Michelle Grattan
Michelle Grattan is the political editor of The Age. In 2008, she shared the Melbourne Press Club Lifetime Achievement Award with Laurie Oakes. She edited the books 'Reconciliation' and 'Australian Prime Ministers' (2000), and wrote 'Back on the Wool Track' (2004).
Michelle Grattan
Crack of the whip adds fuel to fire
Michelle Grattan Julia Gillard knows she can't rely on her whip, Joel Fitzgibbon, in her battle to stay leader.
Michelle Grattan
Abbott will have to crack whip as the discipline of campaigning is forgotten
Michelle Grattan Discontent is likely to grow, especially if the frontbenchers don't perform up to scratch.
Michellle Grattan
Once again Abbott looks over-scripted, over-loyal
Michelle Grattan Bernardi’s extraordinary contribution to the same sex marriage debate demanded that Abbott quickly tell his errant senator — who made anti-Muslim remarks a few months ago — he was getting no more...
Abbott facing test of tactics
Michelle Grattan Tony Abbott will face a test of taste and tactics when Julia Gillard returns to Parliament next week, still mourning the death of her father.
Bad blood runs cold for Labor
Michelle Grattan Gillard's future is once more uncertain, against ever worsening chaos. For the Labor party, the terrifying thing is that there seems no quick or ready way through the impasse.
Michelle Grattan
Another day, another crisis ... or two
Michelle Grattan The Prime Minister has a set of new crises that will make for a tense and testing week.
Michelle Grattan
Canberra capers fail screen test
Michelle Grattan Paul Keating strongly opposed the televising of Parliament. On Wednesday, Tony Abbott might have agreed with him.
Michelle Grattan
Labor playing with fire in its rush to burn the Green witch
Michelle Grattan Suddenly Labor, or at least many in it, have decided they must burn the Green witch. Prominent players have been stoking the fire all week, tossing the vitriol like kindling onto the pyre.
Michelle Grattan
Gillard leadership reaches tattered stage
Michelle Grattan Julia Gillard’s leadership has reached that tattered stage where she is victim to random stirrings.
Michelle Grattan
Union heavyweights play a tricky game in the leadership battle
Michelle Grattan There are no signs the instability plaguing Labor will let up, writes Michelle Grattan.
Michelle Grattan
Second best, but it's not worthless
Michelle Grattan Julia Gillard put in a strong and feisty performance in announcing her health deal, pushing back when questions were critical.
Michelle Grattan
Sleaze the day: the tactic that now dogs ALP
Michelle Grattan It's hard to go beyond that old cliche about dogs and fleas when considering the latest bizarre Peter Slipper twist, which has the government reeling yet again.
Michelle Grattan
This inquiry is a nonsense
Michelle Grattan In political terms, Labor is sensible to agree without a fight to the privileges committee looking at whether Craig Thomson has told the truth - but the inquiry itself is surely a bit of a nonsense.
Michelle Grattan
Conscience vote PM's best option
Michelle Grattan Same-sex marriage may not be the biggest of the issues Gillard has to grapple with, but it's potentially very costly.
Michelle Grattan
Numbers on a knife edge
Michelle Grattan A number is a number, especially in a hung parliament. Stripped of all the arcane language about ''pairing'', that's what the argument has been about over who will be Speaker in the new Parliament,...
Michelle Grattan
Turnbull grapples with vipers within
Michelle Grattan Hapless Malcolm Turnbull has Senate Liberal leader and Nationals Senate leader at war with him on a key and controversial issue that he has declared central to his leadership.
Michelle Grattan
Sensible approach to greed
Michelle Grattan The free marketeers at the Productivity Commission were never likely to propose tight controls on executive remuneration.
