworn Senator Ricky Muir for refusing to shave off his much maligned goatee and bemoaned a lack of facial fuzz in Australian politics.
Who are the new Senators?
A who's who of the new Senators taking their seats in the 44th parliament.
How the Senate looks from July 1
Interactive The Coalition government will need the support of the Senate to pass its legislation. Who will hold the balance of power when the Senate changes from July 1?
How we share the refugee burden
Interactive More than 85 per cent of refugees are hosted in developing countries. Australia hosts 0.3 per cent of the 11.7 million refugees under the UNHCR's mandate.
Federal budget 2014: Interactive explorer
Explore the major data points of the 2014 federal budget and see how Joe Hockey’s first budget shapes up to his predecessors.
Investigating MPs' expenses
Fairfax Media has conducted an extensive investigation on MPs claiming expense entitlements. Read our coverage here.
Cartoon Gallery
Cartoon Gallery: Home of the best cartoons from our resident artists from the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times.
