This Month
Election donation rules target Palmer and Climate 200
New rules due to come into force in 2026 will cap spending in federal elections and dramatically speed up public disclosure rules.
- Tom McIlroy
Knight’s Choice wins Melbourne Cup in photo finish
It was a photo finish for all places and an upset victory; Coalition calls for Alan Joyce to lose Order of Australia. How the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Hannah Wootton and James Thomson
October
- Opinion
- Federal election
The teals are strangely silent on Albanese’s flights
Maybe these independents don’t want to disrupt the system which may, one day, yield them a nice little upgrade on their way to Italy.
- Updated
- Nick Hossack
August
Aviation white paper arrives late, and lacks action on competition
More delayed than a flight from Sydney to Melbourne, the white paper lets the airlines off the hook.
- Ayesha de Kretser
July
Labor strife exposes risk to our cohesion
Readers’ letters on Fatima Payman’s exit from the Labor Party; Monique Ryan’s call for an early election; handouts for Baby Boomers; the changing face of pharmacies.
June
- Opinion
- Canberra Observed
Teals are ‘paying the piper’ while Dutton plays Russian roulette
Peter Dutton reckons the cost of living doesn’t discriminate between the teal seats and the rest.
- Phillip Coorey
Dutton warns of recession as PM sidesteps over 2035 target
Anthony Albanese did not guarantee unveiling the 2035 emissions reduction target before the next election.
- Phillip Coorey
Dutton escalates climate war with ‘out of touch’ teals
The Coalition will not release its 2030 emissions reduction target until after the next election. It says the teals are closet Greens who are out of touch with their voters.
- Phillip Coorey
Josh Frydenberg, media addict, scores another hit
A few days in the national conversation would have been like a puff of pure oxygen to his brain, awakening urges and impulses recently set aside.
- Myriam Robin
Frydenberg rules out a return to politics – for now
Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has ended a brief flirtation with a return to politics, saying he will not seek preselection for his old seat of Kooyong.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Federal election
The Liberals need Frydenberg, but at what cost?
The optics of a bloke pushing aside a woman, especially in a teal seat, just because it’s suddenly become winnable, will be poor.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
April
Average HECS debts to rise by $2350 on June 1
There may be relief for student-debt holders in the upcoming budget, but it won’t come soon enough to prevent a 4.7 per cent increase.
- Julie Hare
Relief in sight as anger over student debt escalates
Rising student debt is crippling a generation of recent graduates, but the Prime Minister has indicated help is on the way.
- Julie Hare
March
Teals back cutting HECS indexation
Independent MPs are pushing for reform of the student loans system ahead of the May budget.
- Julie Hare
University reforms get thumbs up from teals, Nationals
The ambitious 25-year plan to double the number of people with a degree has found many fans in Canberra.
- Julie Hare
February
‘Horse has bolted’: Burke consults over right-to-disconnect fix
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has initiated a last-minute consultation with business over a technical fix to the right to disconnect.
- David Marin-Guzman
Wong meets with UN’s Palestinian relief agency weeks after aid frozen
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has spoken with the head of the UN Palestinian refugee relief agency, Philippe Lazzarini, weeks after Australia froze aid. Follow updates live.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
January
- Exclusive
- Tax reform
CEOs urge summit to break tax ‘malaise’
The country’s peak business group will attempt to jumpstart a moribund reform agenda with a national summit.
- Samantha Hutchinson
Teals issue tax cuts warning to Labor
Anthony Albanese will reject any deal with the Greens that would take more benefits of the stage three tax cuts away from high-income earners.
- Tom McIlroy
Frydenberg not running in Kooyong
Liberal nominations are due on Monday for former treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s former seat, with several candidates vying to unseat teal Monique Ryan.
- John Kehoe