Political news
Chinese mega dairy plans to import workers
Gina McColl 12:15 AM Senior federal opposition and union figures have condemned new evidence a Chinese-owned dairy planned to import workers to help run its controversial Gippsland dairy operations.
PM delivers boost for important men's business
Adam Gartrell 12:15 AM Government believes shed program boosts mental and physical wellbeing of men, especially those in rural and remote areas.
The cuddly side of Border Force
Adam Gartrell 12:15 AM The Australian Border Force is spending $15,000 on plush puppies to show it has a soft and cuddly side.
Abbott unmoved by Liberal calls for more Syria refugee help
Adam Gartrell 5:39 PM Prime Minister Tony Abbott appears to have shut the door on an increase in Australia's intake of Syrian refugees even as his cabinet moves closer to approving air strikes on the strife-torn nation.
Twin Peaks. Why our economy is no longer riding high
Peter Martin 9:00 PM The Twin Peaks that reveal why Australia's economy is struggling.
Call on Syria strikes soon
Adam Gartrell 12:15 AM Prime Minister Tony Abbott says cabinet will make its final decision on whether to extend Australian air strikes into Syria in the coming days.
'Can we please do more?' Liberal MP's impassioned plea
Michael Gordon An impassioned plea from a Coalition MP appears to have prompted the Abbott government to consider taking more refugees from Syria as a response to the growing humanitarian crisis in Europe.
Humanitarian migrants have the worst income
Sarah Whyte Migrants who have been granted permanent humanitarian visas are the most entrepreneurial when compared with all permanent migrants in Australia but have the lowest income, new statistics reveal.
Meet the other Peter Dutton
Kate Aubusson An accidental internet filter if buffering the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton against a large chunk of his online naysayers. Its name is Peter Dutton.
Citizenship laws need to be narrowed: MPs
David Wroe Laws to strip dual national terrorists of their Australian citizenship are likely to be passed by Parliament within a fortnight after a bipartisan committee of MPs backed the legislation while urging significant changes.
Operation overkill – when the Border Force goes overboard
Nicole Hasham Last week's visa-check debacle in Melbourne, Operation Fortitude, has many questioning the motivation of the new Border Force whose actions left ordinary citizens feeling intimidated and unwelcome.
Push for science graduates could backfire
Matthew Knott Calls to boost the number of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) graduates are based largely on "hope and hype" and could leave many graduates jobless, according to a new report.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton hits back at New York Times over asylum seeker editorial
Kate Aubusson Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has hit back at the New York Times editorial that criticised Australia's treatment of asylum seekers, insisting the government's policies were lawful, safe and worked.
Gay-marriage referendum could erode federal powers
Mark Kenny A referendum on same-sex marriage could lead to a weakened Federal Parliament and even more ambiguity over the legal regulation of marriage, and a plebiscite would leave the matter in Parliament's court anyway, according to top-level legal advice.
Immigration knew of Nauru asbestos risk, emails show
Nicole Hasham Piles of burnt rubble riddled with asbestos lay around a prison at Nauru where scores of asylum seekers have been held and government contractors have worked, posing a "potentially serious" health risk, leaked emails show.
Abbott's asylum seeker policy misrepresented
Mark Kenny The New York Times has urged European leaders not to adopt the heartless Australian model of denying asylum seekers exercising the maritime option in their bid to escape war and seek a better, safer life.
Sidelined competition review's $3m in costs
Heath Aston The 550-page Harper review of competition laws, which Labor claims has been "punted off into the never never" due to divisions in the Abbott cabinet, cost $3 million in salaries and travel costs alone for the expert panel and 16 bureaucrats supporting them.
Rupert Murdoch calls for snap election in 'almost ungovernable' Australia
Liam Mannix The newspaper mogul tweets that Tony Abbott is still by 'far the best alternative' for a 'beautiful country ... with large problems'.
New York Times attacks Prime Minister Tony Abbott over 'stop the boats' policy
Nicole Hasham The New York Times has launched a blistering attack on the Abbott government's asylum seeker policies, urging European leaders not to follow suit.
NDIS board members ousted in 'midnight ambush'
Sarah Whyte Board members on the National Disability Insurance Scheme were given a "midnight ambush" when their jobs were advertised in a national paper before they were told, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says.
Energy emissions rebound, led by power sector
Peter Hannam Australia's greenhouse gas emissions from energy use jumped by almost 10 million tonnes in the first year after the end of the carbon price, making it harder for the Abbott government to meet its goals of reducing carbon pollution.
Why we need the $A to be US60c
Peter Martin The Australian dollar has dipped below 70 US cents twice in the last two days. Next time, it's set to stay below 70 and keep falling.
Bipartisan backing for stripping of citizenship
David Wroe Laws to strip dual national terrorists of their Australian citizenship are a big step closer with a bipartisan committee of MPs calling for the bill to be passed, though with significant changes.
Federal politics quiz: The week ending September 4
Fergus Hunter Ten questions, 10 chances to prove yourself.
'Tragic' picture a reminder of need to stop boats: Abbott
Matthew Knott Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the "very sad" images of a Syrian boy lying lifeless on a Turkish beach demonstrate the need for countries to adopt tough policies.
Abbott shipping changes will sink 1000 jobs: research
Heath Aston More than nine in ten domestic seafarers will lose their jobs if the Abbott government's plan to relax shipping regulations passes Parliament, research suggests.
Nazi reference reveals PM's recklessness
Mark Kenny Tony Abbott never uses the words, Islamic State, or IS, or ISIS, or ISIL.
China free trade deal a dud: Shorten
Mark Kenny Bill Shorten has moved to put the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement at centre-stage of the Canning byelection campaign while brushing off claims he is becoming politically isolated as a slew of Labor premiers and other senior figures back the plan.
Border Force: NSW Police Commissioner's doubts over replicating Operation Fortitude
Nick Ralston NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says he would need a "heck of a lot of convincing" before he would ever consider an Operation Fortitude-like visa crackdown on the streets of Sydney.
