Federal Politics

Liberals behind same-sex marriage misinformation campaign

"Trying to connect marriage equality with the Safe Schools program is factually incorrect," said Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's promise of a "civil" debate over same-sex marriage is unravelling, with a group behind an anti-equality smear sheet distributed in suburban Sydney revealed as members of the Liberal Party.

Blame all around as Bureau deflects Census 2016 criticism

A screen grab from the census video.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has blamed the media for the failure of its census hotline and blamed an overseas denial of service attack for the failure of its census website in a strongly worded submission to a Senate inquiry that also attempts to deflect blame for the overwhelming of its website on its contractor IBM.

Labor links Peter Dutton to high anti-Muslim sentiment

Labor's Richard Marles: "We have got to see leadership from our government."

Labor frontbencher Richard Marles has linked a recent poll showing strong support for a ban on Muslim immigration with the conduct of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who this year said refugees "would be taking Australian jobs" and "languish in unemployment queues".

Help me out, run up more debt, says RBA boss

New Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe wants major investment by government in infrastructure.

Incoming Reserve Bank chief Philip Lowe has appealed to the Turnbull government to help him out with economic management by borrowing big for infrastructure, saying there's only so much further cuts in interest rates can do.

First Muslim woman MP hits back at immigration poll

Labor senator Anne Aly says the Essential poll's questions about Muslims were too negatively worded.

The first Muslim woman elected to federal Parliament, Anne Aly, has declared that a poll showing half of respondents want to ban Muslim immigration doesn't reflect the true feelings and reality of mainstream Australia.

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

Mr Turnbull speaks during the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier this week.

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.