The rumours at the heart of Abbott's downfall
Latika Bourke 1:59 AM Tony Abbott was warned that the perception that he was having an affair with his chief of staff Peta Credlin was destroying his prime ministership, a new book claims.
Latest political news
Turnbull warns Abbott: I'll correct record
Mark Kenny Malcolm Turnbull has publicly warned Tony Abbott that he will not hesitate to correct the record if false statements are made regarding government policy, in a sign that the frosty relationship between victor and vanquished is deteriorating.
Gay refugees on Nauru 'prisoners'
Nicole Hasham 8:03 AM Two gay refugees who fell in love at the Nauru detention camp say they are virtually prisoners in their home: holed up in fear for their lives after being bashed and verbally abused in a nation where homosexuality is illegal.
IMF chief warns of demographic timebomb
Gareth Hutchens 7:15 AM According to the International Monetary Fund, older workers will have to retire much later in the future to help pay for rapidly rising pension costs.
'As PM, I set the record straight'
Michael Koziol Malcolm Turnbull has moved to correct Tony Abbott on claims Australia's replacement submarines have been delayed under the new PM's leadership.
France, Germany say they could deliver early
David Wroe Two of the countries bidding to help build Australia's next submarine fleet, France and Germany, say they can deliver the first boat sooner than the early-2030s timeline set by Defence.
Australia to consider four-country push
David Wroe Australia will consider a renewed push to establish an informal naval coalition with the United States, Japan and India that would stoke fears in Beijing of a "containment" strategy.
Shorten shows he can take shine off Coalition
Judith Ireland Bill Shorten has looked better as Malcolm Turnbull has stumbled.
Indigenous representation to double
Anne Davies It is now time for me to step up to the plate and have a go at trying to influence those same conversations, debates and public policies from the inside, Professor Dodson said.
'Australia out of step on gay rights'
Judith Ireland A prominent US politician has lashed Australia's stance on gay rights as "increasingly" behind the rest of the developed world as Sydney prepares to celebrate the gay and lesbian Mardis Gras on Saturday.
Comment & Analysis
Abbott frolic can only end badly
Mark Kenny It seems a ridiculous tag to apply to a government with a prime minister three times more popular than his opponent and with his party still ahead in the polls.
No happy ending as Abbott unleashes
Peter Hartcher 5:09 AM Malcolm Turnbull's 'new politics' offered hope to the end of the nation's revolving door leadership and cycle of revenge, but he can't do it alone.
From little things, big things grow
Tony Wright 12:15 AM Paddy Dodson might have been just another scared kid on his first night at boarding school ... if he hadn't been black.
The functionary and the visionary
Martin Flanagan 12:15 AM He's one of the great Australians of our age and he is entering Federal Parliament.
Shorten shows he can take shine off Coalition
Judith Ireland Bill Shorten has looked better as Malcolm Turnbull has stumbled.
There's an easy way to boost GDP
Anne Summers With all the talk about tax reform coming out of Canberra at the moment, you might be beguiled into thinking that is the only policy instrument available for increasing economic growth.
The slow-motion death of conservative politics
Waleed Aly The disruption wreaked by Tony Abbott is an echo of the disruption that besets conservative parties worldwide.
Herding cats: Turnbull's leadership challenge
Mark Kenny The Prime Minister has a party room that is sleep-walking into disarray just months before an election.
Senate reforms: shutting down a voting rort
Tim Colebatch The changes strip power from party bosses and hand it back to voters. What’s not to like?
Breathtaking breach of basic responsibility
David Wroe Tony Abbott has already denied being the source of the leaked sections of the defence white paper. The journalist who received the leak, a friend of Abbott's, has also denied it came from the former PM.
Would anybody mind if trade deal fell over?
Peter Martin I have a sneaky suspicion Malcolm Turnbull thinks the TPP is a dud deal for Australia
We're failing the modern, female workforce
Robbie Campo In modern Australia, our daughters and sons start their working lives on an even footing – well-educated and evenly matched in their expectation of what the workforce and life has to offer.
Doctors share the blame for a sick budget
Ross Gittins Advances in automation have made subsidies for many health services unnecessary, but taking steps to remove them leads to outrage.
Tide turning in euthanasia debate
Peter Singer More jurisdictions around the world are allowing doctors to help terminally ill patients die.
In modern workplace, age 50 is considered old
Jenny Brice Ageism at work is rife, but fear is stopping people from talking about it openly.
Young people getting a raw deal on pensions
Simon Cowan With the political power of the baby boomer generation growing, it is easy to see a future where workers contribute a greater percentage of their wages to fund other people's retirement than to their own.
Yet another Defence White Paper that fails
Hugh White Like so many defence plans before it, the latest one leaves us drifting without a coherent response to China’s bid for regional leadership.
Australia shows its hand to China
Peter Hartcher Australia, through Malcolm Turnbull's white paper, is saying that it will step up.
Nauru and Manus Island our Guantanamo Bay
David Isaacs The comparison between Nauru and Manus Island, and Guantanamo Bay is fully justified.
With friends like Malcolm, equality is far away
Tim Dick What is the point of a gay-friendly prime minister if he can't slap down those keen on perpetuating teenage hate, angst and suicide?
Below the line voting needs reform too
George Williams In a democracy, voters should determine who is elected to Parliament. The Senate electoral system fails this test. Design flaws mean that people can elect candidates they do not support.
Special features
Abbott frolic can only end badly
It seems a ridiculous tag to apply to a government with a prime minister three times more popular than his opponent and with his party still ahead in the polls.
No happy ending as Abbott unleashes
Malcolm Turnbull's 'new politics' offered hope to the end of the nation's revolving door leadership and cycle of revenge, but he can't do it alone.
Would Labor smash house prices?
How will Labor's proposed tax reforms affect house prices and the economy?
From little things, big things grow
Paddy Dodson might have been just another scared kid on his first night at boarding school ... if he hadn't been black.
The functionary and the visionary
He's one of the great Australians of our age and he is entering Federal Parliament.
Federal politics: the top ten stories
The big political stories of the week as they unfolded - told in just more than one minute.
Shorten shows he can take shine off Coalition
Judith Ireland Bill Shorten has looked better as Malcolm Turnbull has stumbled.
Sketch: Submarines leak for Australia
If the actual submarines leak, and have been doing so for years, why wouldn't the plans to get new ones in the water leak?
There's an easy way to boost GDP
With all the talk about tax reform coming out of Canberra at the moment, you might be beguiled into thinking that is the only policy instrument available for increasing economic growth.
Rudd v Abbott: Who destabilised it better?
Destabilisation, leaks, leader against ex leader, awkward photos and calls for unity. No, not the Gillard government circa 2012 but the Turnbull government today.
The slow-motion death of conservative politics
The disruption wreaked by Tony Abbott is an echo of the disruption that besets conservative parties worldwide.
Herding cats: Turnbull's leadership challenge
The Prime Minister has a party room that is sleep-walking into disarray just months before an election.
Senate: shutting down a voting rort
The changes strip power from party bosses and hand it back to voters. What’s not to like?
Patrick Dodson: 'A brave man going into a white man's world'
Patrick Dodson tells the story of his grandfather Paddy Djiagween, who met the Queen in Broome in 1963 and asked "'Why can't we have the same rights as the white man?"
Breathtaking breach of basic responsibility
Tony Abbott has already denied being the source of the leaked sections of the defence white paper. The journalist who received the leak, a friend of Abbott's, has also denied it came from the former prime minister.
Would anybody mind if the trade deal fell over?
I have a sneaky suspicion Malcolm Turnbull thinks the TPP is a dud deal for Australia
We're failing modern, female workforce
In modern Australia, our daughters and sons start their working lives on an even footing – well-educated and evenly matched in their expectation of what the workforce and life has to offer.
