Jane Norman
Jane Norman covers federal politics for ABC News 24, TV news bulletins, radio news and online.
Who will pay for the NDIS?
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Once it's fully operational, the NDIS will be one of the biggest Government-funded program after Medicare. But where will those funds come from?
Topics: disabilities, health, health-administration, health-insurance, health-policy, australia
Government threatens tax increase to pay for 'unfunded' NDIS
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The Federal Government warns they may have to raise taxes to help pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme if the Senate continues to block its omnibus saving bill.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, tax, australia
Bernardi targets single-term PMs in gold-pass overhaul
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Newly independent senator Cory Bernardi is on a crusade to "clean up Canberra", urging Parliament to crack down on entitlements for retired prime ministers who have only served a single term.
Topics: parliament, federal-parliament, government-and-politics, australia
Sharrouf becomes first Australian IS fighter stripped of citizenship
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Australian Islamic State fighter Khaled Sharrouf, who slipped out of the country in 2013 using his brother's passport, becomes the first dual national to be stripped of citizenship under the Federal Government's anti-terror laws.
Topics: terrorism, unrest-conflict-and-war, security-intelligence, defence-and-national-security, australia
Child care, PPL combined in bill to force savings through Parliament
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The Federal Government has combined a range of stalled and revised welfare measures into a single bill to try to force nearly $4 billion in savings through the Parliament.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, budget, child-care, welfare, tax, australia
Bernardi to split with Coalition, form Australian Conservatives
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Outspoken Liberal senator Cory Bernardi is set to announce he is leaving the Coalition to form his own political party called Australian Conservatives, leaving his colleagues struggling to guess if any MPs will jump ship and join him.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, political-parties, liberals, sa, australia
Abbott warns of 'welfare villages' while praising disability pension crackdown
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Former prime minister Tony Abbott praises his Government's crackdown on the Disability Support Pension, saying it was far too easy for people with "a bad back and a bit of depression" to access the benefit.
Topics: federal-parliament, federal-government, government-and-politics, abbott-tony, liberals, disabilities, australia
Australia risks losing its share of Antarctica, experts warn
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The Federal Government is being warned Australia is in danger of losing its position as an Antarctic leader, as well as its claim over the frozen continent, unless it maintains funding for its scientific research program.
Topics: government-and-politics, science-and-technology, research, australia, antarctica
What is the Million-Year Ice Core — and why should we care? (photos)
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Australian Antarctic scientists are in the race to find the "holy grail of climate science", a piece of ice so old that it might be able to reveal the climate of the past and help predict the future.
Topics: science-and-technology, earth-sciences, environment, climate-change, antarctica
Scientists step up search for 'holy grail of climate change'
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Australian scientists in Antarctica hail a $45-million funding boost as a "game-changer" that will allow them to step up their search for the "holy grail of climate science" — the Million-Year Ice Core.
Topics: science-and-technology, climate-change, environment, antarctica, australia
Crossbenchers call for new backpacker tax compromise
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The Federal Government is negotiating with key crossbenchers who want a 13 per cent backpacker tax as the clock counts down to the end of Parliament.
Topics: rural, rural-tourism, federal-government, government-and-politics, tax, australia
The deals done to get the ABCC bill through the Senate
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They say politics is the art of compromise, and it took a whole lot of that to get the ABCC bill passed. Here are some of the amendments made, and deals done, to get the crossbenchers' support.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, federal-parliament, building-and-construction, business-economics-and-finance, industrial-relations, australia
Calls for Brandis to be sacked over 'secret' WA deal
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The Federal Opposition calls for Attorney-General George Brandis to be sacked over a "secret" deal struck with the West Australian Government to claw back nearly $1 billion from the collapse of Alan Bond's Bell Group.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, australia, wa
Joyce supports floor-crossing on Adler vote
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Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce says he "absolutely" supports his Senate colleagues' decision to cross the floor and vote against the Government on the controversial Adler shotgun import ban.
Topics: federal-parliament, law-crime-and-justice, australia
Government calls for reform to 'broken' state adoption system
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The Federal Government is ramping up pressure on the states and territories to reform their adoption laws to give the tens of thousands of children in state care the prospect of moving into a permanent home.
Topics: community-and-society, family-and-children, family, adoption, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
Turnbull announces inquiry into Racial Discrimination Act
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The Federal Government sets up a parliamentary inquiry into the Racial Discrimination Act to determine whether it imposes unreasonable limits on free speech and to recommend whether the law should be changed.
Topics: laws, rights, law-crime-and-justice, race-relations, government-and-politics, federal-government, federal-parliament, australia
Human Rights Commission had 'no role' in Facebook racial vilification court case
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The Human Rights Commission hits back at claims it is mishandling complaints under the Racial Discrimination Act, confirming it had no involvement with a controversial court case against Queensland University of Technology students.
Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, government-and-politics, federal-government, community-and-society, brisbane-4000, australia
18C inquiry on the cards, Malcolm Turnbull confirms
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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull strongly indicates Cabinet will sign off on a joint parliamentary inquiry into freedom of speech and issues relating to the Racial Discrimination Act.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, laws, race-relations, australia
Turnbull won't fight inquiry on freedom of speech laws
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Malcolm Turnbull indicates he will not stand in the way of an inquiry into freedom of speech, as he faces growing calls from his own backbench for changes to the Racial Discrimination Act.
Topics: race-relations, discrimination, federal-parliament, federal-government, turnbull-malcolm, australia
Finance Department advised Government against relocation of Bob Day electorate office
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Documents obtained under Freedom of Information reveal the Finance Department advised the Government not to allow Bob Day to relocate his electorate office from the Adelaide CBD to a building he owned in Kent Town.
Topics: parliament, government-and-politics, federal-parliament, australia
Xenophon team throws paid parental leave changes into doubt
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The Federal Government's planned changes to paid parental leave are thrown into doubt as the Nick Xenophon Team confirms it will not support the proposal in its current form.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, parenting, budget, australia
Morrison says welfare system working against jobseekers (photos)
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Treasurer Scott Morrison declares it's a "crying shame" that thousands of welfare recipients in Australia would have to "take a pay cut" if they got a job.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, scott-morrison, community-and-society, welfare, australia
Proposed changes to Paid Parental Leave explained Analysis
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We explain the Government's latest plan to change Paid Parental Leave, which after three attempts would save the Government much less money but still leave tens of thousands of families worse off.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, parenting, australia
Solicitor-General refuses to answer Liberal senator's 'attack' questions
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Outgoing Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson refuses to answer more than 100 questions from a Liberal senator, arguing he considers them "an attack" and they imply a "deficiency" in the evidence he gave to a Senate committee.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
Expectations on welfare recipients 'miserably low'
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The Federal Government declares the expectations on dole recipients are "miserably low" as it moves to impose tighter obligations on jobseekers.
Topics: community-and-society, welfare, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
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