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Political news and analysis from the ACT and Federal Parliaments

Grattan / Morrison government brings back memories of McMahon days

AS the Morrison government thrashes around trying to stave off defeat or just save the furniture, it reminds one historian of the ill-fated McMahon administration. The run up to the Coalition’s 1972 ousting is detailed […]

Opt-out period for My Health Record extended

THE opt-out period for the controversial My Health Record scheme is being extended again – this time to January 31. This is the outcome of a deal between the government and the Senate crossbench. A […]

Moore / Why energy policy needs a shock

“Energy prices need a cold, hard look. There are regulators. But there were also banking-industry regulators who have now been exposed as less than useless,” writes MICHAEL MOORE

Grattan / Morrison Government falls further behind

THE Coalition has taken another knock in Newspoll, now trailing Labor 45-55 per cent on a two-party basis. Scott Morrison’s personal ratings have also worsened, in a poll that comes in the wake of his […]

Grattan / Turnbull tells Liberals to answer that unanswerable question

MALCOLM Turnbull has delivered a hefty blow to the struggling Morrison government by refocusing attention on the one question it has desperately tried to smother. That is: why was he sacked? When he appeared on […]

Grattan / Morrison unveils measures to boost influence in the Pacific

TODAY (November 8) Scott Morrison will announce an extensive suite of military, diplomatic, financial and people-to-people initiatives in a major boost to Australia’s role in the Pacific. They include setting up a $2 billion infrastructure […]

Moore / High time to crack down on corruption

“Attorney-General Christian Porter has argued that there is no tangible reason for a Federal ICAC. Is he blind – or just toeing the party line?” wonders political columnist MICHAEL MOORE

Grattan / Turnbull is the sniper at the window

THERE’s a nice story about Arthur Fadden – the Country Party leader who became PM in the 1941 hung parliament amid conservative leadership turmoil – deciding not to move into the Lodge after a colleague […]

Grattan / When you’re not PM but behave like you are

MALCOLM Turnbull was correct, in policy terms, when this week he called out Scott Morrison’s ill-judged plan for Australia to consider moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The inevitable political consequence, however, is […]

Grattan / Shorten proposes investment bank to help Pacific nations’ development

BILL Shorten is flagging that Labor would set up a government-backed infrastructure investment bank to promote concessional financing for nation-building projects in the Pacific. In a speech to the Lowy Institute on Monday – part […]

The act Legislative Assembly. Photo by Paul Costigan

Rattenbury has fingers crossed for integrity commission start

Canberra Matters columnist PAUL COSTIGAN reports the an ACT integrity commission is almost a reality.

Grattan / Morrison fights political fire with leaky buckets

AT the unveiling of her official portrait on Wednesday, Julia Gillard said she’d wanted it to reflect that “I was different to every other prime minister who came before me”, and she hoped it would […]

Grattan / Former Home Affairs officer calls for all refugees to be brought to Australia

A FORMER Home Affairs officer who worked in the refugee area has called for the resettlement of all refugees and asylum seekers from Nauru and Manus in Australia, arguing this could be done without putting […]

Grattan / Morrison eases refugee policy while talking tough

THERE is an interesting and notable point of detail about the “lifetime ban” legislation that remains a sticking point in the argument between the government and Labor over the resettling of offshore refugees in New […]

Grattan / Wentworth byelection becomes very murky

FITTINGLY, given the perennial instability of federal politics, the Wentworth byelection looked clearcut on Saturday night only to become very murky on Sunday morning. But as things stand, although a lot of postals are still […]

Moore / Libs plumb new depths in dirty campaigning

“Making a foreign policy announcement that would cause so much concern amongst so many of our allies and near neighbours without proper process is a new electoral low,” writes MICHAEL MOORE

Grattan / Morrison braces for judgement by Malcolm Turnbull’s old voters

WITH a mix of gall and desperation, Scott Morrison appeals to the electors of Wentworth to vote for stability. He warns against sending the government into minority rule, forced to ignore the fact that if […]

Grattan / Barnaby Joyce stalks Deputy Prime Minister McCormack

AS if the Liberals aren’t having enough trouble with the transaction costs of regime change to discourage any party from the coup road, now the Nationals are displaying angst over their leadership. There’s unhappiness that […]

Moore / Mid-term and it’s time to get moving

“The Chief Minister has no time for the opinions or aspirations of baby boomers and Canberra’s unique characteristics are being traded off for an attempt at a poor copy of inner-city Melbourne,” writes MICHAEL MOORE

Grattan / Morrison insults people’s intelligence

WHEN Scott Morrison promised to abolish the right of religious schools to expel gay students because of their sexual orientation, his motive was obvious – and so was what would inevitably happen next. Morrison insults […]

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Navigation

Grattan / Morrison government brings back memories of McMahon days

Opt-out period for My Health Record extended

Moore / Why energy policy needs a shock

Grattan / Morrison Government falls further behind

Grattan / Turnbull tells Liberals to answer that unanswerable question

Grattan / Morrison unveils measures to boost influence in the Pacific

Moore / High time to crack down on corruption

Grattan / Turnbull is the sniper at the window

Grattan / When you’re not PM but behave like you are

Grattan / Shorten proposes investment bank to help Pacific nations’ development

Rattenbury has fingers crossed for integrity commission start

Grattan / Morrison fights political fire with leaky buckets

Grattan / Former Home Affairs officer calls for all refugees to be brought to Australia

Grattan / Morrison eases refugee policy while talking tough

Grattan / Wentworth byelection becomes very murky

Moore / Libs plumb new depths in dirty campaigning

Grattan / Morrison braces for judgement by Malcolm Turnbull’s old voters

Grattan / Barnaby Joyce stalks Deputy Prime Minister McCormack

Moore / Mid-term and it’s time to get moving

Grattan / Morrison insults people’s intelligence

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