Political news
Only 'honourable' politician: Ashby defends Brough
Lisa Cox 10:05 AM Former political staffer James Ashby has said the $200,000 Fairfax MP Clive Palmer claims he was asked for to help bankroll a case against Peter Slipper would have covered less than a fifth of his court costs.
Mystery asylum seeker boat 'pushed back by Australian navy' found
Jewel Topsfield, Karuni Rompies and Amilia Rosa 9:45 AM Sixteen asylum seekers whose boat was pushed back to sea by the Australian Navy last week were found stranded near West Kupang in Indonesia on Thursday night.
Turnbull government attacks Labor's 'mad' climate target announcement
9:28 AM Labor denies its new ambitious climate action policy will hinder business and the economy.
Discount for upfront uni fees faces axe
Matthew Knott 7:41 AM University students would no longer be eligible for a 10 per cent discount on their university fees if they pay upfront under legislation introduced into Parliament by the Turnbull government.
High Court move to extend enrolment window and unlock one million votes
Lisa Cox 7:40 AM Laws that prevent Australians from enrolling to vote in the weeks leading up to a federal election are set to be challenged in the High Court.
Water use down but Australian households paying more: ABS
Nicole Hasham 7:40 AM Australians are using less water but the average household water bill has jumped to $584 a year, the latest figures show, largely due to new drought-proofing measures such as desalination plants.
Turnbull rejects talk of Abbott-led insurgency
Mark Kenny 7:39 AM An upbeat Malcolm Turnbull has denied he is facing an insurgency led by Tony Abbott, expressed optimism about a new global climate deal in Paris, hinted that superannuation concessions used by the rich could be trimmed and again dismissed suggestions of ground troops in Iraq and Syria.
Labor to beef up climate fight with commitment to steeper emissions cuts
Mark Kenny 7:39 AM Bill Shorten will take significantly steeper emissions cuts to the 2016 election than the Turnbull government, ensuring climate change policy will once again be a key battleground issue for voters.
Brough should stand aside says Shorten
Latika Bourke, Matthew Knott 1:36 AM Mal Brough should stand aside while police investigate the James Ashby affair Labor Leader Bill Shorten has said, in an escalation of the opposition's pursuit of the Special Minister of State.
Australia, Jakarta likley to discuss 'root causes' of people smuggling
Gabrielle Dunlevy 9:11 PM Indonesia has promised "no finger pointing" at a regional meeting on asylum seekers, which Australia is expected to attend.
Senate sinks shipping bill that would entice $2 an hour crews
Heath Aston 7:53 PM The Senate has sunk government plans to open up Australia's port-to-port shipping industry to more foreign-flagged vessels – many of which are crewed by sailors paid as little as $2 an hour.
Capex slide puts budget forecasts in doubt
Peter Martin 7:46 PM Business investment is collapsing at a record pace as resource companies accelerate cutbacks.
Weatherill breaks ranks with conditional backing of 15% GST
Peter Martin 6:49 PM South Australia has broken ranks with other Labor states and come out in favour of a 15 per cent goods and services tax, with conditions.
Australia's uni-private sector relationship blasted in report
Matthew Knott 12:01 AM Australia's "piecemeal", "short-term" and "inadequate" approach to university and business collaboration has been blasted in a major report on Australian innovation.
Government announces mental health system overhaul but no extra funding
Jane Lee 5:22 PM Australia's mental health care system will be overhauled to provide more local services tailored to people's illnesses over the next three years, but may require significantly more funding to be completed.
Coalition rushing to pass Medicare safety net changes
Jane Lee 4:55 PM The Turnbull government is rushing to pass changes to the Medicare Safety net without releasing details on the extent of their impact on chronically ill patients.
Government unveils new five-tier terror alert system
Lisa Cox 2:57 PM Australia has a new five-tier terror alert system but the actual threat of an attack on home soil has not changed, the government said on Thursday.
Chaos in the Senate as government senators cross floor, others leave to avoid vote
Latika Bourke 2:18 PM There have been farcical scenes in the Senate with two government senators crossing the floor and others dashing out of the chamber.
Government leaves door open to royal commission on disability abuse
Judith Ireland and Rachel Browne The federal government has left the door open to holding a royal commission into the abuse of people with disabilities, in the wake of a damning parliamentary committee report into the issue.
Parliament House cleaners call strike for 'party week'
Heath Aston It's shaping as The Hangover: Canberra for partying politicians and their staff.
Fifth refugee transferred to Cambodia from Nauru under $55M agreement
Lindsay Murdoch Political divisions are dragging country Canberra says is a safe for refuges towards a "dangerous tipping point", UN warns.
End our isolation on human rights: Triggs
Michael Gordon The erosion of fundamental freedoms and overreach of ministerial discretion is leaving Australia increasingly isolated from international community standards, the president of the Human Rights Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs has warned.
Time to get real on reform plans: Turnbull
Mark Kenny Malcolm Turnbull has called on business and the states for a "new dialogue on economic reform" in pursuit of meaningful change based on a "full and genuine buy-in".
Diggers stalled as chaos deepens in Syria
David Wroe and Mark Kenny Three hundred Australian soldiers sent to help Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State were stalled for weeks due to Baghdad's visa bungling as international players enmeshed in the Syrian war clashed for the first time, risking a dangerous deterioration of the situation.
The Turnbull effect: ACTU polling shows spike in undecided voters
Michael Gordon The ACTU is recasting its political strategy after its own survey showed a 10 per cent jump in the number of union members are undecided about who they will support at next year's election.
Abbott, awarded his freedom, revives the shirtfront
Tony Wright Tony Abbott may have lost the prime ministership, but he'll never, it seems, lose his fondness for a spot of shirt-fronting.
Senate committee calls for royal commission into disability abuse
Judith Ireland A Senate committee has found a royal commission is needed into the abuse of people with disabilities, after a parliamentary inquiry heard "shocking" and "cruel" examples of violence and neglect around Australia.
Senator Chris Back dons firefighter uniform in Esperance tribute
West Australian Senator Chris Back has donned his old firefighter uniform to pay tribute to the victims of the Esperance bushfires and those who fought the deadly fires.
Private colleges threatened with deregistration
Matthew Knott Two private colleges - including one with transfer arrangements with six universities - have been threatened with deregistration by the federal watchdog for dodgy marketing practices, enrolling students without their knowledge and low-quality courses.
