Parliament
Paul Sheehan
Swinging in breeze over the abyss
Paul Sheehan Julia Gillard was rarely to be seen in the byelection campaign for Melbourne, which culminated on Saturday.
Gerard Henderson
Dumping PM won't stem bleeding caused by thorny Greens
Gerard Henderson Sometimes politicians are deauthorised not so much by defeat as by their response to failure. The late Liberal Party leader Billy Snedden never recovered from his comment, after his defeat by Labor's...
Jack Waterford
A conflict of disloyalties
Jack Waterford Most ministers facing conflicts of interest as Bill Shorten is with the Health Services Union would delegate to another person.
Steve Dow
2011: the year of living equally
Steve Dow LABOR'S latest leader has hoisted the rainbow flag and declared ''I do'' for Australia legalising same-sex marriage as a matter of justice and equality. And this time, it's genuinely personal.
Michelle Grattan
Gillard's discordant Carr alarm
Michelle Grattan The botched attempt to woo the former NSW premier to Canberra has damaged the PM's credibility.
Carr's long-held ambition fulfilled
Andrew West Sometimes, when you stop craving things, they come to you; you get the girl, you get the job.
Jessica Irvine
Petrol low one of Rudd's high points
Jessica Irvine Kevin Rudd retires to the backbenches of Parliament a defeated man once more. But with petrol prices forecast to head skywards again, it's time to reflect on one of the much ignored achievements of...
Jennifer Robinson
Time for government to stand ground and protect Assange
Jennifer Robinson WikiLeaks's latest release of confidential emails obtained from the US private intelligence firm Stratfor indicate the US Department of Justice has issued a secret, sealed indictment against Julian...
Shaun Carney
A tough road ahead for Gillard as the dust settles
Shaun Carney Julia Gillard has a natural and seemingly implacable resistance to sharing information about her life away from politics, such as her cultural preferences and the things that entertain her.
Peter Hartcher
Round two to faceless foes
Peter Hartcher The head of the Australian Workers Union, Paul Howes, spoke to the Treasurer shortly before Wayne Swan launched his bitter personal attack on Kevin Rudd last week. "Go hard," he urged Swan.
Clive Palmer
Wayne Swan knows nothing about me, or our democracy
Clive Palmer The Treasurer attacks business leaders, but ignores his own failings.
Assembly to review self-govt legislation
The ACT Legislative Assembly will embark on a ''root and branch'' review of the Self-Government Act, in the wake of reform to federal territories' rights laws.
Tony Abbott
On world stage, Rudd spoke loudly and carried a small stick
Tony Abbott Sensible countries focus their foreign policy on what's clearly in their national interest. That's why I keep saying that the next Coalition government's foreign policy would have a "Jakarta focus...
Paddy Gourley
He's not the Messiah, he's a Ruddy mess
Paddy Gourley There's nothing quite like a tussle for the leadership of an Australian political party to bring out the worst in people.
Hugh White
Carr to steer new line on China
Hugh White Where to position Australia between the US and China will be Foreign Minister Bob Carr's greatest challenge.
Michelle Grattan
Swan shows a short memory on difficult reforms
Michelle Grattan In arguing that Clive Palmer and his ilk pose a threat to economic reform and the ''fair go'' by using their wealth and influence in pursuit of their ''vested interests'', Treasurer Wayne Swan is...
Shaun Carney
Labor has to contact base camp
Shaun Carney If disillusioned ALP voters are to be won back, Treasurer Swan must produce solutions, not just highlight problems.
Damien Murphy
There's no place like home as Carr sets his sights on Senate
Damien Murphy A HOMECOMING of a sort - the foreign minister-in-waiting, Bob Carr, had Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia, Syria and China on his mind as he strolled into State Parliament to be sworn in...
John Warhurst
Canvassing Carr's queue-jump
John Warhurst There are many different short-and long-term perspectives on the surprise appointment of former NSW premier Bob Carr as the Minister for Foreign Affairs to replace Kevin Rudd.
Peter Hartcher
Wayne's wild man act
Peter Hartcher 'To be honest, I've never paid much attention to you in the past, although I think you've proven to be a very good Treasurer," begins one of the hundreds of letters and emails that Wayne Swan...
