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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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#BREAKING UPLOAD# NCA 2025 FEDERAL ELECTION Labor BUS. DAY 8 05/04/2025 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the campaign trail In QLD, Electorate of Maranoa Prime Minister with the Minister for Emergency Management, Senator Jenny McAllister, the Mayor of Longreach Cr Tony Rayner and the Mayor of Winton Cr Cathy White. Press conference. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire

PM in race with Dutton over Port Darwin, pledges $100m flood help

Leaders make duelling promises about Port Darwin and our campaign reporters analyse week one | WATCH

Mohammad Alfares and Rhiannon Down

exclusivePolitics

Stills from the Climate200 video 03-04-2025 Supplied - You Tube

Climate 200 slammed for using kids as political fodder

Climate 200 has used children in a political ad that depicts them quoting Peter Dutton and his MPs on climate and energy policy, prompting criticism from the Coalition and youth psychologists.

Rhiannon Down and Geoff Chambers

HypocrisyPolitics

Teal MPs Zoe Daniel, Allegra Spender, Monique Ryan, Kate Chaney, Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall refused to defend or condemn independent Bradfield candidate Nicolette Boele’s conduct.

Silence of the teals: Double standards accusation over Boele’s double entendre

The teals have refused to weigh in on a sexual joke that independent challenger for the Liberal-held seat of Bradfield, Nicolette Boele, made to a 19-year-old hairdresser.

Rhiannon Down

election 2025Nation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, NewsWire Photos. APRIL 17, 2024: High Court of Australia in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Reprieve for Labor after High Court rules against detainees

The Albanese government has won its case against two foreign drug dealers who were seeking to expand the NZYQ ruling to apply to non-citizens being held in detention while their visas are being processed.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVENation

Another High Court decision could see more foreign criminals set free; and former immigration minister Andrew Giles.Pictures: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

More foreign criminals use Direction 110 to have their deportations halted

A drug trafficker and a man who exposed himself to a 10-year-old boy have become the latest foreign criminals to have their deportations halted despite Labor’s revamped ministerial direction.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

Luke Sheehy Chief Executive Officer Universities Australia. Picture: Supplied

Student ‘30pc flat caps to cost $4bn’

The peak body for universities says a proposal to cap international student numbers at a percentage of total enrolments could cost the economy $4bn and cut almost 55,000 students.

Rhiannon Down

ELECTION 2025Politics

NCA 2025 FEDERAL ELECTION Labor BUS. DAY 3 31/03/2025 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the campaign trail In Western Australia Visiting St John of God Midland Hospital in Perth for funding announcement along with, Premier Roger Cook, Labor Health minister Mark Butler,, The WA Health Minister Meredith Hammat, The Labor Member for Hasluck Tania Lawrence (blue jacket), Labor Candidate for Bullwinkel Trish Cook (red jacket), Mum Simi Harsimranjeet Sidhu and baby Amber is 27 hours old., Picture: Jason Edwards/NewsWire

$150m ALP health centre fillip

Anthony Albanese will invest in a new $300m medical centre in Adelaide, as the Prime Minister intensifies his attacks on Peter Dutton over Medicare.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

Freed immigration detainee Masi Ayiik fronted court after being shot by police after allegedly attacking officers with a metal pole.

Detainees walk to freedom through mandatory sentence loophole

Anthony Albanese’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws threatening 12 months’ jail for hundreds of dangerous NZYQ non-citizens who breach visa conditions have been ‘bungled’, with a loophole allowing offenders to remain free.

Geoff Chambers and Rhiannon Down

ELECTION 2025Politics

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - March 25, 2025: Zali Steggall, Monique Ryan and Kate Chaney in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Teals stay silent on support in hung parliament

The teals are refusing to join independents Rebekha Sharkie in revealing who they will back in the event of a hung parliament.

Rhiannon Down

ELECTION 2025Politics

TOPSHOT - Australiaâs Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on March 28, 2025. Australia will hold a general election on May 3, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, locking in a showdown over climate promises, nuclear power and a runaway housing market. (Photo by MIKE BOWERS / AFP)

Albanese ‘seeking majority government’

Anthony Albanese has declared he intends to win a majority government despite his fragile grip on power, shrugging off suggestions he may need to strike a deal with the crossbench.

Rhiannon Down

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