Posted
| UpdatedFormer federal treasury head Ken Henry lashes out at the political and media dysfunction that he says has led to reform paralysis, saying over the last decade almost every major infrastructure project had turned into a fight.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
Posted
| UpdatedWhat are the arguments for and against to cut Sunday penalty rates for some hospitality, retail and fast-food workers?
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, industry, hospitality, retail, federal-government, australia
Posted
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton backtracks on his comments on the refugee resettlement deals between Australia and the US, saying he has "been clear that it's not a people swap".
Topics: federal-government, immigration, australia, united-states
Posted
| UpdatedThe Federal Government has moved to loosen importation laws on medicinal cannabis, and people who use it say they are cautiously optimistic.
Topics: cannabis, health-policy, federal-government, health, australia
Posted
| UpdatedIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praises his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull for calling out the "hypocrisy" of the United Nations.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, foreign-affairs, australia, israel
Posted
| UpdatedThe Government looks set to unwind the Medicare rebate freeze in the May budget, in a move that could cost in excess of $3 billion.
Topics: health, doctors-and-medical-professionals, federal-government, budget, australia
Posted
| UpdatedThe Foreign Minister and the Immigration Minister appear to be at odds about whether the US refugee resettlement deal was part of a people swap.
Topics: refugees, immigration, federal-government, australia, united-states
Posted
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd is calling for the Federal Opposition to make the formal recognition of Palestinian statehood official policy before the next election.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, world-politics, alp, rudd-kevin, australia
Posted
| UpdatedFor the first time in history, the Federal Government is helping Australians with chronic illnesses to get their hands on medicinal marijuana, by fast-tracking importation while local supplies expand.
Topics: cannabis, health-policy, federal-government, australia
Posted
| UpdatedInternational students studying in Australia hit a record high last year, with more than 500,000 choosing to study here: an increase of more than 10 per cent on 2015.
Topics: federal-government, education, australia
Posted
The Palestinian territories' top envoy to Australia urges Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten to press Benjamin Netanyahu on West Bank settlements when they meet the Israeli Prime Minister this week.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, world-politics, australia, israel, palestinian-territory-occupied
Posted
| UpdatedWalking away from the United States alliance could force Australia to ramp up defence spending by tens of billions of dollars, Australia's former defence chief says.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, world-politics, security-intelligence, defence-and-national-security, australia, united-states, china
Posted
Human rights advocate Julian Burnside says systems of social support should lean more towards being "too generous" than "too mean", February 20, 2017.
Topics: federal-government, rights, law-crime-and-justice, australia
Posted
Julian Burnside asks George Brandis if asylum seekers who come to Australia have committed any offence, February 20, 2017.
Topics: refugees, immigration, federal-government, australia, nauru
Posted
George Brandis says when a notice is issued people 'can contact Centrelink' to resolve any problems, February 20, 2017.
Topics: federal-government, australia
Posted
Q&A questioner asks George Brandis about reviews of disability pensions, February 20, 2017.
Topics: carers, disabilities, federal-government, australia
Posted
| UpdatedMultinational gas exporters could lose some of their generous tax deductions following a review of the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax.
Topics: oil-and-gas, federal-government, tax, budget, australia
Posted
| UpdatedThere are fears the price of prawns is about to go "through the roof" following a decision by the Federal Government to recall all imported raw prawns.
Topics: fishing-aquaculture, rural, food-processing, pest-management, food-and-cooking, pests, environment, federal-government, brisbane-4000, canberra-2600, sydney-2000
Posted
As politicians continue trading barbs over the merits of renewable energy versus coal-fired power generation, missing from the debate these days has been the role of gas.
Topics: oil-and-gas, electricity-energy-and-utilities, federal-government, australia
Posted
| UpdatedThe Government is considering lifting a ban on allowing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to invest in carbon capture and storage, as well as low-emission coal-fired plants, but Labor says there will not be any support from the market.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, environmental-policy, environment, energy, climate-change
Posted
| UpdatedGeorge Christensen reportedly threatens to quit the Coalition, citing Federal Government inaction in a dispute between a foreign-owned sugar mill and cane growers in his north Queensland electorate.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, liberal-national-party-queensland, liberals, political-parties, australia
Posted
A good week for the crossbenchers, not so much for the government. Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas, hosts of the Party Room, choose their winners and losers.
Topics: turnbull-malcolm, political-parties, federal-government, government-and-politics, canberra-2600
Posted
| UpdatedRetired federal politicians will no longer be able to take free flights on the taxpayers' purse, after the Senate voted to scrap the gold pass following an entitlements scandal that saw Sussan Ley resign as health minister.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
Posted
Protesters shout, "land rights, not mining rights", as Julie Bishop speaks during Question Time, February 16, 2017.
Topics: federal-government, australia
Posted
| UpdatedGreens MP Adam Bandt is criticised for saying changes to the Native Title Act were rushed through Parliament to benefit the Adani coal mine in Queensland.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, indigenous-policy, community-and-society, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, perth-6000