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.

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.

Breaking promises and ‘building trust’

Anthony Albanese was highly reluctant to break promises in his first term, resisting pressure to reverse the Coalition’s tax cuts, because he had undertaken to deliver them intact. Second time around, it’s a different story.

One year on

Australians are persistently anxious about the present, and increasingly pessimistic about the future, so a year on from Labor’s election winning landslide, what has the Albanese government done to allay their worries?

Why don’t voters like Albo?

The times seem to suit Anthony Albanese and the opposition is in disarray so why isn’t he more popular?

Restoring faith in democracy

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his second term government is “focused on delivery” to improve Australians’ faith in democracy as well as the strength of the economy.

Time to deliver

Labor made a lot of promises and spending commitments during the election campaign, so it’s now time to deliver results and achieve its housing, wages and other economic aims.

What’s the big idea?

After a modest list of achievements in its first term, Labor has the majority and political capital to pursue more ambitious goals in its second term, so what policy reforms should it take on?

Did Labor deliver?

Democratic governments across the globe tend to deliver roughly two-thirds of their promises, though most voters believe it is far fewer, so how did Labor do in its first term?

Labor needs a refreshed message

Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party’s hope of clinging to government in 2025 hinges on dramatically reshaping their pitch to voters more concerned about hip-pocket issues than broader economic messages.

Shorten’s plea for moderation

In his farewell speech to Parliament, Bill Shorten has declared himself ‘a proud moderate’ and that Australians ‘in the middle’ shouldn’t be hostage to intolerant fringes.

Happy Christmas, Albo?

Halfway into its first term, the big question is whether the Albanese government is in a temporary bad patch, or at the beginning of a downhill slide.