Judith Ireland is Breaking News Reporter for the National Times. In the Question Time blog, she reports from Parliament.
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A kinder, gentler polity?
Judith Ireland Was this what Tony Abbott had in mind, back in 2010, when he called for a ''kinder, gentler'' polity?
Sky's the limit in dixer land
Judith Ireland The last question time for six weeks ended not with whimper or bang today but with a measuring tape.
For Dog's Sake
Judith Ireland Tony Abbott's question to Julia Gillard this afternoon (on emissions targets) saw the Prime Minister zero in on the animal kingdom.
Ruffled Swan fluffs his lines
Judith Ireland That hissing sound you can hear is Wayne Swan sighing with relief. Clearly the barrage was wearing him down.
Taxing clime in question time
Judith Ireland Did someone say there was a carbon tax a comin'?
Once more a cranky chamber
Judith Ireland Greg Combet was less wink and more boom when he later answered a question from Greg Hunt on the carbon tax.
Bob Katter's occupational hazard
Judith Ireland Fired up by the idea of foreign workers taking Aussie jobs, Katter took to his feet midway through question time today.
Coalition mines for paydirt
Judith Ireland Make no mistake about it. Today's parliamentary Q and A was all about Rinehart and Roy Hill. The Coalition fired eight questions at the Government on the deal that will see Gina Rinehart get 1700...
Elusive PM leaves Coalition in suspense
Judith Ireland There was a pattern to the Coalition's questioning in question time today.
Where blues see red and reds turn blue
Judith Ireland With a certain rugby league game happening tonight, there was a more-than usual smattering of reds and blues in the House of Representatives this afternoon.
The elephant in the chamber
Judith Ireland For the first half of question time it was like Craig Thomson’s statement had never happened.
The eyes have it in death-stare duel
Judith Ireland Anna Burke ain’t afraid of anyone or anything. Not even Julie Bishop’s atomic death stare.
Thomson saga brings government crashing back down to earth
Judith Ireland Wayne Swan is calling it his ''battlers' budget''.
The Coalition bats 0 from 50
Judith Ireland The Coalition swung and missed for the 50th time today as one of its own was dismissed from the public gallery today in a parliamentary bust.
Battle of a lone Pyne wages on
Judith Ireland Unfortunately for Christopher Pyne, his indignation levels can sometimes see him chucked out for an hour - so that he misses his time in the parliamentary sun. This afternoon was one such case.
Naughty boys and the thwack of Slipper at question time
Judith Ireland Big names were sent packing from the lower house this afternoon as senior MPs threw the rule book to the wind and Speaker Peter Slipper went on a reign of procedural terror.
One big belly ache at question time
Judith Ireland Craig Thomson may have been missing from parliament today - still off sick with a belly ache - but he was very much the focus on question time.
A potted history of a taxing question time
Judith Ireland Smith's question - about the extra electricity costs for a manufacturer of plastic garden pots - was accompanied by a plastic pot. The black bucket was only big enough to fit a couple of geraniums.
Took a while to warm up Carr after race to the Senate
Judith Ireland At 1.59pm sharp this afternoon Bob Carr came bounding into the red room with his head held high and his chest puffed slightly out.
Plibersek pistons from cool cucumber to angry apple; Albanese ails for honey and lemon
Judith Ireland Health Minister Tanya Plibersek is renowned for her cool as a cucumber in the fridge demeanor. True to form, in question time this afternoon, Plibersek was only too happy to answer a routine question...
