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Rhiannon Down is a political reporter in The Australian’s Canberra bureau. She began her career at the paper in the Sydney bureau, where she covered mostly courts and crime, after joining the newspaper as a cadet.

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Politics NowNation19 minutes ago

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - November 19, 2024: Dan Tehan MP attends the Fit for Office launch, a three week fitness challenge for 40 plus MPs and senators at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Tehan warns of ‘left-wing alliance’ working against Coalition

Opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan has warned that Climate 200, Labor and the Greens are working as a ‘progressive front’, urging his Coalition colleagues to be wary of the threat.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVENation

Tehan warns of ‘left-wing alliance’

Opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan has warned that Climate 200, Labor and the Greens are working as a ‘progressive front’, urging his Coalition colleagues to be wary of the threat.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

CANBERRA, Australia - NewsWire Photos - November 5, 2024: Minister for Skills and Training of Australia, Andrew Giles and Minister during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Detainee spared deportation after minister’s delay

A sex offender has been spared deportation in a ruling that undermines Labor’s bid to contain the fallout of an immigration blunder.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

Wednesday 1st June 2022. The Australian. The Hon Andrew Robb AO, Chair, Project Steering Committee, Australian AgriFood Data Exchange with The Weekly Times Editor James Wagstaff at the Global Food Forum.Photograph by Arsineh Houspian

Ex-minister urges PM: ‘Don’t make concession to Trump on trade’

Andrew Robb, the architect of multiple free-trade deals, has urged Anthony Albanese to focus on the nation’s shared history with the US in a potential meeting with Donald Trump.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVENation

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - June 3rd 2025: The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in Perth today with Premier Roger Cook, Minister Catherine King and WA Minister Rita Saffioti, announcing upgrades to the Kwinana Freeway; Main Roads Dept, Perth, WA. Picture: NewsWire/Philip Gostelow

Unis seek EU escape from Trump

Universities are turning to Europe for certainty on research funding amid Donald Trump’s escalating attacks on higher education, ahead of Anthony Albanese’s potential meeting with the US President.

Rhiannon Down

Politics NowPolitics

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - May 28, 2025: Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley and Party leader of the National Party of Australia David Littleproud hold a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Policies up for review, values are not: Ley’s pep talk for battered Libs

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says she won’t rush a thorough review of Liberal policies after the Coalition’s crushing election loss, but moved to reassure supporters that core Liberal values of aspiration and getting ahead would be front and centre.

Sarah Ison, Rhiannon Down, Matthew Cranston and Kyle Rode

EXCLUSIVENation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - March 26, 2025: Leader of the House, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Detainee fails to halt deportation to Nauru

An immigration detainee and convicted wife killer has lost his legal fight against Labor’s bid to deport him to the Pacific Island nation.

Rhiannon Down

Politics NowNation

Opposition deputy leader and Treasury spokesman Ted O'Brien and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

Coalition locks in its opposition to super tax plan

Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet has signed off on its first major policy position since Labor’s landslide May 3 election victory, determining Jim Chalmers is not serious about negotiating with the Coalition.

Geoff Chambers, Rhiannon Down and Matthew Cranston

Security SPENDINGDefence

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 4TH, 2025: Minister for Defence Industry and Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy speaking at the 2025 ASPI Defence Conference in Canberra on June 4th, 2025. Picture: Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)

ALP ‘open’ to boosting defence budget

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has moved to bolster Australia’s defence credentials ahead of Anthony Albanese’s first meeting with Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada.

Rhiannon Down

CoalitionPolitics

CANBERRA, Australia - NewsWire Photos - August 20, 2024: Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Senator Jonathon Duniam and Senator Susan McDonald hold a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

‘Ideology has no place in school’

Jonathon Duniam will push for a review of the national curriculum and the removal of ideology from the classroom.

Rhiannon Down

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/rhiannon-down