Don’t ignore threat to Muslims just because mosques haven’t burned: envoy
The political furore over social cohesion has escalated, with Anthony Albanese’s hand-picked Islamophobia envoy weighing in.
Politics
Council scraps flag after two-sided treatment sparks outrage
The handing-out of a double-sided Australian and Aboriginal flag at citizenship ceremonies on the Gold Coast has been axed by the Gold Coast City Council after complaints by residents and its own elected officials.
Schoolkids shun the classroom
At least 1.6 million Australian children missed a month’s worth of lessons last year, as school attendance slipped back towards pandemic-level lows.
GPs want a political road map for health
In the coming election campaign, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will have to promise longer GP consults, train more doctors and prioritise women’s health to get doctors on side.
Industry demands freight scheme fix
Cabinet makers can claim the cost of timber but not hinges or handles; a new bottle shape requires multiple signed forms. No wonder industry wants the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme overhauled.
Be like Donald, Rinehart tells nation’s leaders
The nation’s richest person is pushing Australian leaders to emulate Donald Trump, urging the Albanese government to set up a version of the Department of Government Efficiency and withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
Trade levies ‘can beef up our opportunities’
While most of the world shudders at the prospect of looming tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, some of Australia’s cattle producers see it as a positive opportunity.
Union veteran Burrow to cast judgment on uni leaders’ pay deals
Union heavyweight Sharan Burrow has been appointed by the Albanese government to a new university governance board that will probe vice-chancellors’ million-dollar pay packets.
Dutton goes for poll jugular: strategies show PM on back foot
Anthony Albanese has launched a pre-election sandbagging operation to shield vulnerable electorates, as Peter Dutton wages an offensive campaign targeting Labor, Greens and teals seats.
Anti-Semitism is now an election issue for Albanese
Voters looking at how the federal government is responding to violence associated with anti-Semitism will be considering it in light of their willingness to deal with crime more broadly.
Athletes’ village is now a task of Olympian difficulty
Veteran developer Don O’Rorke has declared Brisbane’s Olympic village can be built in four years after revelations the lion’s share of funding to house 10,000 athletes in 2032 was yet to be budgeted.
Labor’s 1.2m homes target not on track despite rebound
A surge in new home builds boosts hopes in Labor ranks that the Albanese government’s ambitious 1.2 million new homes pledge remains in play, amid industry warnings of a dramatic shortfall.
Greens’ $10bn push for ‘free’ public school
The Greens will use a $10bn cash splash to help parents with children in public schools to win over working voters, with the policy forming part of the minor party’s demands to Labor in a hung parliament.
Wong in talks with Rubio and Waltz
Penny Wong will be one of the first foreign ministers in the world to meet with US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio after attending Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington.
Auschwitz event the centre of new row
Penny Wong and Mark Dreyfus will represent Australia at an event commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz, amid confusion over previous signals the government was sending Labor Senate president Sue Lines.
ALP’s workaround to cope with a new political climate
The Albanese government has raised the prospect of working more closely with Democrat-controlled states in the US on climate change initiatives.
Cops suspect foreign actors paying crims for anti-Semitic attacks
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has revealed that anti-Semitic offenders could be local criminals being paid by overseas actors in cryptocurrency, as national cabinet convened following the firebombing of a Sydney childcare centre.
Farmers lobby to avert trade tariffs
Producers and countries around the world breathed a sigh of relief when Donald Trump did not introduce blanket tariffs on the first day of his presidency, as promised.
PM dropped hose on dousing flames of anti-Semitism
It has taken the firebombing of a childcare centre to force a volte-face from the Prime Minister to hold a national cabinet meeting.
‘Porn’ comic banned but kids can borrow
Children are free to borrow a graphic comic book from public libraries even though the e-Safety Commissioner has censored the online version.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/page/14