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
Thomson charged, but Abbott less than arresting
Michelle Grattan With Julia Gillard on the back foot, Tony Abbott makes a foolish ministry pledge.
Labor's return to the Howard days is excruciating
Michelle Grattan It might have been less painful if they had just embraced Howard's harsh asylum-seeker policy in one fell swoop.
Michelle Grattan
PM paying high price for her rough company
Michelle Grattan Julia Gillard was at her best again in taking the fight up to her critics over the AWU affair. Well prepared and tough, she gave no quarter.
Michelle Grattan
Figures frenzy turns spotlight on Canberra's bureaucracy
Michelle Grattan IT WAS a government sting, and then an opposition counter-sting, which left the public servants in the federal Treasury feeling the pain.
Michelle Grattan
PM, Abbott on a steep foreign learning curve
Michelle Grattan Gillard is a quick study in foreign affairs, but Abbott has a way to go.
Michelle Grattan
No ordinary tactic from Abbott camp
Michelle Grattan Tony Abbott is deploying every female ally he can find to attack his perceived ''woman problem''.
Michelle Grattan
Misogyny war has no winner
Michelle Grattan The PM may have made a hero of herself to some feminists but she did the wrong thing in trying to protect the sexist Peter Slipper.
Michelle Grattan
Bestiality comment claims unlikely victim
Michelle Grattan It's surely one of the weirdest falls in federal politics - a shadow parliamentary secretary forced to quit a job for suggesting we could be on the slippery slope towards condoning bestiality.
Michelle Grattan
Timing rarely right for referendum
Michelle Grattan At last, something the government, Coalition and Greens can agree on! Pity it's just saying ''not now''.
Michelle Grattan
Barnaby scores a win with grace under pressure
Michelle Grattan The Nationals Senate leader is showing political poise.
Michelle Grattan
Rudd messing with Gillard's head
Michelle Grattan KEVIN RUDD tweeted on Friday: ''Addressed about 900 students at Cannon Hill Anglican College on resilience.'' He mentioned a Paralympian. But one's mind immediately leapt to the man himself.
Michelle Grattan
Oakeshott's code of limited value
Michelle Grattan When Parliament returns, it will debate Rob Oakeshott's proposal for House of Representatives MPs to have a code of conduct.
No one will hit roof on floor price
Michelle Grattan Dumping of carbon floor price unlikely to make political impact on Mr and Ms Average Voter.
Michelle Grattan
A toothy smile behind Labor's dental plan
Michelle Grattan Reality checks are needed to balance the political hype.
Relief for Gillard but Labor still facing rout
Michelle Grattan When a 33 per cent primary vote is a cheer-up number for a PM, you know we are in unusual times. But for Julia Gillard that figure in today's Newspoll must be a big relief.
Michelle Grattan
Duck-shoving blame games foil progress
Michelle Grattan The rift between the states and Canberra is unlikely to change.
Michelle Grattan
Bold reform demands fearless politicians - do we have any?
Michelle Grattan Our prosperity relies on getting more women and older people in the workforce.
Michelle Grattan
Asylum seekers hurt by politicking
Michelle Grattan Amid political angst after the latest boat tragedy, we must face up to one reality, which is hard to accept.
Michelle Grattan
A flawed Malaysia deal would surely be a lesser evil than losing more lives
Michelle Grattan I strongly opposed the Pacific Solution, and aspects of the Malaysia swap plan are also abhorrent, but so many people are dying we have to act now.
Michelle Grattan
When Melbourne goes national ...
Michelle Grattan When a government is in trouble, there is nothing like a byelection to send a frisson of excitement through the political system.
