It’s time for the national media to start asking questions about the execution of a program that the PM himself admits is the biggest national logistical challenge since World War 2, writes Stephen Mayne.
Federal
Is Turnbull’s honeymoon over?
The one steady factor in recent Newspolls has been the decline in Turnbull’s satisfaction ratings and the increase in his dissatisfaction ratings, writes Bernard Keane.
The Australian economy is all over the shop
The scatty nature of the slowing Australian economy is showing up in the interim results from banks, retailers, media companies, property, building and some of our major global groups, writes Glenn Dyer.
This is no time for playing Senatorial politics
Voters are looking to the Government for action and the opposition had better not get in the way, writes Bernard Keane.
Black promises are little white lies
What Labor understands is that on issues like Australia Day, we are not capable of a sensible national debate. Oi, Oi, Oi! writes Chris Graham.
The world smirks at Conroy’s censorship plan
The rest of the world has been smirking at Stephen Conroy’s ill-conceived plan to censor Australia’s internet for a while now, but a new study published by Brooklyn Law School is a serious embarrassment, writes Colin Jacobs.
Stephen Smith & Kate Ellis: 2008′s sexiest politicians
And don’t they look swell together?
Doing lunch, Darwin style
A select crew were invited to lunch in Darwin, with at least two long-standing grudges that, stirred up by a bit of monsoonal heat and lashings of grog, could very likely bust open, writes Bob Gosford.
2008: Dashed dreams and mouldy political compromise
Politics is more or less based around people of high principles and good will discovering that the obtaining and exercising of power involves doing bad things. Bernard Keane on 2008.
The solar wars: hidden handouts for polluters
The Government’s environmental credibility, the future of renewable technologies and the reputation of Peter Garrett is at stake, writes Bernard Keane.
Rudd’s no reformer, he’s an economic conservative to the core
There’s a pattern emerging in Kevin Rudd’s approach to economic policy, and it’s not a healthy one, writes Bernard Keane.
Readers’ choice awards: Golden Arsehat nominations
Here’e a sample of Arsehats suggested by our readers.
Keane: We’re all missing the point
As I leafed through the vast folder looking for information, I became aware that a number of journalists around me had skipped straight to Chapter 17, where household assistance measures were discussed. Bernard Keane reports from the lock up.
Macintosh: This looks more like a 650 ppm plan
What has been overlooked in this analysis is that the proposed abatement targets for Australia are more consistent with a 650 ppm outcome than a 550 ppm one, writes Andrew Macintosh.
Possum: A lesson in political pragmatism
imagine the derailing that would have been done if no domestic target passed the Senate at all, as that is the political reality of proposing 25%+ cuts, writes Possum Comitatus.
Denniss: By 2020 no Australian polluter will live in poverty
only reason to introduce an emissions trading scheme is if you accept the scientific evidence that, unless we drastically reduce emissions, dangerous climate change will occur in our lifetimes. It therefore beggars belief that, if you accept the scientific case for action, you would completely ignore the scientific evidence about how much action to take, writes Dr Richard Denniss.
Our biggest polluters have won
The surrender is virtually complete. Our biggest polluters have won, and the rest of us will be paying for it under a joke of an emissions trading scheme that encompasses a significant transfer of wealth to our largest polluters, writes Bernard Keane.
As Westpac’s share price drops, its directors demand more
The market crash has exposed a myriad of corporate governance failings but its hard to top the Westpac board for sheer audacity in seeking a 50% increase in directors’ fees, writes Adam Schwab.
Rudd’s stimulus package divides the pack
We’re in the middle of the most perverse economic debate in years, writes Bernard Keane.
Nelsonian Newspoll figures for Turnbull
The only joy for the Coalition is surely that it cannot get any worse than this, so by definition it’s all up from here, writes Bernard Keane.
ETS target whittled away by interest groups
I noted when the Government’s Green Paper emerged that it proposed a scheme that was only two-thirds effective anyway, and would be watered down further under pressure from rentseekers and corporate sooks and whingers. Sadly, that appears to be exactly what has happened, writes Bernard Keane.
Rooted: Australian silence at UN climate change talks
You have to wonder why the Australian Government paid for 30 people to go on this Christmas junket if they weren’t going to discuss the issues on the agenda, writes John Hepburn.
Turnbull’s shocker of a week
Last night’s split on the Government’s infrastructure bill capped off what turned out to be a shocker of a week for the Coalition, writes Bernard Keane.
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Meaty snippets from the home of government by Richard Farmer.
Auditors pocket millions while asleep on the job
Collapsing markets have shown once more that the multi-national firms paid millions of dollars to audit public companies financial statements have been asleep on the job, writes Adam Schwab.
