James Massola is chief political correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based at Parliament House
The security barriers are up, the polizei are on patrol and large parts of Hamburg, Germany's second largest city, are in lock down as leaders arrive for the G20 summit of the world's largest economies.
Malcolm Turnbull says he has enough conservatives on his frontbench, and effectively confirmed there will not be a reshuffle over Parliament's mid-winter break.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will urge Donald Trump to demand that American tech companies break into encrypted messages sent by suspected terrorists.
Bill Shorten is ready for the Turnbull government to implode and has moved Labor to an election footing.
Australia's best-known Catholic politician, Tony Abbott, has defended the character of his long-standing friend, Cardinal George Pell.
A fresh round of Coalition infighting has broken out, with Defence Minister Marise Payne sharply rebuking Tony Abbott for suggesting Australia should consider buying nuclear-powered submarines.
Australia should fundamentally rethink its submarine program and consider buying nuclear-powered boats, Tony Abbott says, to better arm the Royal Australian Navy at a time when regional rivals such as China and Russia are expanding their fleets.
Malcolm Turnbull has sought to kill off the latest backbench push for a free vote on same-sex marriage amid rising factional tensions.
Tony Abbott has outlined a sweeping series of policies he says the Coalition should adopt to restore its political fortunes and rebuild trust with conservative voters.
Two Liberal MPs have been secretly working on a plan to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia as soon as August, with a draft copy of the laws well advanced and consultation with advocates underway.
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