Budget update to beat gloom

Phillip Coorey and Peter Martin The federal government will release its midyear budget update next week.

Update accused of being coy to hide revenue hit

Phillip Coorey, Peter Martin THE government is set to release its midyear budget update next week, prompting accusations it is bringing the document forward to avoid factoring in worsening revenue predictions and jeopardising...

Gas exports come at a cost

Phillip Coorey THE boom in natural gas exports from the east coast is driving up the price and limiting supply of domestic gas, risking harm to manufacturing, increasing household energy costs and posing ''a very...

Phillip Coorey

Thomson, Labor and the race against time

Phillip Coorey Given the glacial pace at which the legal system moves, it is possible that the civil charges against Craig Thomson could be unresolved by the time of the next federal election.

IR changes are too weak, business tells Shorten

Phillip Coorey Senior business organisations have dismissed as procedural the government's initial response to the review of its industrial relations laws and will fight for wholesale change, including bringing...

Carr flies back to UN for last-ditch lobbying

Phillip Coorey Australia's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council down hangs on three or four votes, prompting Foreign Minister Bob Carr to return to New York for a last-minute bout of lobbying.

Thomson faces huge fines in Fair Work action

Phillip Coorey, Kate McClymont THE former Labor MP Craig Thomson faces being hit with $450,000 in fines and compensation payments to his old union under Federal Court proceedings brought against him by Fair Work Australia that...

Phillip Coorey

Soaring rates bill will be on Canberrans' minds when they go to the polls

Phillip Coorey To those outside the national capital, the ACT election held every four years is about as compelling as boils.

The best or worst of weeks

Phillip Coorey, Jacqueline Maley On Tuesday morning, as MPs gathered for the resumption of the Parliament after a fortnight's break, the main topic of conversation was Peter Slipper.

Speaker accused of bias over Gillard speech

Phillip Coorey THE federal opposition has complained to the new Speaker, Anna Burke, that she has displayed bias after she sided with Julia Gillard's comments about sexism and misogyny.

Abbott team to build ties with Jakarta

Phillip Coorey TONY ABBOTT and his senior frontbenchers will spend the next three days in Jakarta speaking with Indonesian government officials on issues ranging from boat people to live cattle exports.

PM's backers return fire on snipers from Rudd camp

Phillip Coorey A FEDERAL minister and supporter of Julia Gillard has upbraided Kevin Rudd's backers for criticising the Prime Minister over the Peter Slipper saga, saying none of them raised any concerns about Mr...

Downer cool on comeback

Phillip Coorey THE former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer is playing down the prospect of joining state politics, taking over as leader, and making a run for the premier of South Australia.

Loathing for Abbott the reason for vote

Phillip Coorey WHEN Peter Slipper decided late Tuesday afternoon that he would resign, the government did not try to stop him. In fact, it encouraged the decision.

I won't back off PM, says Abbott

Phillip Coorey TONY ABBOTT has accused Julia Gillard of playing the gender card to deflect legitimate criticism as the sexism row between the opposition and government escalates following the resignation of Peter...

'Oblivious' Abbott says he used 'shame' term first

Phillip Coorey TONY ABBOTT says he was ''absolutely oblivious'' to Alan Jones's controversial remarks about the Prime Minister's father when he told the Parliament on Tuesday that the government ''should have...

Coalition MP's covert bid for Speakership

Phillip Coorey In the tumult of yesterday's resignation of Peter Slipper, Tony Abbott almost lost another MP to the Speaker's chair.

Day of shame: Slipper resigns

Phillip Coorey PETER SLIPPER resigned as the Speaker of the House of Representatives last night when he came under pressure just minutes after surviving by one vote a motion to dump him.

The biggest loser is Labor

Phillip Coorey THE demise of Peter Slipper as Speaker of the House of Representatives places the minority Labor government in a more tenuous position than it was before it appointed him last November.