After the first two sitting weeks of the new government, Canberra insiders are wondering if a crisis is looming; in government media management, writes Christian Kerr.
Articles by Christian Kerr 
Garnaut’s in and now Labor actually has to do something
In the lead up to 24 November, greenhouse was a useful point of differentiation for the ALP. Now it’s something they have to do something about, writes Christian Kerr.
More bad figures for Nelson: Morgan
Opposition leader Brendan Nelson has clocked up his second nine per cent in a week, writes Christian Kerr.
Libs won’t touch the Howard inner circle
Crikey understands that Janette Howard effectively vetoed Liberal Party efforts for serious online campaigning last year, writes Christian Kerr.
More woe for Mr 9%: Liberal MPs moan about his staff
How did Brendan Nelson’s office become a refuge for former ACCI highflyers, asks Christian Kerr.
Swan: stop laughing, this is serious
Credit where credit is due: it was very clever of Malcolm Turnbull to ask Wayne Swan that question on the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment. There’s just one problem with all of this. It’s not actually funny, writes Christian Kerr.
Wayne Swan needs to learn the art of assertiveness
Wayne Swan, the man in the second most important job in government appears to have a weak grip on his portfolio – or at least is too nervy to give a good fist of explaining his government’s plans and policy positions, writes Christian Kerr.
Saint Kevin’s mortal sin
Corrupt, convicted, conniving – and convivial company? Almost 12 months after the issue was first raised the question still remains: why did St Kevin agree to dine with Brian Burke, writes Christian Kerr.
Wave of latte might just float Brendan Nelson’s boat
Brendan Nelson might actually have actually got quite a boost this week. Rather than being swept away by a wave of latte, he may have been carried to dry land, writes Christian Kerr.
Sorry Day reveals brilliance and bastardry
Morality and clever politics rarely come together. Yesterday Kevin Rudd ensured that they did. That is what makes the behaviour of his staffers Lachlan Harris and Tim Gleason so entirely contemptible, writes Christian Kerr.
Swan, Hockey to climb a steep learning curve
In politics, words are bullets. You don’t spray them around randomly. You use them well. You pick your target carefully – then fire off your ammo with precision. No wonder the PM kept his head down when Wayne Swan was at the dispatch box yesterday. It was like hunting with Dick Cheney, writes Christian Kerr.
Aboriginal Australia: the hard line according to Jenny Macklin
Did Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin use Sorry Day to announce a policy position that would have provoked uproar if it came from the Coalition? That’s what appears to have happened on The 7:30 Report last night, writes Christian Kerr.
Rudd’s first Question Time: happy as a pig in mud
Kevin Rudd is as happy as a pig in mud. Wayne Swan is as happy as a goldfish in a blender. They’re the conclusions that can be drawn from the first Rudd Government Question Time, writes Christian Kerr
Rudd says much more than just sorry
Some days the Commonwealth Parliament is truly the heart of the nation – or maybe the soul, the place from where the mood of the nation stems, eloquent of tongue and generous of spirit. Today was one of these, writes Christian Kerr .
The sorry business of saying sorry
Tomorrow, at around nine o’clock, the Prime Minister will rise to his feet in the House of Representatives to put a motion offering an apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples. The formal process of saying sorry will be underway. The Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, though, says an Indigenous representative will not be able to respond. Christian Kerr asks why?
Turnbull v Minchin: a question of expletives
Claims in the Weekend Australian that Liberal Senate leader Nick Minchin “swore at Malcolm Turnbull during an ugly public clash over leadership tensions” are “a lie and defamatory,” according to a memo circulated to Liberal Senators and MPs by Minchin, writes Christian Kerr.
Rudd cleaning out the messy media messengers: II
The management of media management might be a bit of a more difficult task than the Rudd Government first thought, writes Christian Kerr.
Rudd cleaning out the messy media messengers
The furore over the handling of Haneef – let AFP chief Mick Keelty’s views on the media and terrorism – may have died down for now, but the Rudd Government has learned the lessons, writes Christian Kerr.
Inflation and productivity: all together now
The Commonwealth Government is talking tough on fiscal policy. They have to, to back up their equally tough line on monetary policy. But they’re just one level of government. What are the states and territories doing? Christian Kerr investigates.
Another tick for Costello financial management. Not
Market talk says that the Future Fund has dropped close to $10 billion amid the recent turmoil. Is Peter Costello to blame? Christian Kerr investigates.
Trap for young spinners
Few readers will recall the “Whip inflation now” campaign, Gerry Ford’s ill-fated attempted to spur a grassroots movement to combat inflation by changing American’s spending and saving habits. We’ve seen dumb media management of inflation efforts from our own glorious leader, Kevin Rudd, in the last couple of days, writes Christian Kerr.
Newspoll: Better than it might have been for Dr Brendan
There’s no real surprise in the voting intention or preferred prime minister figures in the first Newspoll for the year. Indeed, they are academic. Still, opposition leader Brendan Nelson can draw heart from his approval rating, writes Christian Kerr.
Malcolm Turnbull’s secrets for success
Malcolm Turnbull has been a very successful business person, but did he really mean to share some secrets of wealth creation yesterday? Christian Kerr investigates.
Kevin wedges Brendan as new term starts.Yaroo!
Crikey / Christian Kerr / Monday, 11 February 2008
Tomorrow Labor MPs take to the seats on the government side of the House for the very first time since 1995. Everything old is new again, even though most political commentators are too wet behind the ears to have noticed, writes Christian Kerr.