Articles by Andrew Crook

Several radio stations have yanked advertising spots blasting the network failures of regular advertiser and corporate partner Vodafone.

How much power do the nation’s tabloid editors really wield when it comes to influencing our electoral process? Plenty, if you believe political operatives. Not only for what’s in print but how they influence the agenda for the rest of the day. For Labor it’s a lost cause.

The war over real estate advertising in Geelong is hotting up, with a News Limited executive offering to help pay the legal fees of an estate agent to defend himself against claims made by a publication part-owned by Fairfax.

The wonks, the flacks, the hacks and the headkickers — here are the people who are doing their damnedest to get Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott into the Lodge. The Power Index names the string-pullers.

The PR war over wind turbines on King Island is heating up as professional operatives jump on board. Ben Haslem and John Wells are backing the No TasWind Farm Group to run the project off the island.

Once the budget comes down the bureaucrats and journos head out to celebrate the wins and losses. Crikey joined the throng at Canberra’s swankiest — and dodgiest — drinking holes.

Treasury always gets it wrong — but is the margin of error acceptable? History shows it has a variable record, and suggests what Wayne Swan’s deficit might end up being.

There are accusations of bullying, harassment and union-busting at a call centre now employed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions to conduct research.

Crikey’s PromiseWatch project zeroes in on pledges over the Newstart allowance. Crikey’s Andrew Crook and Centre for Policy Development researcher Julia Hosking investigate the parties’ dole claims.

Crikey’s PromiseWatch project shifts its gaze to climate change.

Metro Media Publishing, battling a sea of red ink in its suite of former Fairfax suburban mastheads, is slashing staff costs. A sell-off could also be on the cards.

As part of our Promise Watch series, Crikey and the Centre for Policy Development examine pledges from the two major parties on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Andrew Crook and the CPD’s Julia Hosking report.

Crikey and the Centre for Policy Development have joined forces to track what’s at stake in the 2013 election across key policy areas.

As part of our Promise Watch series, Crikey and the Centre for Policy Development examine pledges from the two major parties on education. Andrew Crook and the CPD’s Julia Hosking report.

The Australian government is increasingly turning to secretive “screening out” procedures to return asylum seekers to their countries of origin. But if they say the right words, boat people can receive proper process.