Federal Politics

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks during the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New ...

PM praises UN for progress on arms, global warming, refugees

A moderate Malcolm Turnbull has emerged onto the world stage as both the great optimist and the great multi-lateralist, celebrating global progress in securing higher living standards while praising the usually maligned United Nations for successes on climate change, arms control, and refugee assistance.

Bowen's blunt housing crisis prediction

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says, 'calmly and soberly', that housing affordability is at 'crisis levels'.

Australia has become "a nation that can no longer house its own children", Labor treasury spokesman Chris Bowen says, with soaring prices cutting young people out of the housing market and affordability in crisis.

Scullion to push justice targets with states

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion says he had a 'cracker of a meeting' with Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...

The Turnbull Government will push the states to introduce targets aimed at reducing spiraling Indigenous incarceration levels in a clear demonstration of willingness to improve relations with Aboriginal leaders.

Government lays down post-Gonski challenge to states

Education Minister Simon Birmingham says the Gonski model is too corrupted to be of any further use.

It is time to end years of rancorous debate about about whether the federal government should fund the final years of the Gonski deals and begin work on a new school funding model, according to the Turnbull government.

Turnbull government rules out US refugee swap

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

The government has poured water on speculation that Australia's newly announced acceptance of Central American refugees will form part of a people swap arrangement with the United States.

Government mulls national default super scheme to save $1.5b

Treasurer Scott Morrison expects an explanation.

The Turnbull government is considering a radical shakeup of Australia's superannuation system that would pit banks and industry funds against each other for the right to manage the deposits of every new entrant for at least two years.

Turnbull steps up case on TPP trade pact

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks during the Summit for Refugees and Migrants at UN headquarters.

Malcolm Turnbull has enlisted key American political figures in New York to build the case for an unlikely last minute ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade liberalisation pact.

Control your borders or face instability, PM tells UN

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull has urged world leaders to look to Australia's uncompromising border protection policies as a model for regaining control of international refugee flows and to hold their own political systems together. He said countries must pool their efforts to create "order out of chaos" on a global scale.

Turnbull urges US to act on trade during 'lame duck' sessions

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is currently in New York.

Malcolm Turnbull has turned up the heat on increasingly protectionist US legislators, pleading with them to ratify the Obama-led Trans-Pacific Partnership trade liberalisation agreement and to do it now - ie before the looming presidential change-over.