Political news
Campaign against Abbott on hold
Adam Gartrell 6:04 AM Liberal MPs agree there's unlikely to be any move against Tony Abbott in this final fortnight of parliament before the federal budget.
Indonesian strongman weighs in on Bali duo
Adam Gartrell and Jewel Topsfield 9:15 PM Former Indonesian army general Prabowo Subianto says he supports the death penalty for drug kingpins but the approach to executions should be flexible.
Ten times politicians ate something weirder than Tony Abbott's raw onion
Brittany Ruppert 2:51 PM Forget Tony's brown onion. Here we list the 10 most horrifying, skin-crawling and downright bizarre eating controversies of the political world.
Indigenous leader urges Abbott to change course
Michael Gordon 9:15 PM 'Father of reconciliation' Patrick Dodson says Australia's relationship with Aboriginals is at the crossroads.
Jacqui Lambie's message for Glenn Lazarus
Georgina Mitchell 2:16 PM Clad in a hospital gown and perched on her sick bed, Jacqui Lambie appeared ill. But she had a thought to spare for the wounded pride of her former colleague.
Hockey rules out GST increase, but hospital budget hole remains
Esther Han 11:45 AM Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has ruled out an increase in the GST as a way to cover a $57 billion hospital funding shortfall required to achieve his surplus budget vision, but refused to identify other funding sources.
Dr Karl defend role in government videos, saying 'I'm no Liberal stooge'
Matthew Knott 11:06 AM The man chosen to spruik the Abbott government's Intergenerational Report in a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign – popular science broadcaster Karl Kruszelnicki – says the report is "not perfect" and he wishes it focused more on climate change.
Turnbull moves to relax media laws
Matthew Knott Prime Minister Tony Abbott is considering a proposal from Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to relax media ownership laws, a decision expected to trigger major media mergers if approved.
Tony Abbott eats a raw onion whole
The Prime Minister has once again left onlookers shocked, but for once it wasn't what was coming out of his mouth, rather what was going into it.
Tess Lazarus breaks her silence after sacking from Palmer United Party
Latika Bourke The wife of Senator Glenn Lazarus says her husband left the Palmer United Party because they disagreed with "bullying behaviour" but party leader Clive Palmer has denied bullying anyone.
We're not leaving, outstation residents tell Abbott
Michael Gordon "He's got a cheek, that Tony Abbott!" says Lillian Lawford, standing in front of the steel-framed house she shares with husband Keith in a tiny community called Red Soil deep in the Dampier Peninsula.
Import ban on African lion trophies
Lisa Cox Australians who hunt and kill lions in Africa will be stopped from bringing hunting trophies back into the country.
Abbott's diplomatic dance
Daniel Flitton Tony Abbott promised "more Jakarta, less Geneva" as his foreign policy slogan, but ironically, this week, the two far distant capitals and diplomatic traditions he meant for them to represent came crashing together.
Ex-jihadists could be used to counter extremist message
David Wroe Reformed jihadists who have been to the Middle East and returned home disillusioned could be used as poster boys and girls to combat the tidal wave of extremist propaganda on the internet.
ATO to let companies review tax info before it goes public
Nassim Khadem Australia's biggest companies will get the chance to review their tax information before it gets published in the public domain in December.
Clive Palmer's unilateral decision on Senate voting a flash point for Glenn Lazarus
Latika Bourke, James Massola A unilateral decision by Clive Palmer on how his party would vote in the Senate sparked a "big bust-up" in the Palmer United Party and led to Glenn Lazarus leaving the party.
Patients could be casualty of $57 billion hospital funding shortfall over next 10 years
Dan Harrison, Gareth Hutchens Patients could cop the brunt of a $57 billion hospital funding shortfall that lies behind the miraculous budget turnaround projected by Joe Hockey in the Intergenerational Report.
'Let's get together on Indigenous policy', Shorten to Abbott
Michael Gordon Bill Shorten has urged Tony Abbott to convene a meeting with Indigenous leaders to inject momentum into the push for Constitution recognition and consider new approaches to closing the gap in disadvantage.
Barnaby Joyce's department head sacked amid bad blood
Heath Aston The head of the federal Department of Agriculture, Paul Grimes, has been sacked after conceding his relationship with Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce was no longer one of trust.
Agriculture Department head Paul Grimes sacked after dispute with minister Barnaby Joyce
Markus Mannheim Barnaby Joyce and his secretary agreed that a 'relationship of strong mutual confidence' was not a realistic prospect.
Cabinet split over 'Asian bank' after UK's shock support
John Garnaut, Philip Wen A shock decision by the United Kingdom to support Beijing's plans for an ambitious new Asian bank has re-opened cabinet divisions about how best to work with rising Chinese power.
Abbott's cringe-tacular St Patrick's Day video
Patrick Begley Abbott "patronises" Irish with St Patrick's Day zingers.
Palmer United Party official claims Glenn Lazarus quit after wife Tess was sacked
Latika Bourke Senator Glenn Lazarus quit the Palmer United Party after his wife and chief of staff was fired, party boss Peter Burke claims.
Malcolm Turnbull spared leadership questions at Brisbane 'politics in the pub' event
Cameron Atfield The question of whether Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull will be Australia's next Prime Minister certainly does not seem to consume the good burghers of Bracken Ridge.
Australia's defence strategy outdated, with major defects: Lowy Institute expert
David Wroe Australia's defence planning is outdated and lacks coherence, relying on old notions of defending the continent from conventional military attack, one of the nation's top strategic thinkers says.
Cabinet ministers back away from Joe Hockey's super 'thought bubble'
James Massola Senior ministers in the Abbott government have distanced themselves from Treasurer Joe Hockey's suggestion young first home buyers be allowed to use some of their superannuation to purchase their first house.
United? In the Senate, misleading labelling is business as usual
Tony Wright It is close to the time, surely when the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will launch an investigation into the Palmer United Party on the grounds of misleading labelling.
Clive Palmer's one-word response to Glenn Lazarus resignation
Latika Bourke Glenn Lazarus broke up with the Palmer United Party. Clive Palmer had just one word to say.
