Of marriage, football, ethnicity, and progress
Wednesday November 15, 2017 was a good day for Australia. Even great. Two joyous things happened.
Dean Smith: the unlikely champion of same-sex marriage
On paper, Dean Smith is not the most likely champion of same-sex marriage in Parliament.Â
The five key lessons to emerge from the same-sex marriage result
Australia has rejoined the rights revolution. That's the first of five key lessons to emerge from the outcome of the same-sex marriage vote.
Religious freedom in Australia is, and should be, limited
The law on this is very clear, and tested up to the High Court.
Love won. Now for the war
It was a far more resounding result than any political party achieves to govern, and represents a strong mandate.
A win for justice and a win for Malcolm Turnbull
This is a win for bigness of the heart. A win for justice. A win for courage. A win for modernity. A win for social cohesion. A win for same-sex couples and the entire LGBTI community. And, it's a faith-restoring win for Australian democracy. It is also, by virtue of that, a win for Malcolm Turnbull.
Tricky times for Shorten and Turnbull
Both leaders will struggle with difficult decisions for the rest of the year.
Parliament, not a postal vote, should be used to decide issues
The same sex marriage survey had a higher turnout than for practically any voluntary ballot measure undertaken in a Western democracy in modern history.
Liberals face horror scenario as Labor rolls out another star candidate
John Alexander must feel like the player returning from injury who draws Roger Federer in the first round.
The great betrayal: Coalition hardliners throw democracy overboard
Having bombed in the public survey they so loudly demanded, Coalition reactionaries have hit upon a play that shows contempt for their leader and looms as the most brazen betrayal of voter sentiment in a century.
It's the Trans-Pacific Partnership with fewer bad bits
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is dead. In its place, maybe, we'll have something lesser, with a longer title: the Progressive Comprehensive Trans-Pacific Partnership, or PCTPP.
The neverending story of an election that could take out Malcolm Turnbull
Technically, the Korean War is ongoing. Technically, the July 2, 2016 Australian election has become similarly open-ended.
Peru-Australia agreement a sign of negotiating weakness rather than strength
The government is hailing the free trade agreement with Peru as the fastest Australia has ever negotiated. There's a reason for that.
A disastrous end to 2017 means 2018 could be even worse
It is easy to overlook, amid our volatile politics, that the nation has not seen anything like this before.
Turnbull's crisis, not Shorten's
The Prime Minister 's usual, dreadful form has been embarrassing to watch.
revolutions happen when rich elites don't pay tax
The Paradise papers show that the privileged are escaping their responsibility to the society that enriched them.
Strong postal vote outcome the key to social and political support
It's time to give Malcolm Turnbull, George Brandis, and yes, even Peter Dutton, their due credit.
Conservative forces push to frustrate same-sex marriage legislation
"While it would be desirable to have the matter resolved by Christmas, it is an artificial deadline in relation to this matter."
Trust me, I'm a politician: why the citizenship plan beggars belief
Malcolm Turnbull is asking people to place their trust in his new citizenship system. Tell him he's dreaming.
Not my problem: Bill Shorten stiffs embattled Malcolm Turnbull
Direct negotiations between the Prime Minister and the alternative prime minister are relatively rare.
Why not disqualify dual-citizen judges, generals and bureaucrats?
Australians should have a much more positive view of dual citizenship.
Labor will play hardball on PM's citizenship register
Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten will meet on Wednesday to nut out a solution to the dual citizenship "circus" but how willing are they really?
Bipartisan defence policy is a terrible idea
The military industry may want certainty, but good policy needs to be honed by debate.
Malcolm Turnbull acts on citizenship, and the next stages could be explosive
This is progress - the beginning of the end of this citizenship controversy
What if we could cut suicide rates by tackling domestic violence?
If we stopped domestic violence, there's a chance we'd halve the suicide rate.
In a dark galaxy far, far away ...
When these men talk national security, tune out. Their words are utter rubbish.
'We are family': Turnbull and Ardern sidestep awkwardness in Sydney
A week is a long time in politics. But in the case of the Australia-New Zealand relationship, is two and a half months enough time to overcome major awkwardness?
Ignorance no defence for these idiots
The constitutional requirements to sit in Parliament were always simple, as was the High Court's view of them.
Attacking the naysayers is an ethical failure
People can be vicious and deceptive. But highlighting this doesn't disprove their arguments.
Premiums not the problem with private health insurance
The Coalition's attempts to buy Medicare while publicly praising it are now hurting the private health system, too.
- Video duration
- 03:40
Campaign highlights - and lowlights
The hurly-burly of the 2016 election campaign, as seen through the eyes of Fairfax reporters and photographers.