Shaun Carney
Shaun Carney is a regular columnist. He is the author of books on industrial relations and the life of Peter Costello, and has been commended by the Walkley Award judges for his political columns.
Opinion
Budget season turns Australia into Bizarro World
The federal government ditched its most cherished policy principle of producing surplus budgets, while the country’s left-wing state government in Victoria is attempting some form of budget repair.
- by Shaun Carney
Latest
Opinion
Cracks in Labor’s armour as factions develop too much friction
How long the state government can remain impervious to the normal rules of politics is not clear but the labour movement in Victoria is set to put it to the test.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
Economy is growing but the pandemic will affect us for some time
Contrary to last year’s expectations that we’d face horror deficits in future, next week’s federal budget will include some big spending.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
PM threatens to deliver another chapter of climate failure
The high point of climate change policy was reached in 2007 – and it’s been downhill ever since.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
Albanese’s small-target approach is missing the mark
Electoral politics is not like physics, where there are laws about action and reaction. And that is good news for Scott Morrison.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
Lowering the bar: Do we no longer expect the government do big things?
The idea of our national government setting out to transform society and the economy has been in various forms of retreat for most of this century.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
Leadership is about more than being able to hold on to power
The Prime Minister’s priorities have been laid bare. He criticises social media but not members of his government who have misused it to degrade women.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
Troubled times need more than PM’s marketing spin
Recent events have highlighted the government’s tendency to make announcements its core business and to kick what should be its real work – the formulation of policies that produce solutions – into the long grass.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
From such a small pool, it’s very hard for the Liberals to think big
When it comes to leadership, the Victorian Liberals have few decent options. And that’s because there are so few MPs.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
No Andrews at the helm: How would the state government fare?
Strong leaders stamp their mark on a government, so it would be wise for Labor to start succession planning.
- by Shaun Carney
Opinion
From Kylie to Barnesy, Gudinski put Australian music on the map
Michael Gudinski did a great deal to change perceptions of what Australian musicians could do on the stage, in the recording studio and in the business.
- by Shaun Carney