Abbott intervenes in tax debate
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has delivered a blunt warning that the May budget should not raise taxes.
James Massola is chief political reporter in the Canberra bureau. He was a Walkley finalist in 2015 and has worked in the federal press gallery for eight years, including stints for The Australian Financial Review and The Australian before joining the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has delivered a blunt warning that the May budget should not raise taxes.
Treasurer Scott Morrison has signalled the May budget will raise taxes to protect Australia's AAA credit rating - if the senate blocks $13.2 billion in proposed savings.
Renegade senator Cory Bernardi has promised his new Australian Conservatives party will restore faith in politics, railing against the "out of touch political class" as he quit the Liberal Party, leaving his former colleagues fuming.
Conservative MPs are scrambling to shut the door on a push by Liberal MPs to allow a free vote on same-sex marriage, warning "this is not a fight we should be having now".
Voters in a swathe of Coalition seats believe federal government MPs should be given a free vote on same-sex marriage.
Tony Abbott has delivered a blunt message to the man who replaced him as prime minister.
Australian and American officials spent Friday scrambling to shore up the US refugee swap deal – and repair damage to the alliance relationship – amid signs that Donald Trump will likely follow through on the agreement with Malcolm Turnbull.
The push to allow a free vote is being driven by the backbench, though some cabinet ministers are aware the discussions are under way.
President Donald Trump has thrown the US-Australia refugee deal into grave doubt with a single post on Twitter.
Australia is falling behind modern Asian economies and could become an "unskilled enclave", according to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, because low-cost labour is taking Australian jobs.
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