Our Team

Sarah ElksSenior Reporter

Sarah Elks is a senior reporter for The Australian in its Brisbane bureau, focusing on investigations into politics, business and industry. Sarah has worked for the paper for 15 years, primarily in Brisbane, but also in Sydney, and in Cairns as north Queensland correspondent. She has covered election campaigns, high-profile murder trials, and natural disasters, and was named Queensland Journalist of the Year in 2016 for a series of exclusive stories exposing the failure of Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel business. Sarah has been nominated for four Walkley awards. Got a tip? elkss@theaustralian.com.au; GPO Box 2145 Brisbane QLD 4001

@sarahelks

Sarah Elks

Latest

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

28/4/2025: Premier of QueenslandPremier David Crisafulli, Attorney-General Deb Frecklington and Police Minister Dan Purdie hold a news conference at 1 William, Brisbane. Brisbane. pic: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Crisafulli settled $200,000 insolvent trading claim

David Crisafulli agreed to pay $200,000 in compensation for alleged insolvent trading to avoid being taken to court by liquidators.

Sarah Elks

FEEDING THE CHOOKSFeeding the Chooks

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 24: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media on April 24, 2025 in Perth, Australia. The Australian federal election is scheduled to be held on May 3, with a broad range of polls indicating a narrow lead for Labor on a two-party preferred basis. (Photo by Matt Jelonek/Getty Images)

Could Queensland save Albanese from minority government?

Labor insiders say Queensland is the key to majority government for Anthony Albanese, as an ex-Nationals MP in Rome is forced to take a pit stop as he waits for the new Pope.

Michael McKenna and Sarah Elks

renegadePolitics

Former Queensland Liberal Party State Director Geoff Greene, responds to former Indiegnous Affairs Minister Mal Brough at his home in Ferny Grove, Brisbane.

Ex-campaign boss backs LNP defector

The Liberal heavyweight who orchestrated Peter Dutton’s 2019 and 2022 wins in his Brisbane electorate is telling voters to support Liberal National Party defector Gerard Rennick in the Senate.

Sarah Elks

DawsonPolitics

SUNSHINE COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 19: Australian businessman Clive Palmer and the leader of the Trumpet of Patriots party Suellen Wrightson celebrate during the federal election campaign launch of their 'Trumpet of Patriots' party on April 19, 2025 on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Australian businessman and former member of parliament, Clive Palmer is intending to contest the 2025 federal election with his Trumpet of Patriots party. (Photo by Dan Peled/Getty Images)

Palmer says Trumpet may blow Dutton’s seat

Clive Palmer says his decision to put Peter Dutton’s MPs last on his Trumpet of Patriots how-to-vote cards could threaten about 20 marginal Coalition seats.

Sarah Elks

exclusivePolitics

17-04-2025 - Senator Pauline Hanson with One Nation’s lead Senate candidate, her daughter, Lee Hanson on the campaign trail in Tasmania. Picture: Facebook

Hanson won’t play ball on Coalition preferences

Pauline Hanson is refusing to repay Coalition moves to preference One Nation in key battleground seats, putting minor conservative parties ahead of Liberal and National MPs and candidates.

Sarah Elks and Michael McKenna

QUEENSLANDMining & Energy

Photographs of the damage caused by the blast at Callide C3 power station on April 4. Picture: Seven News Brisbane

Coal power station ‘too dangerous, old’

The embattled Callide coal-fired power station is too dangerous and unreliable to underpin the state’s future energy needs, according to new modelling.

Sarah Elks

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWIRE Photos MARCH 13, 2024: Stock pictures of police emergency. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

State’s database for guns missing its targets

Queensland still does not have a working digital gun licensing system, nearly five years after police were warned the current regime was risking officers’ lives.

Sarah Elks

commentaryNation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - April 9, 2025: Adam Bandt MP, Australian Greens Leader, addresses the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra for the

Bandt not so vocal when he’s asked the questions

Adam Bandt wants the major parties to be subjected to scrutiny, but the Greens leader can’t cop the same treatment.

Sarah Elks

ExclusivePolitics

Greens MPÃs Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates at Kangaroo Point. Picture Lachie Millard

At risk Greens MPs make teal-tinged ‘strong independent’ pitch

The three Greens MPs trying to fend off major party attacks to hold on to Brisbane electorates are pitching themselves as a ‘strong independent voice in parliament’.

Sarah Elks

‘Failure at the highest levels’Politics

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - APRIL 8, 2025.Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Energy David Janetzki during a press conference after delivering a keynote address to the Queensland Energy Club. Picture: Dan Peled / NewsWire

Janetzki puts the blame on bosses

The Queensland Treasurer has blamed a government-owned power company for misleading him and allowing him to provide ‘grossly inaccurate’ information to the Premier.

Sarah Elks

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/sarah-elks