State

Think abortion is a state matter? Well, think again

Stephanie Peatling Abortion is not just a matter for the states and politicians who try to assert that it is are minimising the powerful role they can play.

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State playing politics on trains

Josh Gordon Former Liberal premier Dick Hamer simultaneously had three big infrastructure projects on the go: the West Gate Bridge, completed in 1978; City Loop, completed in 1981; and the first two stages of...

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Chris McGreal

US 'lacks appetite' to push Jewish state on peace deal

Chris McGreal Tense relationship of Obama and Netanyahu dashes hopes to break Arab-Israeli impasse.

Explosive state of a nuke world order

Geoffrey Robertson The first war of 2013 - Israel's attack on Iran - is threatened for ''spring or early summer'', the time by which the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is likely to be re-elected next...

Allan Patience

State governments are a waste of money. Get rid of them

Allan Patience To become a respected middle power we need a streamlined national government.

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George Williams

Lost change of $20b a year is falling through federal-state divide

George Williams The end of the year has seen a burst of government reform activity including reviews and inquiries.

Colin Long

State should butt out of our universities

Colin Long Proposed changes would give the state government unprecedented ability to interfere in the running of universities and TAFEs.

Gerard Henderson

Hamas will never achieve a Palestinian state while killing Israeli civilians

Gerard Henderson On Friday, Julia Gillard, the social democratic Prime Minister of Australia, said that her government ''condemns the repeated rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip and calls on...

Katharine Murphy

RuddBull appeal says much about state of politics

Katharine Murphy It is striking how often you get the question from people outside politics: why aren't Rudd and Turnbull leading their respective parties, or why don't they join forces?

Richard Ackland

State bets on cash cow for whales

Richard Ackland It's a depressing notion that a glitzy, over-designed casino filled with Chinese whales champing to be fleeced, is the engine room of the city's tourism-led future.

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Coal port decision a case-in-point for federal check on state powers

Andrew Darby A good environment-versus-development stoush seems so much part of Australian politics, it's hard to imagine life without it.

George Williams

Fatal flaw in GST design dooms us to state-federal funding stalemate

George Williams The states are facing some big bills. They should pay their share each year of the $6.5 billion to implement the Gonski report and the extra $8 billion required for the National Disability Insurance...

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Heath Aston

State of the map points to need for change

Heath Aston When I began covering NSW politics in 2010 I had a map of faces of the Labor government pinned to the office wall.

Sondra Davoren

The drunken state

Sondra Davoren In the classic film Groundhog Day, embittered television meteorologist Phil Connors, played by Bill Murray, reluctantly travels to Punxsutawney to cover the annual Groundhog Day event.

Michelle Grattan

PM rams home the state of play

Michelle Grattan The blame game is starting in the Melbourne byelection, well before there's a result to cast blame about.

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Rae Wear

Darkness is descending for Labor in the Sunshine state

Rae Wear There are two main requirements for a change of government: an electorate that is dissatisfied with the incumbent and an apparently viable alternative.

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