March
Inside four RBA decisions that shook up elections
From controversial rate hikes to politically sensitive cuts, the central bank has often found itself at the heart of the campaign narrative.
How Australia was blindsided on the US tariffs
Australia pulled out all stops to avoid Donald Trump’s duties on steel and aluminium, but “it’s impossible to negotiate with someone who doesn’t want anything”.
PM uses critical minerals as bargaining chip in Trump tariff war
Australia is using its supply of critical minerals as leverage with the Trump Administration, in a bid to avoid a second wave of tariffs.
Jim wins the battle of Queensland as Dutton lies low
Politicians of all stripes have cashed in on the extreme weather in the northern state, but the treasurer was the standout.
The celebrity mansions on the front line of Cyclone Alfred
Gina Rinehart and Chris Hemsworth are among the Australian heavyweights who own luxury coastal properties exposed to landfall of the dangerous storm.
Worried about the world? Rudd argues the 1980s were scarier
Kevin Rudd has attempted to soothe strategic anxieties as Donald Trump upends the international order.
February
Government bracing for tariff rejection by Trump
The Albanese government has started playing down the prospects of securing tariff exemption for the Trump administration.
Rudd, Chalmers, Farrell lock in US talks in race for tariff carve-out
The Albanese government is mounting a full court press in Washington to spare Australian exports from tariffs before the election is called.
Chalmers courts Blackstone, Citi in big super’s US push
The Albanese government is hoping to highlight the two-way investment opportunities between the US and Australia in the hope of wooing the Trump administration.
Chalmers straps in for trip to Trump World
The treasurer’s visit to Washington this week shows the difficulties of navigating the risks and presidential whims dominating any interaction with the Trump White House.
Can Albanese survive the Trump storm heading into election?
As Labor prepares for an election, any momentum for its agenda and achievements keeps being blown off course by the will and whims of Donald Trump.
This US senator stole Joe Hockey’s boots. Now they’ve joined forces
Joe Manchin says Australia will always be a valued ally even if it does not feel that way in the frenzied early days of Donald Trump.
Rudd has the Trump tariff job ahead of him in Washington
Cutting a fresh tariff deal with Trump will be a test of Rudd’s diplomatic skills and ability to secure access and favour in the White House and on Capitol Hill.
Trump lumps allies in with enemies in tariff chaos
US tariffs on steel and aluminium look likely to embroil Australia. What’s an under-pressure Anthony Albanese to do when a president doesn’t care about impact on allies?
Will ‘muzzle velocity’ backfire on Trump?
This week reminded critics and supporters of the chaos of Trump’s first term, when a propensity for wild ideas meant little to show for his four years in power.
January
Three-year terms keep us stuck in short-term thinking
As campaigning starts earlier each election, politics becomes overtly tactical, the public service enters zombie mode and business watches on frustrated as nothing gets done.
Fast-track airport entry for some Aussie travellers to US
Regular Australian visitors will be spared the hassle and long queues of the country’s notorious airport security system under a new system.
LA burning a reminder that climate action matters to Australia
In a hotter world, the risk of more common, more extreme weather is part of the prudent economic case for improving the environment.
What Justin Trudeau’s exit means for progressive politics
Canada’s prime minister is only the latest left-of-centre political leader to leave office in a fog of disillusion and domestic discontent.
Labor’s over the election barrel on Bruce Highway
It is fiscal integrity, more than political integrity, that is the concern as Labor embarks on what could be the start of an election spending spree.