January
Follow Trump’s lead on gender choices: Coalition MPs
Australia should follow Donald Trump’s moves to recognise only two sexes – male and female – say prominent opposition MPs Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan.
Coalition leaves us stuck playing politics on climate
Readers’ letters on emissions reporting, Scott Morrison at Donald Trump’s party, the bugging of East Timor by John Howard’s government, the housing crisis and polling.
November 2024
Coalition MPs to cross the floor on social media ban
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was forced to confirm that platforms would not be able to compel users to hand over sensitive identification documents.
Banks face new levy to keep rural branches open
Banks would pay a levy of up to tens of millions dollars each a year if they fail to keep a large enough presence in regional and rural areas.
July 2024
Sydney power restaurant hosts another Rinehart dinner
Australia’s richest resident gathered political and non-political friends at the Blue Angel.
May 2024
Raise bank levy and force AusPost deals, branch closure probe says
The government should build a new publicly owned bank to service regional towns and increase the major bank levy, a Senate inquiry has found.
Bank users face extra $370m in fees to keep rural branches open
The costings come as a Senate probe into the impact of branch closures on regional communities prepares to report on Friday.
April 2024
D’Ambrosio gas claim debunked after outburst against Labor’s King
In another Victorian clash over gas with the Albanese government, Lily D’Ambrosio accused Madeleine King of behaving like “a Coalition minister”.
February 2024
PM says Aussie nickel will prevail, Nats demand climate policy relief
Anthony Albanese says Australian nickel miners will ultimately have a competitive advantage over environmentally-unfriendly Indonesian competitors.
October 2023
Qantas moons the Senate
The airline considers itself an arm of government when it wants protectionist policy settings but a private company when any transparency is required of it.
September 2023
Fire at Genex Power battery project in Qld a ‘rare occurrence’
Genex Power chief executive Craig Francis says too early to tell cause of fire at 50-megawatt Bouldercombe battery project near Rockhampton.
Bankers battle against regional branch mandate
Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn said it was unsustainable to invest in the regional network as the use of physical cash declined.
August 2023
PwC scandal casts secrecy shadow over Commonwealth Games inquiry
Witnesses before an inquiry into Victoria cancelling the Commonwealth Games were quick to explain why they had to remain silent.
EY stands by Games advice, refuses to say how much it was paid
EY consultants have told a federal inquiry they stand by the work that put the cost of the 2026 Commonwealth Games at $2.6 billion, before the Andrews government cancelled the event citing a cost blowout up to $7 billion.
Clock ticking on carbon ‘tariff’ battle, say vulnerable manufacturers
A government review of the safeguard mechanism carbon reduction targets is due in 2026-27, which could hasten action.
Farmers can’t afford net zero, says Rinehart
Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, said governments should help the agriculture sector with the cost of electrifying all their farm equipment.
Andrews should explain his ‘casual disregard’ over Games
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is under growing pressure to give evidence to two parliamentary inquiries into the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games.
July 2023
New productivity boss’ gilded life as a Labor econocrat
Chris Barrett’s elevation as the new chairman of the government’s key economic think tank, the Productivity Commission, follows decades of politically aided progress.
January 2023
The Coalition climate warriors hold fire
Peter Dutton and other prominent conservatives seemed to have declared a truce over climate policy after their disastrous election performance.
July 2022
Amanda Stoker’s wild imagination
Post-parliamentary careers are often a thing of wonder given the general lack of discernible skills human beings need to operate in civil society.