“I can’t be in all places at once,” Albanese said, justifying his absence; he observed that this COP is about implementation, not new commitments, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
In the space of a few months the cost of living has transformed, politically, from a Labor weapon to a Coalition one, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
New policies have been largely offset across this year and next year to avoid adding to the inflationary problem. But the budget contains alarming news for households, with its estimates of soaring energy prices, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
Over the four year period, the budget bottom line is estimated to be more than $42 billion better than what was expected in March, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
The budget pays for the largest indexation increase to payments in more than 30 years for allowances and the largest in 12 years for pensions, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
Labor is committed to generous spending on areas such as disability. As it should be. But it needs to make sure dollars aren’t squandered in these money guzzlers, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
The review says that policy failures (for example on quarantine) and politics led to too many lockdowns and border closures, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
One in three women has experienced physical violence since age 15; the figure for sexual violence is one in five. A woman is killed by a current or former intimate partner every ten days, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
Shaping up as an outspoken protagonist in the current “gas wars”, Industry Minister Ed Husic this week launched a barrage of criticism at the producers, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
Chalmers told his news conference: “We are very concerned about what’s happening with power prices”. It was due to a combination of international factors, extreme weather and policy delay, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
Anthony Albanese on Sunday insisted the government’s intention to deliver the Stage 3 tax cuts has not changed, while he reinforced the expectation of deep spending cuts in this month’s budget to attack “waste”.
Despite saying the public are up for “ a conversation” on how to pay for big spending programs, Chalmers is not so much having a “conversation” about tax cuts, as engaging in contradictory Delphic messaging, writes MICHELLE GRATTAN.
