March 2018
Secret BCA survey does not back tax cuts going to jobs, wage rises
Fewer than one in five of Australia's most powerful chief executives say they will use the Turnbull government's proposed company tax cut to directly increase wages or employment.
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- Opinion
Lot of bad policy and bad politics in the past 15 years
There has been a lot of bad public policy and bad politics in Australia in the past 15 years. And occasional moments of the alternative.
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- Opinion
South Australian, Batman elections show the psychology of politics has changed
Two political movements which should have been able to make inroads into the majors have failed, and, as a result, changed the psychology of politics.
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Australian energy could plug into ASEAN energy grid
Australia could be linked in to an ASEAN-wide power grid in future, as countries in the region consider ways to collaborate to access more reliable energy supplies.
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Malcolm Turnbull stresses security at ASEAN summit
Malcolm Turnbull will link security and economic prosperity in a key speech at the ASEAN-Australia summit on Saturday, as Canberra looks to bolster the group and expand its role in the region.
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- Opinion
Batman, South Australia and #MeToo: context is everything in politics
From the weekend's elections to a personal drama in defence, sea changes are shaping public attitudes to everything.
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Australia looks to shore up ASEAN commitment to rules-based order
Australia will seek to boost ASEAN's credentials as the premiere body for maintaining a rules-based order in the region, as members face pressure from China to peel away.
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Trust not the economy drives minor party vote: Grattan
Unlike the rise of the minor parties in other countries, the rise of the minor party vote in Australia does not correlate with economic hard times.
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Australia and Vietnam to sign off on a strategic partnership
Australia will upgrade diplomatic ties with Vietnam this week as Canberra looks to expand its influence in the region and set up a network of security agreements to hedge against a more assertive China.
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Australia may back EU push against US tariffs, despite exemption win
The Turnbull government will consider supporting an EU move against the US steel and aluminium tariffs at the World Trade Organisation despite winning an exemption from the tariff hike over the weekend.
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ALP presidency set for tough left-right battle between Swan and Butler
A fierce Left-Right battle over power structures in the Labor Party is set to unfold at the ALP's national conference after former Treasurer Wayne Swan announced he would be running against frontbencher Mark Butler for the position of national president.
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TPP-11 deal to boost Australian GDP by $18b a year
The Trans-Pacific trade deal signed by Australia and 10 other countries last week could boost Australian exports by $30 billion and increase real GDP by $18 billion, according to economic modelling.
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Donald Trump and the politics of no return
Like a government which hopes that something might just go right, we continue to view Donald Trump as just an aberration.
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February 2018
- Opinion
Will the Nationals ever learn?
What sort of nincompoops must you be to not understand the essential messages that come out of the events of the last few weeks as far as voters are concerned?
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Western Europe: 'Our only existential threat is China'
Western Europe is confronting a reality that it has literally not faced for a millennia: it is no longer the force that shapes global events.
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Europe signals alarm at assertive China's Belt and Road initiative
European leaders have singled out a new assertiveness by China – and particularly its Belt and Road Initiative - as a key driver of a push to develop a joint foreign policy which could see Europe contest China's infrastructure drive into central Asia.
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British Prime Minister Theresa May calls for new security pact with Europe
European ambitions for a more assertive foreign policy amid increasing global instability have been boosted by a strong commitment from Britain.
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European Union gets serious about joint defence plans
Europe is trying to pull together especially in defence manufacturing and that matters for Australia.
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- Opinion
Wayne Swan bows out, proud of his legacy in staving off the GFC
Wayne Swan joins that rare band of politicians who get to leave politics at a time of his own choosing, after announcing on the weekend that he would not contest the next federal election.
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- Opinion
George Brandis and Barnaby Joyce: of high principle and tarnished reputation
George Brandis salutes the spirit of liberalism as Barnaby Joyce shrinks into his shell.
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