Compare the pair: a tale of two former prime ministers
Tony Abbott would absolutely hate to hear it, but he could learn something from Julia Gillard.
'Broad church' party a poor defence for infighting
Party members with a diverse range of views need enough common ground to prevent gridlock and infighting.
Government's focus must reach beyond next opinion poll
Creating a plan for the future isn't just about having a blueprint or grand design.
Why Australia needs Turnbull to survive
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.
The fallacy of 'efficiency'
Without robust government, nothing stands between citizens and a rapacious corporate sector.
Pussycats and footpads prefer watchdogs on short chain
Pussycats and footpads prefer watchdogs on short chain
Tip of a nepotism iceberg?
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
Banks in a state: taxing super profits to pay for services is a winner
Census 2016 reveals dramatic drop in Australian home ownership
It's one of the most alarming statistics to come out of this week's release of the 2016 census figures.
Russian interference in US poll is fantasy
You can't blame Russia for Trump's successful jaunt to the White House.
Immigration and its complex effects
Population growth brings benefits, but policymakers need to discuss the problems, too.
Could Christopher Pyne's hubris prove the catalyst for the fall of the Coalition moderates?
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.
Rhiannon and Bernardi's extreme similarities
In different ways, the pair have become powerful irritants to their ideological colleagues.
The one thing voters do not want from politicians
Nobody is ready for a repeat of The Real Politicians of Parliament House.
Military medals are for dogs
The Defence Force should not waste any time or effort on this demeaning frippery.
Abbott calls Pyne treacherous for supporting what people want: same-sex marriage soon
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.
Authenticity is hard to fake
If centre-right governments want to win elections, they must present an alternative vision.
Our military 'a force for good'
The public has little appetite for war, but supports using the military to fight terrorism.
Schools win salves Malcolm Turnbull's winter of discontent
Atop Capital Hill, the giant flag hung motionless amid a crystal winter's day.
Politics needs gravitas, not liteness
Politicians need substance to succeed, but no one's taking the lead.
The age of hyperbole, when facts twist until they hurt
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.
'Off-the-record' nonsense in room full of journos
Journalists must protect their sources. That does not include the trivialities of a large ball.
Where Hanson's concerned, look at what's not said
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.
A federal MP for Belconnen and Gungahlin?
Tasmania, similar in size to Canberra, does not need more than four times as many politicians.
Government finds a way on Gonski schools funding
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 texts that could cost three ministers their jobs
The Victorian Supreme Court holds the future of Greg Hunt, Michael Sukkar and Alan Tudge in hands.
Privatisation: has it really been that brilliant? Just look at electricity
Privatisation. Back in the day, opposing it was the province of self-interested public sector unions and sentimentalists.
Why women can't go with the flow on the tampon tax
The GST on tampons isn't much. But it's about a lot more than the small amount of revenue it raises.
Gonski upheaval tests loyalties
Whatever Parliament decides this week, the education debate will grind on until the next election.
Voters switched off a desperate Coalition
For fractious Coalition MPs amassed under Malcolm Turnbull, Monday's depressing 47-53 Newspoll was old news. Fourteen surveys old.
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Campaign highlights - and lowlights
The hurly-burly of the 2016 election campaign, as seen through the eyes of Fairfax reporters and photographers.