Turnbull lashes banks over 'troubling incidents'
James Massola, Sarah Danckert, Clancy Yeates 8:22 PM Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has directly rebuked Australia's banks, declaring their have been "too many troubling incidents over recent times" at Australia's financial institutions and reminding them of the social licence they have to operate.
Latest political news
Battlelines at the ready for Abbott's pedal
Michael Koziol 7:55 PM Residents of Caragabal say no prime minister - sitting or former - has ever passed through their sleepy town. So when one finally trundled through on Wednesday, it was a good thing he came bearing gifts.
HECS bombshell paves way for major reform
Matthew Knott 3:19 PM The annual cost of the student loans program is expected to blow out by a staggering 560 per cent over the next decade, according to a damning new report by the federal government's independent budget watchdog.
Land rights deal 'too late' for many owners
Michael Gordon 7:22 PM The big regret when one of the country's longest-running and hard-fought Aboriginal land claims moved close to settlement on Wednesday was that so many of the owners had not lived witness history being made.
Two children remain in immigration detention
Nicole Hasham 1:02 PM Two children remain behind wire in Australian detention centres, despite Immigration Minister Peter Dutton claiming that freeing them all was one of his government's "most significant achievements".
Expectant mums given reprieve on PPL cuts
Judith Ireland 9:08 PM Social Services Minister Christian Porter has conceded that the government will not be able to pass cuts to paid parental leave before the federal election, granting a reprieve to mums expecting babies after July 1.
Turnbull lashes banks over 'troubling incidents'
James Massola, Sarah Danckert, Clancy Yeates 8:22 PM Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has directly rebuked Australia's banks, declaring their have been "too many troubling incidents over recent times" at Australia's financial institutions and reminding them of the social licence they have to operate.
Accused killer gone a week before police told
Michael Gordon 6:01 PM The police commander on Manus Island has revealed that he was not informed for seven days that one of the men accused of killing asylum seeker Reza Barati had escaped from prison.
Get ready to get sick of these two faces
James Massola 11:39 AM They're set to be the faces of the election campaign, and you're probably going to get sick of them very quickly.
Pyne refuses to let protesters drown him out
Stephanie Peatling 11:09 AM No one interrupts Christopher Pyne while he is speaking. No one.
Bishop staff on list of Mackellar preselectors
Heath Aston 10:54 AM Bronwyn Bishop has a headstart in her quest to remain the Liberal Party candidate for Mackellar after four of her own staff members were granted a vote in the crucial preselection run-off for the blue ribbon seat.
Comment & Analysis
We will face consequences of education gap
Matt Wade As the ups and downs of the mining boom stole the headlines Australia was experiencing a less celebrated economic transformation: a know-how boom.
ABC personalities must tune out left-wing bias
Jonathan Holmes ABC management has failed to recognise a clear problem among some capital city presenters.
Abbott's harmful legacy lives on
Peter Hartcher Together with his footsoldiers in politics and the media, Tony Abbott has succeeded in muddying the public's understanding of climate change.
Turnbull has the right idea on state reform
Peter Reith Late on Friday, I thought that Turnbull's two-day wonder on income tax reform for the states had gone down in flames. But a day can be a long time in politics.
How to fund a bigger and better Australia
Nicholas Reece The PM’s latest ‘Big Idea’ may have died, but the problem of paying for our schools and hospitals is still very much alive.
We should be told how our judges are chosen
George Williams US Supreme Court appointments are infected with the bitter partisanship that pervades US politics while Chief Justice Robert French's impending departure has excited barely a murmur.
We shouldn't play politics with infrastructure
Marion Terrill Voters should think twice before accepting politicians' promises of a transport infrastructure bonanza, especially before spending plans can be independently evaluated.
Dramatic change needed for our kids
Eric Jamieson Australia has to shift to a student-centric approach, rather than one that is teacher centric.
PM gets lesson in complexities of federation
Mark Kenny "Utter humiliation" was how a Labor insider described Malcolm Turnbull's stunning repudiation at Friday's Council of Australian Governments meeting.
Deja vu as PM's style mirrors king of chaos
Peter Hartcher There are striking similarities emerging between the prime-ministerial ways of Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd, according to a Labor campaign veteran.
Time for new conversation on asylum seekers
Michael Gordon Will this be a fleeting, aberrant positive moment in the overwhelmingly bleak story of Australia's treatment of those who seek protection by coming on boats without an invitation?
Malcolm Turnbull's challenge: be like Mike
Sean Nicholls As NSW Premier Mike Baird's experience so clearly demonstrates, sometimes the most difficult decisions are easiest to make in a crisis.
Why Australia lies about its Indigenous history
Waleed Aly Debate about Aboriginal history in Australia always descends into hysteria because it bruises our misplaced national pride.
Turnbull's most foolish investment decision
Jessica Irvine It's fair to say Malcolm Turnbull knows a thing or two about making a buck.
Why you don't need health insurance
Marcus Strom Every year people rail against private health insurance companies hiking up their premiums. Not me - I couldn't care less.
Why the states should charge income tax
Peter Martin Face reality: we can’t vote for better schools and hospitals in state elections and lowers taxes in federal elections and expect to get both.
Grassroots efforts beat big boys
Elizabeth Farrelly Four green shoots that have broken through the deadening layer of Abbott-spewed ash.
Is it just too hard to be PM in 2016?
Dom Knight There may never have been a more exciting time to be prime minister but it's probably never been this difficult to govern.
Why are Australians so gloomy about future?
Matt Wade Snap out of it Australia. Despite our wealth, health and good weather an international survey has revealed consumers here are among the gloomiest in Asia. And it's been that way for most of this decade.
The NBN is already out of date
Laurie Patton Australia has fallen to 60th in global Internet speed rankings. If we fell to 60th in the Olympics medal tally there'd be a national outcry. Just a few years ago we were 30th in terms of average peak Internet speed, which is the key measurement of broadband performance.
Where are all the women scientists?
Emma Johnston Malcolm Turnbull, our innovation Prime Minister, says there's never been a more exciting time to be an Australian but I'm only half convinced. The bright light shining on this new innovation age is not illuminating many women.
Special features
Get ready to get sick of these two faces
James Massola They're the faces of the election campaign for the two major parties, and you're probably going to get sick of them very quickly.
PM struggles against his own benchmark
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull remains the Coalition's best electoral asset but the prospect of a seven-week campaign would be enough to worry any strategist.
Australia will face the consequences of its education gap
As the ups and downs of the mining boom stole the headlines Australia was experiencing a less celebrated economic transformation: a know-how boom.
ABC radio personalities need to tune out their left-wing bias
ABC management has failed to recognise a clear problem among some capital city presenters.
Abbott's harmful legacy lives on in climate silence
Together with his footsoldiers in politics and the media, Tony Abbott has succeeded in muddying the public's understanding of climate change.
Dodgy unions are not our worst corruption problem
Australia is no longer viewed as one of the least dishonest countries in the world.
Turnbull has the right idea on state reform
Late on Friday, I thought that Turnbull's two-day wonder on income tax reform for the states had gone down in flames. But a day can be a long time in politics.
Barnaby v Tony: the battle for New England
It will be one of the most intriguing contests of the coming election: Barnaby Joyce v Tony Windsor in the battle for New England.
If Turnbull could turn back time
Will the Prime Minister, like Kevin Rudd before him, come to wish he'd called an early election?
PM gets lesson in complexities of federation
"Utter humiliation" was how a Labor insider described Malcolm Turnbull's stunning repudiation at Friday's Council of Australian Governments meeting.
Victorian premier stands out in COAG conga line
An unlikely star emerged on the COAG stage on Friday.
Deja vu as PM's style mirrors king of chaos
There are striking similarities emerging between the prime-ministerial ways of Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd, according to a Labor campaign veteran.
Dangerous idea could be dead on arrival
Analysis Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, accused not so long ago of being a ditherer, has launched a one man Festival of Dangerous Ideas this week.
Children and porn's inescapable world
Just as pornography is only a few clicks away for adults on the internet - so it is for children.
Time for new asylum seeker conversation
Will this be a fleeting, aberrant positive moment in the overwhelmingly bleak story of Australia's treatment of those who seek protection by coming on boats without an invitation? Or will it be a tipping point?
Malcolm Turnbull's challenge: be like Mike
As NSW Premier Mike Baird's experience so clearly demonstrates, sometimes the most difficult decisions are easiest to make in a crisis.
