Lacking a Plan B, Turnbull will need Shorten

• COMMENT

The biggest concern about the plebiscite is the huge emotional toll it could take on young people seeing the legitimacy of their identity debated on the national stage.

A Turnbull leadership tragedy could be unfolding

• COMMENT

Malcolm Turnbull's own backers fear they are witnessing the unfolding of a tragedy as epic as the one that destroyed Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

Inside the Labor ambush

• COMMENT

The plot was hatched under their noses, but they didn't see it coming. Not the ministers, who left the Parliament in blissful ignorance. Not the MPs, who did the same, or the party whips whose task is to instil discipline. And not the Prime Minister or his chief tactician, Christopher Pyne.

Coalition, Hawks - nothing in common

• COMMENT

Let's rewind 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.

A glimpse of the inner Malcolm

There has been much discussion this past six months about whether we have been seeing "the real Malcolm" or a politician who has traded convictions and adopted a more conservative stance to secure the prime ministership.

Punishment by proxy

The danger is that immense damage will be done to communities served by the CFA by pitting professional against volunteer.

Malcolm in the dock

• COMMENT

Turnbull's return to Q&A; might be his most daring move in this risk-averse campaign to retain government.

Who has the better economic plan? Don't ask an economist

The battle over the final the weeks of the campaign will be as much for the hearts as the minds of the undecided.

Turnbull's big worry halfway through this election campaign

What should worry the prime minister, and what will worry his MPs and candidates, is that his approval rating has dropped another three points in the last fortnight, while his opponent's standing continues to improve.