Yesterday
- Opinion
- Opinion
This week showed politics can still work in the national interest
The NDIS breakthrough, the CFMEU deal, and in-principle agreement on aged care reform shows it’s not all about the antics of crossbench issue poseurs or the confected conflict of question time.
- Phillip Coorey
This Month
- Opinion
- Opinion
Treasurer might have created a monster with RBA reforms
Allowing the straight-talking Michele Bullock a press conference after every rates meeting has diluted the government’s power to control the economic message.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Childcare
Short-term politics won’t leave sustainable childcare legacy
Five years ago, Labor promised to subsidise childcare wages and was howled down. Now, it hardly moves the dial.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Political leadership
Like Howard, Albanese knows two heirs apparent are better than one
Labor’s leadership succession plan seems less obvious than it did six months ago.
- Phillip Coorey
July
- Opinion
- Building Bad
It’s not just Labor that let the CFMEU off the leash
Jacqui Lambie, Pauline Hanson and some independents have played a role in enabling the militant union.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Anthony Albanese
Wall-to-wall Labor not necessarily a bonus for the PM
As the federal election nears, the question is whether Labor in power across the entire mainland has become a problem for the Albanese government in terms of brand damage.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Productivity Commission
Middle Australia is indeed the lucky country
A suite of new data sources has enabled the Productivity Commission to revise its measure of economic mobility. The result surprised everyone.
- Tom Burton
- Opinion
- Federal election
Muslims and farmers, everyone wants a piece of Labor
An unanticipated backlash in WA is the last thing the government needs, given the prospect of the creation of a pro-Muslim political movement targeting heartland ALP seats.
- Phillip Coorey
June
- Opinion
- Anthony Albanese
Payman has crossed Labor’s tribal caucus comrades
Unlike the West Australian senator who gifted the Greens a propaganda victory, Penny Wong stayed in the tent and effected change from within on same-sex marriages.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Peter Dutton
Dutton is prepared to take risks, but he is no onion eater
The signature difference between what the Coalition unleashed on Wednesday and the debilitating climate fights of the past is that both parties are operating from the assumption that emissions need to be reduced.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Opinion
Teals are ‘paying the piper’ while Dutton plays Russian roulette
Peter Dutton reckons the cost of living doesn’t discriminate between the teal seats and the rest.
- Phillip Coorey
Greens metamorphosis goes well beyond normal politicking
The party these days bears only a passing resemblance to the political conservation movement started by Bob Brown that fought nobly against habitat destruction.
- Phillip Coorey
May
- Opinion
- Anthony Albanese
There won’t be a reshuffle until there is one
To move Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, a close factional ally of the Prime Minister and member of his praetorian guard, could cause more problems than it would solve.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Jim Chalmers
Both sides are pushing buttons on migration, one is being more subtle
Migration long ago became a lazy method, adopted by both sides of politics, to generate growth in the absence of any reform or productivity agenda,
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Opinion
This budget sees the return of government as saviour
Two decades ago, Australia was poised to shed the hard-done-by battler mindset. Now it is more entrenched than ever.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Madeleine King
Budget week is time for Dutton to roll a few Jaffas down the aisle
In the same week Peter Dutton went in to bat for the koalas, Labor flew the flag for gas.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Jim Chalmers
Labor election plans start blowing smoke
Labor is banking on at least one rate cut before calling an election. That scenario is no longer guaranteed.
- Phillip Coorey
April
- Opinion
- Peter Dutton
Dutton’s atomic bet threatens Coalition chain reaction over climate
Rather than keep the heat on Labor’s handling of the cost-of-living pain as inflation stays high, the opposition leader’s nuclear venture risks becoming the story.
- Jacob Greber
- Opinion
- Anthony Albanese
Delay to environment reforms shows what WA wants, WA gets
The decision to delay reform of federal environmental laws underscores the stranglehold the resources states have on the next election.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Anthony Albanese
Political point-scoring blinkers everyone’s approach to Gaza
Anthony Albanese is right to say the impact Australia can have on the behaviour of either side of the conflict is “limited”. But that has long ceased being the point.
- Phillip Coorey