Latest political news
Testing times for both leaders
Michael Gordon 5:12 PM Marriage equality will be the first test of Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull's commitment to find common ground in the new parliament - but don't hold your breath on a joint approach.
'No, minister': Bureaucrats knocked back bonuses
Markus Mannheim 11:43 PM Performance payments for public servants have become a divisive issue in politics.
Stan Grant says treaty could end the torn allegiance
Matthew Raggatt 11:30 PM The Australian Constitution was revered, but a treaty acknowledging the nation's wrongs against Indigenous people could be also, the journalist said.
Boost to Turnbull as Coalition takes the lead in two more seats
Adam Gartrell The Coalition has taken the lead in two cliffhanger seats, boosting its chances of majority government.
Shroud of secrecy over politicians' perks document
Adam Gartrell Just how hard did our federal politicians fight to keep their generous parliamentary perks? We may never know for sure.
Turnbull must learn his lesson this time
Mark Kenny When the other side is using a sledgehammer on you, you have to pull one out and start swinging yourself, Malcolm Turnbull was told.
Iraq invasion a 'strong causation' of terror threat today: Crean
David Wroe Former Labor leader Simon Crean has said there is a "strong causation" between the controversial 2003 Iraq invasion and the immediate terrorism threat that Australia faces today.
Bribery allegation against Qld MP George Christensen still with AFP
Cameron Atfield The Australian Federal Police is still evaluating a complaint of alleged electoral bribery against newly re-elected George Christensen, leading to calls from the Queensland MP for the process to be sped up.
Wyatt Roy concedes defeat in Longman
Cameron Atfield Wyatt Roy has made history for a second time, becoming the youngest former federal member of Parliament in the country's history.
Ratings agency puts Parliament on notice
Nicole Hasham The next Australian parliament has been put on notice: get your act together and fix the budget now, or expect a serious hit to the nation's credit status.
Pollies shouldn't be able to lie: Xenophon
Nick Xenophon says politicians should be taken to task for telling fibs following Labor's "Mediscare" campaign.
Kingmaker Katter calls for cuts to immigration
Cameron Atfield Bob Katter wants to restrict migration to just three groups.
Keating says Howard should 'hang his head in shame' over Iraq war
Georgina Mitchell Former prime minister Paul Keating has called for John Howard to "hang his head in shame" over Australia's involvement in the "un-mandated assault" of the Iraq War.
Howard defends 2003 Iraq decision
David Wroe, Deborah Snow Former prime minister John Howard has dismissed a British inquiry's finding that the controversial 2003 invasion of Iraq was launched before diplomatic options had been exhausted.
The downgrade that will make mortgages cheaper
Peter Martin Standard & Poor's has just made your mortgage cheaper.
Katter the kingmaker holds court in Brisbane
Cameron Atfield Bob Katter has relished in his role as a possible political kingmaker following his meeting with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday.
Andrew Wilkie blames Iraq invasion for Lindt siege
David Wroe Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has called for former prime minister John Howard and members of his Cabinet to face war crimes trials over the 2003 Iraq invasion and blamed the invasion for attacks on Australians including the Lindt Cafe siege.
Qld LNP boss backs Bernardi's push for new conservatives
Queensland's Liberal National Party boss has thrown his support behind a movement to unite the country's conservatives, regardless of their political affiliation.
Windsor angry over 'fraudulent letter' about Joyce
Heath Aston It was three days out from Saturday's election when residents in Inverell and Glen Innes received a letter in the post urging them to vote for Barnaby Joyce.
Defiant Wyatt Roy says he's still in the race
Cameron Atfield Labor may have claimed victory over the Liberal National Party's Wyatt Roy on Sunday, but Australia's youngest ever federal parliamentarian has refused to give up on holding the Queensland seat of Longman.
PM takes responsibility for poor campaign
Mark Kenny Malcolm Turnbull has moved to steady his teetering leadership declaring his confidence is growing of forming a majority government, while taking full responsibility for campaign mistakes.
Hanson offsider wants climate scepticism taught
Nicole Hasham The One Nation candidate with a strong chance of joining Pauline Hanson in the Senate, Malcolm Roberts, wants climate scepticism taught in schools and says the CSIRO and United Nations' peak climate body endorse corruption.
ABC's Catalyst under review, reporter suspended
Matthew Knott The ABC will apologise to its viewers and review its science program Catalyst after an independent investigation found a controversial episode on the health risks of Wi-Fi that went to air earlier this year breached its editorial standards.
Better late than never: PM strikes leadership note
Mark Kenny Malcolm Turnbull remains admirably upbeat about his chances of forming a majority. Why? Perhaps he knows something the rest of us don't?
Author slams Christian Lobby over use of her book
Tom McIlroy Federal election 2016: Author Jo Hirst slams Australian Christian Lobby over use of her book Gender FairyÂ
ABC axes The Drum
Matthew Knott The ABC will scale back its presence in online analysis and opinion by axing The Drum website.
Labor offers stability Coalition can't deliver
Peter Martin In a complete reversal of rhetoric during during the campaign, Labor has emerged as the party most likely to guarantee stability after the election.
Defiant Credlin unleashes on Turnbull's 'hapless set of bedwetters'
Latika Bourke A furious Peta Credlin had launched an excoriating attack on the "hapless set of bedwetters" she says plotted to oust her former boss Tony Abbott as prime minister, squander the "wonderful victory of 2013" by giving Malcolm Turnbull poor advice.
Federal Election 2016: Live coverage, polls and results
Georgina Mitchell Follow all the latest news, results as the poll goes down to the wire.
'Perfect storm' behind thundering comeback
David Wroe "Australia for Australians" is the headline on Pauline Hanson's One Nation party's webpage outlining what the resurgent party is all about.
Comment
Vote counting - why so long?
The votes are cast, but counting them is no simple task. Peter Martin explains the process - and why it takes so long.
No Christopher, the Coalition has nothing in common with Hawthorn
Let's re-wind the clock. It's the Tuesday before polling day and Tony Nutt, Malcolm Turnbull's campaign director, rings his Labor counterpart with an offer George Wright could not refuse: a final leaders' debate on prime time TV.
Turnbull boxed in by narrow win
Technically it remains unclear whether the beleaguered premiership of Malcolm Bligh Turnbull will continue uninterrupted. Practically however, it is now virtually inevitable.
The mind-boggling incompetence of Bush, Blair and Howard laid bare
The three buccaneers took leave of their senses in invading Iraq – George W. Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard.
Morrison and Bishop undermine PM's mea culpa
Listen to Scott Morrison and Julie Bishop and the explanation for the Coalition's disastrous election result is all down to Labor telling a lie about Medicare and the gullible voters falling for it.
'Mediscare' worked because voters were scared
Scare campaigns only work when they reinforce or add to what is already known.
Amid the howling, Turnbull becomes Gillard
If you awoke on Sunday to a feeling of deja vu, you weren't imagining it. Six years ago Australia awoke to something spookily similar.
Turnbull hits out and misses the mark
The well-known Turnbull temper boiled pretty close to the surface on election night after his endlessly repeated offer of strength and stability was thrown back in his face by an unimpressed electorate.
Count looms as one of the most engrossing in memory
 Australians overwhelmingly expect Malcolm Turnbull to prevail in Saturday's election, but appear determined to give him a nervous night and an unconvincing victory.
Leavers had a dream but not a plan
The Brexit vote was driven by racism and fantasyland dreams and there is no joy in witnessing the disintegration of the EU.
Turnbull's Faustian pact is unravelling
When Tony Abbott suddenly declared the push for marriage equality to be "an important issue" last year it was tempting to imagine the Coalition had undergone a sea change of attitude.
Shorten's final pitch: budget security begins at home
After eight weeks of dawn-past-dusk campaigning, Bill Shorten still looks fresh, even ebullient.
Julie Bishop: The Coalition's lethal asset
In chess, as in politics, the Bishop is a highly valued piece because it may move as far as it wants, "but only diagonally" meaning it is vital but cannot rival its King or Queen. The rules state the "each bishop starts on one colour (light or dark) and must always stay on that colour".There's no danger of Julie Bishop changing colours. Nor it seems, getting beyond her station by moving vertically (in either direction) any time soon.
The Brexit hangover: Labour party civil war and Bregret
Your personally curated news with six things you need to know before you get going.
Turnbull plays the part of a solid conservative
Malcolm Turnbull has completed his transformation from progressive firebrand to ambassador for the conservative brand.
Federal Election 2016: FULL COVERAGE
Who should I really vote for?
