This Month
Ignored warnings about fuel security have left Australia vulnerable
It’s not as though we haven’t been warned before – since in 2012 there have been warnings about the nation’s fuel reserves.
Will the PM let Chalmers get serious about budget repair?
Four years ago, the Treasurer made a political virtue out of outspending. Now he’s looking to make “substantial savings”.
Trump will TACO in Iran, but he has to figure out how first
In this case, he appears to have unleashed something he cannot control; a conflagration across the entire region, culminating in a global energy and economic crisis.
ACTU is a shadow of its old self in the Keating-Kelty era
More than 40 years later, Bill Kelty is still regarded as an authority on the economy. Today’s union movement should take heed.
February
Albanese can’t get out in front on Trump like Carney can
Don’t be surprised if the prime minister dials it back a touch next week, regardless of how hard his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, may lean in.
Lowe blows showed Labor’s deeper sensitivity on living standards
A focus on the economy should at least play the opposition back into form. Maybe even win a few waverers back from Pauline Hanson.
Taylor is an old-school Liberal. But the rescue task is Herculean
While he has extensive experience, Angus Taylor is saddled with being a poor communicator and, like fellow Rhodes scholar Malcolm Turnbull, poor at politics.
Housing v investors: The CGT fight that could trap the Liberals
The 50 per cent discount looks indefensible, given Labor’s focus on intergenerational equity. A few carve-outs will help ease its removal.
January
Budget should be front and centre, not talking about the Coalition
The Liberals, with or without the Nationals, have scant chance of winning the next election, but they owe it to the nation to be a half-decent opposition.
This split could be end of the Coalition as we have known it
The third separation in the alliance’s history has a whiff of long-termness about it, such is the rancour between the two partner parties.
The war on hate must be fought online
Whether it’s a Labor or Coalition bill that become law, our politicians are fighting a 21st century problem with a 20th century solution.
December 2025
Antisemitism inactivity is now part of Albanese’s legacy after Bondi
We are witnessing something unprecedented – a mourner-in-chief unable to assume the role because he is being blamed for what occurred.
Entitlements may be legal, but voters know a rort when they see one
The government’s lack of empathy over the entitlements scandal has been notable, and speaks to a broader mindset that shows increasing disdain for transparency.
This summer Ley won’t be on holidays, she’ll be fighting for her job
A lot is starting to go wrong for the government, but it is being masked by the Coalition’s own struggles.
November 2025
The environmental reform the Coalition gift-wrapped for the Greens
The EPBC deal was a missed opportunity for the opposition and a win for the minor party, which helps it return to core business.
No tears are being shed internally over the loss of the COP31 summit
Australia had the support of 27 of the 28 countries to host COP and Turkey just one. Yet Australia blinked. Why?
Labor pushes through net zero ‘hell’ as Liberals return to ground zero
The opposition’s attempts to carve out a position on net zero have turned into a rolling catastrophe - in sharp contrast to Anthony Albanese.
Unlike Gough, Albanese believes slow and steady wins the race
Fifty years on from the dismissal of Gough Whitlam and his government, there’s still plenty to learn from the sacked prime minister. Just ask Anthony Albanese.
October 2025
The real test for Sussan Ley isn’t cancel culture
While the immediate challenge is to quell divisions within, convincing voters may be helped by support for net zero “at any cost” waning in the mainstream.
Trying to kill Barnaby Joyce with love has only made him stronger
The former deputy prime minister’s two decades of travails are all self-inflicted, yet he manages to come across as the victim every time.
