Political Opinion
No, PM, we don't have the answer
Michael Gordon No, Prime Minister, the Australian experience does not offer anything remotely useful to countries dealing with the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.
Jumping off the hamster wheel
Peter Hartcher Not all politicians think in sound bites as the latest crop of books by Labor and Liberal MPs show.
Rough edges to be knocked off laws
David Wroe Friday's parliamentary report on planned citizenship laws is carefully crafted to ensure the laws are more carefully aimed at the right people: foreign fighters and actual convicted terrorists back home.
Free Trade plan won't lead to jobs growth
Paul Malone 10:30 PM The China Australia Free Trade Agreement will generate increased revenue for primary producers but will do little for jobs growth
Dutton media attack a reminder of Gillard era
Matthew Knott A government flailing in the polls, struggling to explain a policy agenda and beset by internal instability. A senior minister emerges from the wreckage to accuse the media of bias. I say "deja", you say "vu".
A jihad, Mr Dutton? Hand us the confession
Tony Wright Peter Dutton, you may have noticed, has accused Fairfax Media of conducting a jihad against the current regime. We hastily confess to knowledge that jihad is being waged. Who wouldn't?
Comment
How to give yourself the kiss of life
Damien Murphy Papyrus-faced Dyson Heydon rarely looks a hale fellow but his usual taut self seemed slightly tighter when he entered his own bench to deliver judgment on Monday.
Heydon shows why judges really are a breed apart
Mark Kenny Heydon may well be completely unbiased. But self-evidently, many people do not think so.
Heydon finds 'fatal' flaw in unions' argument
Michaela Whitbourn Dyson Heydon, renowned jurist, black-letter lawyer, was never going to resign his post as head of the Trade Unions Royal Commission without putting the unions' barristers through their paces.
Tony Abbott to sack ministers for backgrounding? Not bloody likely!
Mark Kenny The call from a respected senior Liberal, Arthur Sinodinos, ostensibly for Tony Abbott to sack cabinet ministers for backgrounding against Joe Hockey and Abbott himself, is striking, as far as it goes. But let's be honest, it is not going nowhere.
Farewell Joe, hello ScoMo? Testing Abbott's loyalty
James Massola Analysis: Tony Abbott is famed for his personal loyalty, but it might yet cost him dearly politically.
Border Force: preserving freedom doesn't sit with governments
Tim Wilson Plans for a paramilitary-style operation in Melbourne's CBD were always going to lead to overreach, argues Tim Wilson.
Ignoring the end-of-budget-year splurge
Markus Mannheim What will it take to convince a government to scratch the surface of this problem?
Border Force Fortitude fiasco surely a feint
Tony Wright It was a cunning smokescreen. Had to be. Why else would the high command of the feared and fabulously coutured Border Force come up with something called Operation Fortitude?
Australia lagging behind in climate action
Paul Malone The evidence that climate change is occurring is clear and Australia needs to act
Federal politics quiz: The week ending August 28
Fergus Hunter 10 questions, 10 chances to prove yourself.
Passing judgment on Dyson Heydon
Jack Waterford Dyson Heydon is the wrong man for the royal commission on unions. The fact that he cannot see that is part of the problem.
Political trajectories aren't quite as random as Andrew Leigh suggests
John Wanna Readers will enjoy his latest book, though some of its tales are a tad too tall.
Sound industrial relations advice always upsets the zealots
Paddy Gourley The commission's final report must give the government's APS bargaining policy the rubbishing it deserves.
States and territories must lead federalism reform as the distracted Commonwealth dithers
Stephen Bartos Abbott's lack of leadership might not be fatal to this crucial process.
The gradual darkening of hard-won transparency
Richard Mulgan FOI needs a strong independent advocate. Powerful enemies are circling.
Abbott should be judged on quality, not quantity
John Warhurst The Abbott government has passed fewer bills than any government of the past 50 years. But does that mean anything?
Five things that need to happen before Australia becomes a republic
Stephanie Peatling The Australian Republic Movement is starting to get active again. But does anyone care?
Simple graph explains why politicians are struggling to revive economies
Gareth Hutchens There's a joke among economists that whenever you hear someone talking about a recession or stock market crash and they say "this time is different" then you know they don't know what they're talking about.
How PM's media strategy has 'all gone horribly wrong'
Matthew Knott As Tony Abbott's cabinet was sworn in he was in a pensive mood.
Leaders in waiting keep powder dry
Peter Hartcher With storm clouds gathering over his leadership, only one man can save Prime Minister Tony Abbott now.
This is a First-World country, Mr Morrison
Judith Ireland The lack of outrage is a fascinating insight into the fact that when you're up in politics, you're really up.
Abbott shouldn't campaign on jobs and growth
Paul Malone It will take some convincing for the public to take a favourable view Tony Abbott's economic management.
Spare PM and save a satirist
John Birmingham Think of me and all the jokes I don't have to spend much time working on every day, as Toned Abs does the heavy lifting of bumbling foolishness and cartoon villainy.
