Jumping ship

Defections are fairly common in Australian politics. But history shows they are rarely a good career move.

A long road back for the Liberals

Political parties can recover after a devastating election loss but the Liberals will need to think differently to take power again.

Albanese’s appeal and Dutton’s disaster

Labor’s triumph in the 2025 election was a product of Dutton’s shambolic campaign and the Prime Minister’s ability to offer a steady hand on the tiller in the stormy waters stirred by Donald Trump abroad.

What’s the big idea?

A new book – “What’s the Big Idea? 32 Ideas for a Better Australia” edited by Anna Chang and Alice Grundy celebrates 30 years of big ideas from the Australia Institute.

Fear, uncertainty and doubt

The world feels full of fear, uncertainty and doubt, but will this be enough to propel Peter Dutton’s Coalition into office?

Get the party started

The history of Australia’s political parties is both fascinating and turbulent, but a political system dominated by mass parties shaped by industrial society may now be a thing of the past.

The golden age of the gaffe

Though trivial in themselves, a politician’s “gaffe” can hint at much greater political failings, but the media’s eagerness to pounce on missteps rather than analyse policy substance may be a bigger problem.

Farewell Scotty from marketing

Australia has churned through 6 Prime Ministers since John Howard left office in 2007 in a bipartisan melee of bitter back-stabbing but no-one was less qualified for the job than Scott Morrison, a man whose messianic belief in his own infallibility saw him secretly assume personal control of vast swathes of government during the pandemic.

Give us a job

What do you do after you’ve lost the most important job in the country? If you are wealthy, like Turnbull or Kevin Rudd, there is nothing to worry about. But matters are more complicated for others.

One nation

Anthony Albanese will be taking nothing for granted in his relations with Labor state and territory governments and the premiers and chief ministers will know better than to expect too many free kicks.

The Coalition century

The Liberal-National Coalition marks its 100th birthday this week and has enjoyed long periods in power, but will it survive for many more?

That was the year that was

It’s been an eventful year in Australian domestic politics, with the Coalition swept from power after years of domination.