Bill Shorten's equality pitch: the economy's not working for all
Australia is caught between a government unable to conjure the "jobs and growth" it promised, and an opposition proposing a fast-fix via wealth redistribution.
Losing Ludlam and Waters no joke for Greens
The Greens lost more than a fifth of their talent with the resignations of Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters
The rise and rise of Peter Dutton, our new security tsar
Peter Dutton has achieved what Scott Morrison could not.
Turnbull needs to be more like Keating and less like Menzies
Republican political leaders like Turnbull and Shorten should not pussy-foot around the issue any longer.
Who ultimately pays for university daze?
Education stopped being something intrinsically wonderful the moment it became an industry.
Rule banning dual citizens is a relic but we're stuck with it
Section 44 of the constitution has claimed another victim.
Turnbull needs to explain why he's shaking up a national security system that is working
Those in the spy and security community aren't for most part panicking about the creation of a super-portfolio like Britain's Home Office.
There are big problems with government databases
The next wave of government reform will have to focus on data management.
Turnbull plays sensible centre half forward
Does going for the sensible centre simply mean being competent, if rather timid and uninspired?
Political 'solutions' simply shift profits, problems elsewhere
Taxpayer subsidies for the Adani coal mine will not solve regional unemployment; at best they will simply shift it from one region to another.
Libs could do with a dose of Menzies' big-picture foresight
Menzies, a small-l liberal, initially disliked Canberra and the notion of a great Australian capital city.
Hey, Scott Ludlam, the constitution is a thing. It's funny like that
Only a Green could tweet his resignation from Parliament like this.
Phony 'carbon tax' debate highlights the sad state of our media and politics
Some days you really do have to wonder: what chance is there of sensible policy being created in this country?
Tribalism and the sweet allure of the 'sensible centre'
The wets the dries, the Bronweenies, the Soft Left and the Shoppies - politicians strive hard to find the right tribe.
Adelaide's dark side a glimpse of our future
It's time to admit that Adelaide is our future: bright for some, yet tragically squalid for others.
Winter is coming: politics-as-usual reaching its limits
It is conceivable that within a decade, neither the ALP nor the Liberal-Nationals coalition will exist as dominant electoral forces .
Malcolm stumbles back towards the middle
Malcolm Turnbull would do well to reflect on the lessons offered by Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron.
Turnbull's leadership nearing the terminal stage
If Coalition marginal seat MPs were beef cows, they'd be smelling the abattoirs about now.
Malcolm and the Barnaby and Tony Emergency Express
An anxiety-burdened Malcolm Turnbull has ordered a supersonic private jet to remain on standby at Hamburg airport during his visit to Germany for the G20, its motors running and its pilots on 24-hour alert.
The case for an out-of-sync Senate election
Voters would respond differently if Senate elections were not co-ordinated with House of Representatives elections.
Why would North Korea's little tyrant lob a missile on Darwin?
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.
More MPs could halt current political dysfunction
It may sound like heresy, but more seats in New Zealand's parliament helped solve that country's problems.
Malcolm denies Tony's very name, thrice
Those familiar with the Gospels might recall that Peter also denied knowing his leader thrice.
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.
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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.