Knowing when to go

Just like pop and sports stars, most politicians cling to office long past their sell-by date, tarnishing their reputation in the process.

Dutton’s tightrope

Peter Dutton has not steered the Coalition to a new course after their heavy election defeat, preferring to maintain party unity and wait for Labor to falter.

Liberals at the crossroads

Scott Morrison’s strategy of abandoning moderate heartland seats, spurning professional women, emphasising wedge issues and infuriating Western Australia has backfired spectacularly, leaving the Liberal party with fundamental questions about its identity after nine years of power.

Who’s up at half time in the election campaign?

Half way through the interminable Australian Federal election campaign, whose stock has risen and who has faltered in the face of the ultimate political challenge?

How the Coalition can win

Scott Morrison proved the Coalition’s secret weapon in the 2019 campaign, but may have become their greatest electoral problem in their pursuit of a repeat.

Trumpism down-under

Australians followed the 2020 presidential race in the United States with greater-than-usual interest, but the spectacle might herald a plausible descent for Australia’s politics, too.

Our Pacific neighbours need more than kind words

Pacific countries are eager for assistance in securing their future, whether sourced from old friends like the US and Australia, or new enthusiasts like the Chinese.

All image, no vision

Scott Morrison ditched the hat, and Bill Shorten started smiling more, but it hasn’t helped either candidate generate genuine charisma. Australia’s image-conscious but visionless leaders have made for a dreary Federal election campaign.