Your morning Briefing

Welcome to your morning roundup of what’s making news and the must-reads for today.

Hello readers. Here is your two-minute digest of what’s making news today.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a motion to suspend standing orders in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, February 15, 2018. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

PM pays price

Malcolm Turnbull’s lead over Bill Shorten as the preferred prime minister has evaporated, with the leaders now virtually neck and neck following the fallout from the Coalition crisis over the Barnaby Joyce love-child scandal and bungled personal ­attacks on the Labor leader. The collapse in the Prime Minister’s personal ratings in the past month comes as Mr Turnbull approaches the benchmark 30 Newspolls behind Labor, which he set as a measure of failure when he challenged Tony Abbott for the leadership. Simon Benson writes that it’s the PM’s perfect storm, as the latest Newspoll confirms that the government continues to meander toward defeat.

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Federal opposition leader Bill Shorten visited Cairns to announce Labor's proposal for a Northern Australia Tourism Infrastructure fund and board, should the party win the next election. Picture: BRENDAN RADKE

Shorten’s cash splash

Bill Shorten handed out about $100,000 of his union members’ money to multiple Labor candidates during the 2007 election campaign — but there is no apparent evidence that any of the funds were approved as legally required. When Labor’s federal leader was still boss of the Australian Workers Union in the months leading up to his first election to federal parliament that year, he directed union funds to at least a dozen individual Labor candidates around the country.

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Tom Jellett oped cartoon for 05-03-18Version: Single CartoonCOPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.

Missing Leak

Social justice moralisers scaled new heights this past year. Jennifer Oriel suggests Bill Leak would have nailed them all, and offers up some of the episodes that would’ve made fine fodder for Leak’s pen.

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President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with steel and aluminum executives in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Thursday, March 1, 2018, in Washington. Trump's announcement that he will impose stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum has upended political alliances on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump’s trade fumble

The true heart of Donald Trump is exposed. His protectionism is a threat to American workers, ­industry and exports, a betrayal of US leadership and guaranteed to provoke retaliation leading to possibly more serious global damage, writes Paul Kelly. Malcolm Turnbull had no ­option but to attack protectionism and, by extension, repudiate Trump. This is the most dangerous step from Trump since his White House victory. Given Trump’s addiction as a dealmaker this opens wide scope for deals off the back of an extreme initial play.

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Johannes Leake Media cartoon for 05-03-2018Version: Business Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.

ABC board games

Stephen Brook looks at the shortlist for the staff-elected ABC board director spot; changes at the top of Fairfax; plus Press Gallery grumbles at the White House in this week’s Media Diary. And in his Behind the Media podcast, Brook discovers that Andrew Bolt is planning to take his foot off the pedal.

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DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 04: Mitchell Starc of Australia celebrates the wicket of Kagiso Rabada of the Proteas during day 4 of the 1st Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on March 04, 2018 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Cricket ‘insane’

It was a bizarre day’s play in Durban as the umpires stepped in to deny Mitchell Starc a hat-trick with Australia one wicket from victory, writes Peter Lalor.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters Cartoon for 05-03-18Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Stretched to Fit)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.