Tony Wright
Tony Wright is the National Affairs Editor of The Age. He has been based in the Canberra Press Gallery for 20 years, working for The Canberra Times, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Bulletin before joining The Age in 2007. He has written two plays and two best-selling books, was named Magazine Feature Writer of the Year twice, has won several UN Media Peace Prizes and has been a Walkley Awards finalist five times.
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...
And the finger goes up as blokey Tim bowls Julia a googly
Tony Wright The Prime Minister's face performed a remarkable transition - jolly, carefree smile to impenetrable stone on the turn of a phrase.
Tony Wright
Watch as we make a continent disappear
Tony Wright If you are to excise a country from its own migration zone, a visa-less soul can't apply for one anywhere.
The sketch
Welcome to the House of fun with all the muck that's fit to rake
Tony Wright All you need to know about the state of affairs in Canberra is that question time was interrupted yesterday by a debate about the difference between ''muck'' and ''muckraking''.
Tony Wright
MPs in extra time after Coalition fails to play ball
Tony Wright 'We are here on the last parliamentary day,' said Prime Minister Julia Gillard, sounding mightily relieved as she launched into the end-of-year valedictory ritual of reflecting kindly on months of...
Tony Wright
On the lawn of persuasion
Tony Wright The new and unexpectedly powerful voices being heard from Parliament tend to emanate not from its hallowed halls but a small, once insignificant patch of grass.
Tony Wright
Raising a glass while they can
Tony Wright Our leaders are holding traditional end-of-year drinks for the press gallery, but only a fool would predict who might be throwing the parties next year.
Goanna Tracks
Put down that blunderbuss
Tony Wright It's an unpleasant prospect, but traipsing back to the polling booths may be better for us than letting Gillard and Abbott keep kowtowing to Katter and co.
