September
Labor firms on Queenslander to replace Victorian Bill Shorten
Bill Shorten’s seat of Maribyrnong will go to Victorian Labor’s left faction, while retiring MP Brendan O’Connor’s seat of Gorton is subject to a battle between two right-faction unions.
- Ronald Mizen
July
PM stresses stability ahead of first reshuffle in two years
NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is the hot favourite to replace Linda Burney in cabinet and Indigenous Affairs.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Federal election
Stability is one thing PM can promise that his opponent cannot
When Fatima Payman claimed that “unlike my colleagues, I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of injustice”, she’d clearly never met Linda Burney.
- Phillip Coorey
May
‘Horrible on every level’: Universities object to migration changes
Changes to limit the number of foreign students at educational colleges, universities and schools are highly interventionist and prescribe not only where students can study but what they can learn, providers said.
- Updated
- Julie Hare
Labor to give teaching, nursing students $320 per week payment
Teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students will receive a weekly payment to help offset the costs of mandatory placements.
- Julie Hare
October 2023
Students not the only ones dropping out for better-paid work
Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor says low pay is a factor in apprentices failing to complete their trades training, but not the only reason.
- Andrew Tillett
August 2023
Crackdown looms on rogue students, colleges
The federal government has stepped in to ward off growing cases of rorting and corruption in the student visa system.
- Julie Hare
PM says he’ll make wine, lobster case direct to Xi Jinping
Anthony Albanese has confirmed he is prepared to visit China without winning any further concessions from Beijing.
- Phillip Coorey
March 2023
- Updated
- Aviation
Qantas to hire thousands as it reverses pandemic cuts
The airline will hire 2300 pilots, cabin crew and engineers in the next 18 months, with the full plan to increase headcount by 8500 people.
- Updated
- Lucas Baird and Gus McCubbing
October 2022
Half of apprentices drop out and everybody loses, minister says
Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor says taxpayers are getting poor value for money for the billions spent on apprenticeships.
- Euan Black and Julie Hare
Treasurer escalates case to wind back tax cuts
Jim Chalmers will push harder to pare back the stage three reductions in the October budget by revealing the immediate cost blowouts facing the government.
- Phillip Coorey
September 2022
Multi-employer bargaining could be compulsory
The government refuses to rule out making multi-employer bargaining compulsory, playing down the threat of industry-wide strike action.
- Phillip Coorey
July 2022
- Exclusive
- Federal budget
Grill’d billed taxpayers $16.6m for ‘hamburger university’
The popular burger chain was the top user of a worker training scheme set up by the Morrison government during the pandemic.
- Ronald Mizen
Chalmers open to migration fix for ‘acute’ labour shortages
The Treasurer says allowing more overseas workers into Australia could be part of moves to help business fill critical vacancies.
- Tom McIlroy
June 2022
- Opinion
- Skills shortage
Micro-credentials are the best match for Australia’s skills shortages
Modelling suggests that greater use of short vocational courses would close the gap in occupations where demand is growing faster than supply.
- Janine Dixon
- Exclusive
- Skills shortage
Labor to ‘reset’ stalled talks over $12b national skills deal
Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor says resetting negotiations over the stalled National Skills Agreement will be his No.1 priority, as Australia faces the second-worst labour shortages in the developed world.
- Ronald Mizen
May 2022
Labor plans medical manufacturing boost
Anthony Albanese says he would establish a medical manufacturing fund worth $1.5 billion, to avoid a repeat of COVID-19 shortages.
- Tom McIlroy
- Analysis
- Federal election
No blood on the floor at defence debate
Defence Minister Peter Dutton was more confident while his opposite Brendan O’Connor stood his ground, so on balance Labor would be happy.
- Andrew Tillett
April 2022
Hey Siri: Labor to outline plan for cutting-edge defence research
The Opposition says it will create a new research body modelled on the US agency that gave the world the internet, GPS and Siri.
- Andrew Tillett
Claims China interfered in federal election are ‘unhinged’, Labor says
Labor says claims that China timed Solomons pact to interfere in the Australian election are ‘conspiratorial fantasy’.
- Andrew Tillett