1. Greens factionalism exposed
The structural decline and mass fracturing of traditional support bases experienced by the Liberal and Labor parties is now hitting Australia's third major party, the Greens.
Lacklustre leader Richard di Natale, like Christine Milne, has struggled to find the mighty footing Bob Brown had in the Australian political landscape. Granted both leaders have had a tougher time competing for the political stuntman role because of the increasingly crowded and noisy crossbench in the Senate.
But it's also the result of the Greens trying to be too many things and diluting its core environmental message.
As one Labor Cabinet Minister told me during the Gillard years, the Greens barely talk about the environment anymore. At that time, the Greens key messages were courtesy of the internally unpopular Senator Sarah Hanson-Young on her favoured issues of asylum-seekers and same-sex marriage.
The Minister noted how with the Greens distracted, it was much easier for a Labor government to talk about the environment which is an issue of broader concern to more voters than refugees or gay marriage.
Today, NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon says the party is at a crossroads and needs to channel Bernie Sanders to reinvigorate the party. That's bald criticism of the leader.
Bob Brown with Senator Lee Rhiannon, left, in Sydney in 2011. Photo: Michele Mossop
Brown, no fan of Rhiannon, says she's the "Tony Abbott of the Greens."
**Sharp intake of breath!**
What's also fascinating in Adam Gartrell's cracking report is that internal critics of the leader Richard Di Natale have been commissioning polling to chart the party's decline since he took over. [The Sydney Morning Herald]
For years the Greens have, at times sanctimoniously, pretended they don't operate like politicians who belong to the major parties.
That illusion is now over.
2. Australian politics – the rest of
Treasurer Scott Morrison in London. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe
Treasurer Scott Morrison will tell business leaders in London that unless Australia cuts company taxes it will be left stranded. [Simon Benson/The Australian]
But in an awkward turn of events, Liberals MPs Andrew Hastie and John Alexander say the Treasurer could make housing more affordable by addressing negative gearing.
Yep, that's right. A policy that Labor proposed at the last election – and one Morrison and Turnbull fought, claiming it would push up rents. Watch this space. [Sarah Martin/The Australian]
Senator Cory Bernardi. Photo: Lightly Salted/Liam West
Senior government sources have told Michelle Grattan they expect Cory Bernardi to defect from the Liberals. [The Conversation]
One Nation Pauline Hanson jests that she could never sack her controversial staffer, James Ashby, because he's "too valuable." It's a joke but it betrays the truth – he is the brains behind her political resurgence. [Sarah Elks/The Australian]
As I've written before in Double Shot, this sort of reliance on a staffer is symptomatic of political hollowness.
Peta Credlin with Tony Abbott in 2012. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
I've never been anywhere where they've toasted "The Queen of Australia" before, but Wednesday night's Australia Day celebration at the Houses of Parliament was heavily patronised by Tories who I'm discovering will toast Her Majesty as frequently as they express their undying love for the Anglosphere. (And by God they love the Commonwealth!)
From left to right: Australia's High Commissioner to Britain Alexander Downer, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, New Zealand's High Commissioner to Britain Lockwood Smith and Labour MP John Spellar attend a cross party gathering at Westminster marking Australia Day and Waitangi Day. Photo: Supplied
Some interesting comments by Labour MP John Spellar, a long-time friend of Australia's and well known by MPs in Canberra, who says politicians like Alexander Downer and Mike Rann are more effective diplomats than the civils servants who fill similar positions for the UK. Whitehall take note! [My report/Fairfax]
3. Torture makes a comeback
US President Donald Trump. Photo: Evan Vucci
Trump had already advocated the use of torture during the campaign and is musing on the prospect of bringing back waterboarding.
But key Republicans are opposing any suggestion. John McCain said: "the law is the law" and "we are not bringing back torture." [Reuters]
British Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: Jack Taylor
This dominated British news ahead of Theresa May's visit to Washington with demands she tackle Trump on the issue. [BBC]
PMs team reminding journalists on plane to US that UK doesn't share intelligence with countries that use torture.
— Alistair Bunkall (@AliBunkallSKY) January 26, 2017
The PM and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have both firmly stressed the UK does not support torture.
In the Commons, the Brexit Minister David Davis presented the Article 50 bill, which is in response to the Supreme Court ruling. It's a straightforward bill, as promised.
But the simple bill has turned messy for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has already had one resignation from the frontbench and could expect more over the question of whether opposition MPs are able to vote against the bill and in line with their constituencies who voted to Remain. [Jessica Elgot/The Guardian]
That might seem fair enough, but any votes against the bill would be dreadful optics for Labour because it gives the Tories another opportunity to claim that the Remainers are trying to "thwart the will of the people" et al, plus it exposes them again for being so divided and incoherent.
4. Trump-Mexico talks collapse
Donald Trump with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto. Photo: Dario Lopez-Mills
Trump is using threats to try and coerce Mexico into paying for the wall.
He was due to meet the Mexican President on January 31 but said, on Twitter of course, that maybe the talks should be canned if Mexico won't consider coughing up. A short time later, Mexico's President cancelled the meeting, also via Twitter. [Reuters]
Due to be discussed in those talks is the US-Canada-Mexico trade arrangement known as NAFTA. [NAFTA Explainer/The New York Times]
And now we are unsurprisingly seeing that he will use his businessman style of negotiating and brokering to get his way in the White House.
In fact, this is all straight out of Trump's own play book, The Art of the Deal. [Ana Campoy/Quartz]
Some really interesting observations from former ambassador to the US Michael Thawley on Trump. Thawley was more recently head of the Prime Minister's Department under Tony Abbott. [Joe Kelly/The Australian]
5. Fillon worries
A story to watch in France, and one that could have major implications for the French presidential elections amid fears Front National leader Marine Le Pen could become the next anti-establishment victor.
The conservative candidate Francois Fillon is defending allegations his wife received a salary for a fake job as his assistant. [Reuters]
6. Nice terror attacks
Mourners remember victims of the terror attack in Nice. Photo: AP
Staying in France and revisiting last year's horrific terror attack in Nice, which I covered in the days after July 14.
There is a seriously excellent piece in GQ Magazine profiling the killer, his psychotic personality and loose relationship with Islamic radicalism.
Beautifully written, it also revisits some of the victims who often leave our minds once the media coverage moves on. My must-read for your weekend. [Scott Sayare]
And that's it from me for this week – you can follow me on Facebook for more. Have a great weekend.