Mama, we’re all political now

Young people have become ‘fluid citizens’ who eschew formal institutions but retain the energy and drive to transform what people believe, fear, reject and demand

Change or die

The Liberal party basked in power for many years but it’s lack of internal reform left it out of touch with voters and it now faces existential crisis with its appeal in both the cities and rural regions under threat from the teals and One Nation.

One Nation loomed large over Labor’s conference

One Nation’s surge in the polls has come at the expense of Labor as well as the Coalition, and the threat posed by Pauline Hanson has cast a long shadow over Labor’s party conference in Adelaide.

Ending the tobacco wars

High tobacco taxes helped reduce smoking for decades but now incentivise a massive black market trade with all the gang violence that implies, so is it time to reduce those taxes and relax restrictions on vapes?

Taylor’s twin dilemma

After ousting Sussan Ley as Liberal Leader, Angus Taylor has struggled to restore Liberal fortunes in the face of a rampant One Nation and the feeling that the Liberals’ time has passed.

Free Florence!

The Liberal Party increasingly resembles a cumbersome machine called Florence which got itself stuck in a tunnel in the new Snowy 2.0 hydro scheme.

Weak prospects for Community Strong?

Former independent MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender have announced the formation of their new political party, Community Strong Australia, so what are its prospects for success?

Staying the course

After a quiet first term during which he was consistently criticised for not being bold enough on policy reform Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may be wondering whether the bigger moves of Labor’s second term are worth it.

Stepping off the carousel

Opposition frontbencher Jonno Duniam’s decision to step away from a promising career is a product of the frenetic pressure of modern politics.

How the working class turned right

Working class voters have stopped voting for the traditional socialist and social democratic parties that ignored their interests to embrace middle class concerns and are flocking to the far-right in the USA, Europe and now Australia in the shape of One Nation.

The magnificent seven

The flirtation by some “teals” with the idea of forming a new party is part of the major shakeup underway in our political system, but also fraught with danger for them.

Riding the tiger

Australia churned through seven Prime Ministers in the first quarter of the 21st century, a time when political power centralised in their hands just as media and social changes made their job almost untenable.