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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

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EXCLUSIVEPolitics

POOL. 2025 Federal Election. Opposition leader Peter Dutton and Nationals Leader David Littleproud meet with John Ferguson Bulloo Shire Mayor at Thargomindah where there’s major flooding events. Monday 31st March 2025. Photo: James Brickwood/POOL, ,

Leader’s $5k gala as seat floods

Nationals leader David Littleproud has quietly held a $5000-a-head election fundraiser in Brisbane while much of his western Queensland electorate is being ravaged by floodwaters.

Sarah Elks and Michael McKenna

tacticsPolitics

NCA 2025 Federal Election Liberal Bus 03/04/2025Western Australia Leader of the Australian Liberal party Peter Dutton makes an announcement on the tariffs that have been implicated onto Australia by the US over night on the campaign trail for the 2025 federal election.Picture Thomas Lisson / NewsWire

Dutton’s seat under ALP frontbench fire

Peter Dutton is campaigning across Australia in an attempt to unseat Anthony Albanese and Labor from government. But what’s happening on the ground in his own electorate?

Sarah Elks

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

Generic Traffic - Heavy traffic on the M1 Pacific Motorway heading south towards the Gold Coast from Brisbane.Picture: Nigel Hallett

Liberals to drop fines on car emissions

The Coalition will abolish fines for car companies who breach targets under Australia’s first vehicle emissions standards scheme.

Greg Brown, Sarah Elks and Joanna Panagopoulos

FEEDING THE CHOOKSFeeding the Chooks

Cheryl Chopping sent in this photo of a crocodile at the Fitzroy River, saying

Who was the mastermind of Olympic rowing on croc-infested river?

Anthony Albanese’s union army goes on the march against Peter Dutton, and Chooks discovers who came up with the idea to host Olympic rowing in croc-infested Rockhampton.

Michael McKenna, Sarah Elks and Mackenzie Scott

BRISBANE OLYMPICSNation

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli playing tennis during his tour of Ingham Tennis Court Complex. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Flood-prone tennis upgrade ‘not worth $113m price tag’

David Crisafulli was warned Tennis Australia’s $113m plan to overhaul Queensland’s tennis centre for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics was not worth the cost but the Premier backed it anyway.

Sarah Elks

ELECTION 2025Politics

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16, 2025: The Australian Greens Party will hold a VOTE event hosted by Abbie Chatfield with Adam Bandt, leader of the Au stralian Greens headlining with a DJ set. A day party with a side of political enlightenment.Picture: NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani

Minority government coming: Bandt

Greens Leader Adam Bandt has ruled out making a deal with the Coalition or requesting a ministerial position from Labor if the election hands either party a minority government.

Rhiannon Down and Sarah Elks

policy contestNation

Test; Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton with a climate background for Inquirer. Illustration by Emilia Tortorella.

The big issues that will decide the election winner

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are offering voters two of the most starkly different agendas in recent Australian political history.

Sarah Elks

YOUR ELECTION GUIDENation

28 March 2025; Albo and key seats map, Anthony Albanese. Sources: Supplied. Artwork by Frank Ling (and assets by Emilia Tortorella). Ratio 4:3 and 16:9. For DIGITAL.

The 33 battleground electorates to watch

These are the seats that will decide the result; Labor can afford a net loss of just two to hold on to majority government; the Coalition needs a net gain of 22.

David Tanner and Sarah Elks

Bombshell ReportNation

BRISBANE AUSTRALIA FRIDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2025 The Star Casino group has halted trading on the Stock Exchange this morning. Generic pictures of The Star at Queens Wharf Brisbane Picture David Clark

Casino tied to famous crime king

The co-owner of embattled casino operator Star Entertainment’s Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane repeatedly misled Queensland’s gaming regulator about its dealings with the Macau-based kingpin of a $160bn illegal gambling operation.

Sarah Elks and Jamie Walker

BRISBANE OLYMPICSNation

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos MARCH 26, 2025: Inside of the GABBAPremier David Crisafulli, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander hold a news conference at the GABBA in Brisbane.Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Premier’s Gabba dream to cost $500m

Queensland will have to spend $500m on the doomed Gabba stadium to keep it operational until the 2032 Olympics, before knocking it down to sell off to property developers.

Sarah Elks

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/sarah-elks/page/3