Pity Darwin. Bombed by the Japanese in World War II, blown away by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve, 1974, and forever harassed, according to its local newspaper, by person-eating crocodiles, it now has to be concerned about a missile-obsessed Kim Jong-un of North Korea.
Those familiar with the Gospels might recall that Peter also denied knowing his leader thrice.
Tony Abbott would absolutely hate to hear it, but he could learn something from Julia Gillard.
Party members with a diverse range of views need enough common ground to prevent gridlock and infighting.
Creating a plan for the future isn't just about having a blueprint or grand design.
Partisans on both the left and right would welcome Malcolm Turnbull's fall at pretty much any cost. And that's the point – the price would be exorbitant.
Without robust government, nothing stands between citizens and a rapacious corporate sector.
Pussycats and footpads prefer watchdogs on short chain
In many cases, public servants' conflicts of interest remain effectively unmonitored.
Banks in a state: taxing super profits to pay for services is a winner
It's one of the most alarming statistics to come out of this week's release of the 2016 census figures.
You can't blame Russia for Trump's successful jaunt to the White House.
Population growth brings benefits, but policymakers need to discuss the problems, too.
Malcolm Turnbull is being asked if he will allow a same-sex marriage bill to be presented to Parliament and if he would allow a free vote in that instance. The Prime Minister says 'no', knowing any other response would blow his leadership wide open and possibly split the Coalition. Technically he is right, but these are the wrong questions.
In different ways, the pair have become powerful irritants to their ideological colleagues.
Nobody is ready for a repeat of The Real Politicians of Parliament House.
The Defence Force should not waste any time or effort on this demeaning frippery.
An inner-city cocktail bar named after one of the poncier fruits – the cherry – is exactly the kind of place you would expect left-wing government schemers to hatch a plot to legislate gay marriage.
If centre-right governments want to win elections, they must present an alternative vision.
The public has little appetite for war, but supports using the military to fight terrorism.
Atop Capital Hill, the giant flag hung motionless amid a crystal winter's day.
Politicians need substance to succeed, but no one's taking the lead.
An expatriate journalist living in Britain wrote an apocalyptic tract this week, published by Fairfax Media, warning fellow Australian travellers not to take a holiday in London.
Journalists must protect their sources. That does not include the trivialities of a large ball.
Language and communication are the key tools of politics. Yet a clear message can sometimes be discerned from what is not said rather than what is.
Tasmania, similar in size to Canberra, does not need more than four times as many politicians.
In the end, the admirably calm Education Minister cleverly used the Greens' package as the road map to an acceptable deal with a far less progressive cross-bench.
The Victorian Supreme Court holds the future of Greg Hunt, Michael Sukkar and Alan Tudge in hands.
Privatisation. Back in the day, opposing it was the province of self-interested public sector unions and sentimentalists.
The GST on tampons isn't much. But it's about a lot more than the small amount of revenue it raises.
The hurly-burly of the 2016 election campaign, as seen through the eyes of Fairfax reporters and photographers.