Francis Keany
Francis Keany is a political reporter for the ABC's Parliament House bureau. Francis has worked in the media for a decade in radio and TV, including a three-year stint for Fairfax Radio in the Canberra press gallery. He was born and bred in the nation's capital, before working in the NSW Snowy Mountains and Sydney.
1.5 million will get reduced FTB supplements under welfare changes
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The Federal Government concedes 1.5 million people will see family payments reduced, but argues 1 million families will get better child care.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, welfare, family-and-children, australia
Rod Culleton to fight Senate axing
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Rod Culleton vows to fight his removal from federal politics, despite the President of the Senate confirming his disqualification.
Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, australia, wa
Ley tried to buy Gold Coast home before apartment, residents say
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A retired couple says Health Minister Sussan Ley made an unsuccessful bid for their house in the Gold Coast Hinterland, nine months before she purchased an apartment during a work trip to the region.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, advancetown-4211, australia
Government defends Palestinian Authority aid amid Abbott criticism
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The Federal Government defends its foreign aid program after former PM Tony Abbott reportedly says funds going to the Palestinian Authority are being used to pay pensions "to terrorists and their families".
Topics: government-and-politics, world-politics, foreign-affairs, federal-government, abbott-tony, australia, israel, palestinian-territory-occupied
Turnbull frontbenchers brush off rebel backbenchers' threats
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Two Turnbull Government frontbenchers brush off threats from rebel backbenchers who warn they may abandon the Coalition if it does not embrace conservative principles.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, liberals, liberal-national-party-queensland, australia
Architects call for urgent review of Parliament House lawn plans
Posted
The Australian Institute of Architects calls for an urgent review of plans to build a fence around Parliament House in Canberra, which includes sealing off the grass lawns on the sides of the building.
Topics: federal-parliament, architecture, parliament-house-2600
Motorists to benefit from cleaner cars, fuel under proposals
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New vehicles in Australia would have to be cleaner and more fuel efficient following a number of proposals being considered by the Federal Government.
Topics: environmental-impact, federal-parliament, environmental-policy, australia
PM's 'Keatingesque' support for republic a 'political death wish'
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Federal Government MPs who support a constitutional monarchy question an address by the Prime Minister to the Australian Republican Movement, criticising the timing of the speech amid debate about power prices, pensions, and the economy.
Topics: republic, government-and-politics, federal-government, bill-shorten, turnbull-malcolm, australia
Government prepares for lacklustre economic outlook
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The Federal Government lays down the groundwork for a lacklustre mid-year budget update on Monday, warning that a rise in commodity prices may not be enough to counter a decline in economic growth.
Topics: budget, federal-government, economic-trends, markets, money-and-monetary-policy, australia
French shipbuilder learned of submarine leaks via media
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The French company building Australia's new submarines says it was not aware of a major security breach until it was "published in the newspapers", as Christopher Pyne accuses a staffer of Nick Xenophon of being behind the leaks.
Topics: defence-and-national-security, defence-and-aerospace-industries, defence-industry, federal-government, australia
Australia committed to Joint Strike Fighter despite Trump criticism: Pyne
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Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne says the Joint Strike Fighter is right for Australia and the United States, despite criticism from US President-elect Donald Trump.
Topics: defence-and-national-security, air-force, government-and-politics, australia, united-states
What is the AEMO and what is it proposing?
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A new report by the Australian Energy Market Operator says billions of dollars of investment is needed to ensure the stability of Australia's power grid. But what is the AEMO?
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, energy, federal-government, alternative-energy, australia, wa, vic, tas, sa, qld, nt, nsw, act
Australia's power grid in need of multi-billion-dollar upgrade: report
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A report by the nation's energy regulator recommends a multi-billion-dollar investment in electricity infrastructure — such as a second interconnector with South Australia — to help secure the stability of Australia's power grid.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, industry, electricity-energy-and-utilities, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
Brain tumour survivor to lead inquiry into cancers with low survival rates
Posted
Having survived two brain tumours, Tasmanian Labor senator Catryna Bilyk will lead an inquiry into funding for research into cancers with low survival rates.
Topics: health, cancer, government-and-politics, federal-parliament, tas, australia
Australia to push for extradition of Islamic State recruiter (photos)
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The Federal Government confirms efforts are underway to extradite the man dubbed Australia's most wanted terrorist, Neil Prakash, after his arrest in Turkey.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, terrorism, international-law, law-crime-and-justice, australia, turkey, iraq, syrian-arab-republic
Explainer: What is the ABCC?
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It's taken three years but the Government's two industrial relations bill are back in the Senate. Let's take a look at the bill around the ABCC.
Topics: federal-parliament, australia
Australia is not a 'strategic bludger' on defence spending, Pyne says
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The Federal Government says Australia is well positioned to take advantage of a "gigantic" expansion of the United States military flagged by the incoming Trump administration.
Topics: defence-and-national-security, world-politics, international-aid-and-trade, united-states, australia
Asylum seeker lifetime ban in trouble as senators threaten to block it
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Key Senate crossbenchers say it will be difficult for the Federal Government to secure enough support for its changes to immigration laws.
Topics: community-and-society, immigration, refugees, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
What we do and don't know about the refugee resettlement deal
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The White House is backtracking on its promise to honour a one-off refugee resettlement deal with Australia. This is what we do and don't know about the agreement.
Topics: refugees, immigration, federal-government, foreign-affairs, australia, nauru, united-states, papua-new-guinea
Australia poised to announce refugee resettlement deal with US
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Australia is on the brink of signing a breakthrough deal with the United States which will see almost 1,300 asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru found to be refugees resettled in America.
Topics: immigration, refugees, foreign-affairs, world-politics, federal-government, australia, united-states
What Australian politicians have to say about the US election
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Australians may not get a chance to vote in today's US presidential elections, but it hasn't stopped our politicians from voicing an opinion about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump over the past year.
Topics: us-elections, government-and-politics, human-interest, world-politics, australia, united-states
Labor MP quotes Baz Lurhmann's 'sunscreen song' in Parliament
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A Federal Labor MP quotes Baz Lurhmann's Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) in Parliament, which he says is a tribute to those currently holding their year 12 exams.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, education, human-interest, australia
Senate blocks same-sex marriage plebiscite bill
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The Federal Government's plan for a plebiscite on whether to legalise same-sex marriage has been defeated, ending chances of a public vote on the issue.
Topics: federal-parliament, parliament, federal-government, federal---state-issues, government-and-politics, gays-and-lesbians, marriage, australia
AEC warns outdated election IT systems need upgrading
Posted
The Australian Electoral Commission says it needs more funding to update IT systems that run elections, warning they are "at the end of their useful life".
Topics: federal-election, federal-elections, elections, government-and-politics, budget, australia
Culleton should make 'informed decision' about future, Hanson says
Posted
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson urges WA Senator Rod Culleton to make an "informed decision about his future" as he faces the prospect of a High Court challenge to the validity of his election.
Topics: government-and-politics, courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, minor-parties, political-parties, federal-government, australia
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