Barack Obama
Rudd deserves benefit of doubt on gay marriage backflip
Stephanie Peatling Kevin Rudd has joined the ranks of politicians who have changed their mind on same sex marriage.
Comment
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 ...
The brave and the foolhardy
Stephanie Peatling As fans of Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister would know, a "brave decision" was always arch civil service supremo Sir Humphrey Appleby's way of saying "Do not go there for that way lies almost...
PM should junk playbook in hunt for silver linings
Mark Kenny Setting the election date eight months in advance represented a calculated risk for Julia Gillard. So far, it has not worked.
Abbott, not Gillard, is the true 'class warrior'
Nicholas Reece Look at the policies: the Coalition wants to take from the poor and give to the rich.
Beyond the fringe
Tom Chivers The annual White House Correspondents' Dinner is an opportunity for the President to try out a bit of self-deprecation.
High tide for women ministers
Anne Summers When she announced her new ministry last Monday, Julia Gillard made history. For the first time, women make up one-third of the Australian government.
Kim's posturing forces US to play regional bodyguard
Michael Richardson Asia-Pacific allies and security partners of the US are scrutinising every move made by Washington as North Korea threatens to strike South Korea and launch missile attacks against American bases in...
Fortune favours the not-so-brave Abbott
Mike Carlton Tony Abbott is coasting to The Lodge on a dream run, first class up the pointy end. No federal opposition leader has had it so easy since 1941, when Labor's John Curtin gained government after the...
Ex-general leads democracy charge
Peter Hartcher Whenever people lament the deficit of political leadership in the world today, they're obviously not thinking of the case of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Name change could undermine important reforms
Estelle Fyffe Changing the name of the NDIS to DisabilityCare sends the wrong message about the scheme's intent.
Harnessing power of a crowd is less taxing
Alan Stokes I enjoy paying tax. Reassures me we live in a caring society. Puts something back in return for the good fortune I've had.
Gillard's shot at redemption in Beijing
John Garnaut When Prime Minister Julia Gillard last went to China, her job was to avoid making concessions or mistakes.
America wants to know whose side Australia is on
Hugh White Could the United States and China possibly share equal billing in the Asia Pacific?
Mark Kenny
Frankly, this secrecy is undemocratic
Mark Kenny AUSTRALIA boasts a stable democracy and a famously frank political culture. Yet for all that robustness, Australians too readily accept secrecy by those representing us.
Sex trumps torture and corruption
Paul McGeough This is about carnal relations, not global security - got it? We're talking sex, so if you're looking for heavy breathing about ethics and morality, move on, turn the page.
SMH
New-born puppy might yet respond to strokes of diplomacy
NORTH KOREANS who visit the Blue Room in the truce village of Panmunjom can easily see people on the southern side but cannot talk to them directly or by telephone.
Jane Caro
The mum (and dad) of all fears
Jane Caro Since the 1960s, there has been an interesting political analysis that equates progressive parties - the Democrats in the US, Labour in Britain and the ALP in Australia - with the characteristics we...
Peter Hartcher
Sound of silence as new debt woes grow
Peter Hartcher America has plenty of enemies but they can probably relax. Who among them could do to the US the amount of damage that it is doing to itself?
Mark Stevenson
Amateur players need to beware of knock-on effect of concussion
Mark Stevenson One of the Carlton greats, Greg Williams, has memory loss. He won't be alone.
