Tossers fail to grasp intricacies of Gillard's education revolution

Tony Wright There was a time - quite a while ago - when students fortunate enough to have a salami sandwich packed into their lunchboxes would hide it, fearful of racial profiling by dimwit bullies.

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Goodbye to Mar'n, an old-style union man

Tony Wright A little more than two months ago, when Martin Ferguson resigned from Julia Gillard's cabinet following the spectacularly unsuccessful attempt to lever Kevin Rudd back to the prime ministership, he...

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China's payback to ASIO the latest in a tradition of spookery

Tony Wright In Canberra, like every national capital in the world, the spookery never stops.

From The Lodge to the block

Tony Wright Four months ago, Prime Minister Julia Gillard's partner, Tim Mathieson, quietly bought a bush block on the bank of the Goulburn River near Jamieson, in north-east Victoria.

Tributes flowing for 'Australia's first lady'

Tony Wright Michael Gordon One of Australia's most loved figures, Hazel Hawke, has died at the age of 83.

An inspiration to the end

Tony Wright One of Australia's most loved figures, Hazel Hawke, has died at the age of 83. Her daughter Sue Pieters-Hawke announced on behalf of the family last night that Mrs Hawke had died peacefully,...

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Remembering Hazel, the life of the party

Tony Wright Hazel Hawke, gone now, was often a saviour when the chips were down for her husband, Bob.

Following the path of Mulga Fred, wanderer

Tony Wright In the past few decades we have been joined by ever-growing numbers of long-distant wanderers.

The day the steel melted

Tony Wright Julia Gillard once spoke of having been a shy, reserved child who had grown a shell hardened by the rigours of politics and who had learnt the arts of ''holding a fair bit back, and hanging tough''.

The battle won, woman of steel sheds armour

Tony Wright Julia Gillard once spoke of having been a shy, reserved schoolchild who had grown a shell hardened by the rigours of politics and who had learnt the arts of ''holding a fair bit back, and hanging...

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Preparing for B-Day and hoping that the other bastard dies

Tony Wright The embattled Gillard government's battalions of media advisors, facing a tough budget and an even more difficult election campaign, are being put on a war footing worthy of the D-Day landings ...

Palmer had fears Slipper was a mole for Abbott

Tony Wright Mining tycoon and would-be federal politician Clive Palmer feared former speaker Peter Slipper could wreck his United Australia Party if he remained a key member.

Palmer party has a new name as 'mole' slips away

Tony Wright Mining tycoon and would-be federal politician Clive Palmer feared former speaker Peter Slipper could wreck his United Australia Party if he remained a key member.

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New white paper will aim at placating China

Tony Wright Australia's new defence strategy, to be unveiled on Friday, is expected to maintain funding at historically low levels while seeking to repair damage to the relationship with China that followed the...

Funding to be kept at record low

Tony Wright Australia's new defence strategy, to be unveiled today, is expected to maintain historically low funding.

Politicians failing to cash in their chips

Tony Wright When the day of a national apology for forced adoption is consumed in parliamentary self-indulgence, something has broken.

Something has been broken at the heart of politics

Tony Wright Late last month, a woman stood alone on the forecourt of Canberra's Parliament House, inhaling gulps of cigarette smoke. ''All very nice,'' she said. ''Too late. Tomorrow it'll be wrapping chips.''

It's on again: Abbott gets back in ring with 7.30's Sales

Tony Wright Tony Abbott is either feeling lucky or he's been reading up. Maybe he's been taking peptides.

Why Labor? Kim Carr to burst into print

Tony Wright Can Simon Crean and Martin Ferguson be far from a hot word processor?

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