Our Team

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.

@rhi_down

Latest

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, Daily Telegraph, Saturday, 29 October 2022.Crowds of people photographed at Bondi Beach. NSW Picture: Daily Telegraph / Monique Harmer

Students shunned, travellers flood in

The number of working holiday-makers has surged to a record high under an Albanese government crackdown on temporary migration.

Rhiannon Down

disability schemePolitics

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - February 13, 2025: Hon Amanda Rishworth MP at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

NDIS to notch up $600m in savings

More than $600m has been shaved off the projected budget forecast for NDIS in the first seven months of the financial year despite almost 20,000 new participants joining the scheme in the past quarter alone.

Simon Benson, Rhiannon Down and Sarah Ison

ELECTION 2025Politics

WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA. NewsWire Photos. FEBRUARY 14, 2025. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, was in Wollongong today and will held a press conference with Carol Berry candidate for Whitlam. Picture: PMO via NewsWire

PM gets an earful as critics question ex-Greens pick

Anthony Albanese’s official launch of the Labor candidate for Whitlam, Carol Berry, has been derailed by hecklers.

Rhiannon Down

Politics NowNation

Anthony Albanese has been heckled by anti-wind farm during a visit to a Bluecope Steelworths centre in NSW’s south coast., The Prime Minister was greeting supporters when a passer began yelling at him. Picture: ABC,

‘Stupid’: Howard lashes Bowen over nuclear as PM heckled on wind farms

Former prime minister John Howard has branded the Albanese government “stupid” for turning its back on nuclear energy, as he campaigns for the Liberal Party in the seat of Paterson in NSW.

Rhiannon Down and Mohammad Alfares

POLITICSPolitics

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - February 13, 2025: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

PM pushed to put ‘racist’ Greens last

Anthony Albanese has refused to commit to preferencing the Greens last at the federal election, after the Coalition ramped up pressure on him to direct voters to place the ‘racist, anti-Semitic party’ last.

Rhiannon Down

IndigenousIndigenous

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - February 12, 2025: Margaret Andrews, wife of the late Liberal MP Kevin Andrews hands Senator Jacinta Price a message stick her husband was given by Aboriginal people from the NT for his move to ban voluntary assisted dying. NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Andrews’ treasured message stick to return home

For Margaret Andrews honouring her late husband, former Liberal minister Kevin Andrews, meant sending one of his most treasured possessions home.

Rhiannon Down

POLITICSPolitics

CANBERRA, Australia - NewsWire Photos - October 9, 2024: Senator Fatima Payman holds a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

PM’s shindig causes angst among those on outer

Labor turncoat Fatima Payman has criticised Anthony Albanese for ‘secretly courting’ the teals after he hosted independent MPs at the Lodge.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVENation

Cocktail hour at The Lodge for teals who could choose next PM

Teal and independent MPs received last-minute invitations for 6.30pm drinks at the PM’s residence on Monday and Tuesday, marking the first time the teals have travelled to The Lodge since the 2022 election | WATCH

Geoff Chambers and Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVENation

Liberal Senate candidate Claire Chandler at a campaign rally in Launceston in Tasmania, Wednesday, April 18, 2019. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Senator vows review into grants to anti-Israel artists

Opposition arts spokeswoman Claire Chandler will review the allocation of government funding to artists who express anti-Semitic views, declaring that the sector has earned a ‘bad reputation’ for being too left wing.

Rhiannon Down

EXCLUSIVENation

Picture of a cross taken in Punta de Tralca, west of Santiago, on July 30, 2018 as Chile's Episcopal Conference holds an extraordinary meeting to analyze the roots of the current crisis that the Catholic Church is experiencing in the country, burdened by the scandals of sexual abuse and cover-up, and how to overcome it. Chile is investigating more than 150 members of the country's embattled Catholic Church -- both clergymen and lay people -- for perpetrating or concealing the sexual abuse of children and adults, prosecutors said last week. / AFP PHOTO / CLAUDIO REYES

Hate-crimes bill’s ‘chilling effect’ on free speech

Christian schools have warned that Labor’s hate-speech laws could be ‘weaponised’ against religious teachings, as a push to introduce a serious vilification offence failed in parliament.

Rhiannon Down

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/rhiannon-down/page/3