Ditching net-zero won’t save the Liberals

Sussan Ley’s decision to ditch the Coalition’s bipartisan climate commitment may win her more time in the party room and save the alliance with the Nationals but will not win back young voters.

50 years on from the ‘dismissal’

The dismissal of Gough Whitlam as Australia’s Prime Minister 50 years ago remains seared in the memory of many Australians who were adults or even children at the time, and was a life-changing day for everyone in Canberra’s Parliament House.

Walking the talk on transparency

The Albanese government hasn’t “walked its talk” about accountability and integrity and needs to honor its stated commitment to transparency to restore public trust in democracy and its institutions.

A nation divided

The multi-cultural and political rifts that have surfaced over the last two years in response to the war in Gaza were there well before the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 2023, and even when this conflict subsides, it will leave fractures, anger, bitterness and fear across the Australian community.

Do we need more politicians?

Should we have more federal politicians? Special Minister of State Don Farrell believes there’s a case and has asked the parliamentary joint standing committee on electoral matters to examine the arguments.

Reimagining Australia’s universities

Former Labor leader and current University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Bill Shorten has called for a “fundamental re-imagining” of Australia’s universities as a “core instrument of our national power”.

Australia expels Iranian ambassador over antisemetic attacks

Australia has expelled Iranian diplomats in protest against the antisemetic attacks on a Jewish synagogue and other sites in 2024.

Spies like us

ASIO boss Mike Burgess estimates that commercial and state espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, with hackers stealing a slew of defence and commercial intellectual property.

The roundtable and after

The Federal Government’s much heralded roundtable on productivity produced a ‘laundry basket’ of ideas, including tax reform, for Labor to pursue in its second term.

Welcome to the worm farm

Labor’s much hyped productivity round table will see business, unions and other vested interests trot out their self-serving agendas, and perhaps highlight the divisions between the Prime Minister’s caution and his treasurer’s reforming zeal.

Business coalition calls for pro-business policies to benefit business

Business, universities, and investors have urged the federal government to commit to cutting the cost of red tape by 25% by 2030 in a submission for next month’s Economic Reform Roundtable.

Welcome to Parliament

Anthony Albanese hasn’t been in any rush to convene the new parliament, which Governor-General Sam Mostyn will open on Tuesday, but much of the attention in its first few days will focus on the opposition.