What the election means for the economyThe unfavorable manner with which investors and financial markets regard political uncertainty will make the Australian dollar the major short-team casualty of this year’s federal election, writes Craig James.
August, 2010
How da Vinci gave Mona Lisa her smile
Australia’s second climate change election
With the results almost in, it is clear that climate change once again played a major role in the election, but in a very different way than 2007. Of the 5.4% swing against Labor, nearly 70% of it went to the Greens, writes John Hepburn.
Ballot box spells “cha-ching” for Oz media
The Australian media industry was the big winner in this year’s federal election, with the parties pouring in a record amount of political advertising. If Australians return to the ballot box soon media companies could once again cash in, writes Simon Canning.
Hamid Karzai: The war is winnable 
6 out of 10 Americans want the war to end
Opposition to the Afghanistan war is no longer just a liberal issue in the US. As US troops leave Iraq, will the Afghanistan conflict be ended shortly as well?
Should we still be in Afghanistan?
The two Australian soldiers killed on the weekend take Australia’s death toll in Afghanistan to 20. The Greens — who are likely to hold the balance of power — are now calling for a parliamentary debate into Australia’s involvement in the war.
Abbott’s career officially back from the dead
Less than three years after a terrible federal campaign, Tony Abbott is now being celebrated as a party savior - a man who looks set to have ousted two Labor PMs in a matter of months, writes Steve Lewis.
Finger pointing begins as the spin continues
In the wake of a disastrous weekend for the ALP, accusations mount about who is to blame and why as the party’s media laundromat continues its spin cycle.
Kelly: All eyes on the seats, not the votes
Whoever ends up with the most seats will win this election. But a minority Gillard government could be a very risky move, writes Paul Kelly.
Australia plays the waiting game
Daily Media Wrap: Most polls predicted a cliff hanger and they were right on the money. The press are scratching their noodles as they come to terms with what transpired over the weekend and whether it was good, bad or crazy in the coconut.
Dunlop: Thumbs up to a hung parliament
Let’s not rush a decision of who is PM. A hung parliament doesn’t mean instability and can be a very affective form of government, argues Tim Dunlop.
Victorious Bandt takes the stage to a “making history” mantra
Bandt, who stole a massive 11% swing from Labor candidate Cath Bowtell, declared victory well before the ABC had confirmed the fall of this 106-year-old ALP fiefdom.
No more politics as usual: the Greens break through
The Greens have broken through. They are a potent force that will have a casting vote on contested legislation until 2017 at the earliest.
Labor: still bearing the scars of the Howard years, needs defeat
This is not much short of a total disaster for Federal Labor, which less than a year ago was contemplating a 100-seat representation in the House of Representatives.
With grandma in charge, the Liberals were celebrating
It occurs to me in the cab that drinking half a bottle of red wine before I go to the Liberal HQ election night party is probably not a good idea. It is likely to be a very long night, and I should have started it at least sober. Too late now. 8pm. Arrive at […]
Abbott copied the Howard template
Tony Abbott has learnt well from his mentor John Howard and simply removed those elements of his political persona perceived as out of keeping with mainstream thinking.
Crikey’s call of the card: where the party really was
Forget Green and Richo, Crikey’s crack team had election night covered. Bernard Keane called the card from the National Tally Room, our expert bloggers Possum Comitatus and Poll Bludger beamed in from the marginals, and the rest of the Crikey crew crunched the numbers from our special election war room (a pub, truth be told). […]
Political snippets: Danger for Independents when they’re not independent
The three or four independents to be elected to the House of Representatives look like finding themselves in a position of considerable power, but they will also have the difficulty of reconciling a public desire for stable government with maintaining the independence which their constituents find so attractive.
The front pages: hung, drawn and no quarter given
How some of the nation’s newspapers are leading this morning:
It’s just a jump to the Left
And thus, from the most tedious, uninspiring and insulting election campaign in Australian political history, emerges the most fascinating of results.
Poll Bludger: five seats still in doubt
There are five seats still in doubt as far as I’m concerned, though it’s not unknown for outsiders to emerge on the radar late in the count.
Gillard digs in the heels … but the party turned sour
John Faulkner was going home to bed, with a look of resignation. He led a sombre parade of Labor Party faithful out of Melbourne’s Convention Centre, after their leader failed to rouse hopes.
Crikey Clarifier: how does a minority government work?
By now I’m sure you’ve digested the news — the Australian federal parliament is pretty much as hung as it gets, with neither party set to govern in its own right. So how does a minority government work? Crikey investigates what happens when a nation chooses to endorse neither of the major parties.
