Latest
- Opinion
- Opinion
The Liberals need Frydenberg, but at what cost?
The optics of a bloke pushing aside a woman, especially in a teal seat, just because it’s suddenly become winnable, will be poor.
- 1 hr ago
- Phillip Coorey
Frydenberg’s political comeback splits Liberals
The former treasurer is not ruling out a rematch against teal independent Monique Ryan in his old seat of Kooyong.
- 1 hr ago
- Ronald Mizen
Redistribution puts teals, Liberals at risk
Labor has lost a key seat in Victoria but could replace it by picking up a newly created electorate – Bullwinkel – in WA, under a planned rejig for the next federal election.
- Tom McIlroy and Phillip Coorey
Labor wants a deal on more senators by Christmas
Tasmania has 402,000 voters and 12 senators; the ACT has 315,000 voters and two senators. MPs want to make upper house representation a bit more even.
- Tom McIlroy
Labor revamps deportation directive to stem visa crisis
The controversial Direction 99 will be rewritten to ensure legal authorities “give weight to community safety” when hearing appeals against visa cancellations.
- Phillip Coorey and Andrew Tillett
May
Husic calls for lower corporate taxes
Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic says the Labor government would consider revising the company tax rate.
- Updated
School graffiti attack builds heat on government over antisemitism
The government could not say whether a graffiti attack on a Jewish school would be covered by proposed new hate laws.
- Phillip Coorey
- Exclusive
- Anthony Albanese
Labor faces minority government threat, poll shows
A year out from the next federal election, a huge new poll on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton’s prospects shows that at least 10 seats are too close to call.
- Tom McIlroy
Albanese’s diary reveals the CEOs who scored access in 2023
Absent from the diary was a black-tie gala to celebrate Qantas’ centenary, at which the PM gave a speech and was photographed on the red carpet with Alan Joyce.
- Ronald Mizen
Albanese’s crucial test: will people buy his big vision?
The prime minister has unambiguously embraced a bigger role for government in Australia. The Coalition, in turn, sees an opportunity.
- Ronald Mizen
No time for ‘denial and delay’: PM starts second-term pitch
Anthony Albanese will use his second anniversary in office to urge voters to stick with Labor for another term, rather than vote for the Coalition and return to the era of conflict fatigue.
- Phillip Coorey
Labor and Coalition warned against ‘quick fix’ immigration cuts
The Coalition will have to cut visa places for health, education, aged care and tourism sectors as part of efforts to slash overseas arrivals.
- Tom McIlroy and James Hall
- Opinion
- AFR Freshwater poll
Punters are not convinced by Labor’s budget
The budget had two main political aims: to help further with the cost of living; and, in doing so, buy a pre-election interest rate cut. The punters are not convinced it will achieve either, polling finds.
- Phillip Coorey
Underwhelmed voters fear budget will lift rates
Almost 40 per cent of voters think last week’s big-spending federal budget increases the chances of another interest rate rise, and just one quarter believe they will be better off, the latest poll shows.
- Phillip Coorey
Meet the former Deloitte consultant taking on Allegra Spender
“There’s no doubt it is going to be a challenge,” says Roanne Knox. It’s a sentiment echoed by party insiders who think Wentworth will be the most difficult of all teal seats to win back.
- Ronald Mizen
Behind the PM’s $3b ‘bailout’ of Victoria’s most expensive road
Experts blame a $10 billion blowout for the North East Link on CFMEU disruptions, a failed tender process and crazy design decisions to pander to community groups.
- Patrick Durkin, David Marin-Guzman and Gus McCubbing
Outer Perth ‘pain seats’ at risk as Albanese cocks ear to west
Federal Labor is bleeding votes in Western Australia that could cost it several key seats, pollsters warn.
- Tom Rabe
- Analysis
- Political leadership
All hat, no bull: PM’s tough task disarming farmers in Qld
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are in Rockhampton for Beef 2024. One suspects Labor will need to look elsewhere in Queensland to win seats at the next election.
- Phillip Coorey
Markets push interest rate cuts beyond the next election
Investors think the first rate cut may not be until May 2025 or June 2025, complicating Labor’s re-election bid amid red-hot voter concern over cost of living.
- Michael Read
April
Higgins must accept there was no cover-up: Reynolds
Senator Linda Reynolds will proceed with her defamation lawsuit unless Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz accept Federal Court findings there was no cover-up of rape.
- Ronald Mizen
Can you job-share a seat in parliament? These two women want to try
Lucy Bradlow and Bronwen Bock want voters to elect them together to represent the inner-Melbourne electorate of Higgins.
- Tom McIlroy
Climate 200 targets 20 more seats including Dutton’s
Bradfield in northern Sydney, held by Liberal shadow minister Paul Fletcher, tops the teal movement’s list. It is also eyeing Peter Dutton’s seat, Dickson.
- Phillip Coorey
A rape, a cover-up narrative and a political firestorm
“Tonight, claims of rape, roadblocks to a police investigation, and a young woman forced to choose between her career and the pursuit of justice”. That is how Ten introduced its interview with Brittany Higgins.
- Ronald Mizen
- Updated
- Lehrmann trial
Higgins, Sharaz should settle with ‘vindicated’ Reynolds: Dutton
The opposition leader says Brittany Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz should settle the senator’s defamation actions against them and issue a “full apology”.
- Ronald Mizen
- Exclusive
- Anthony Albanese
No majority support for four-year federal terms: poll
More voters believe four-year terms will deliver better government, but they also like being able to change governments more often.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
