Federal Politics

Jim Pavlidis artwork.

Back in the day, they called it lying

Barnaby Joyce was "post-truth" way before it was cool. In fact, few politicians were better prepared for the new era of "alternative facts" than Barnaby Joyce.

Sussan Ley was forced to quit for breaking a basic rule of Australian politics, that politicians shouldn't take ...

Mixing politics and pleasure

The question of the frequent misuse of parliamentary work expenses, known as entitlements, forces us to look closely at what political representation involves and who should pay for it. The recent case of former health minister Sussan Ley is just one of many questionable instances which have stained reputations and ended careers.

Mr Turnbull declined to comment on the report but insisted Mr Trump assured him the deal would be honoured.

Malcolm Turnbull's year is not cactus ... yet

The Wire's arch drug lord Avon Barksdale was philosophical in the face of a long jail sentence: "You only serve two days, the day you go in, and the day you get out". You'd think this mentality could work best for parties consigned to the opposition benches. But no. These days, its governments that feel most hemmed in, constrained at every turn by the crushing weight of febrile politics, internal divisions, anaemic growth, and inevitable disappointment.For Malcolm Turnbull, and indeed most governments recently, Barksdale's advice seems most apposite. Although in Turnbull's case, even the day he won was pretty terrible, marred as it was by something of a hissy-fit.