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The constant over-reach that has characterised the AWU scandal reflects its lack of substance. And there was plenty else happening in Parliament this week that didn’t get a look-in.

Little concern appeared to attend another significant extension of the powers of intelligence and law enforcement agencies yesterday.

Fierce protests have rocked the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus after the ruling Liberal clique changed regulations to ensure this week’s union election was a one-horse race.

The latest example of misogynist abuse of the Prime Minister illustrates how she angers a certain type of male.

I don’t normally agree with anything George Brandis says, but in a piece in The Australian last week it finally happened. The story was on the likely failure of a 2013 referendum to amend the Australian constitution to recognise Aboriginal people in the preamble, and to remove racially discriminatory powers.

Senator George Brandis posed a curly one for Finance Minister Penny Wong in question time yesterday.

Criticism of the prime minister for attacking the High Court is rather precious, for a number of reasons. For a country that allegedly likes its politics “rough and tumble”, we’re suddenly all very precious.

Labor and the Coalition combined to give ASIO new powers last night. We still don’t know why.

I worry about Gerard Henderson, really. He has a chronic case of corresponditis — the inability, at the end of a protracted exchange of letters, to allow his correspondent to have the last word, writes former Labor leader Mark Latham.

Journalism academics and the union have backed source protection for bloggers and other citizen journalists, rejecting concerns Labor’s shield laws legislation will weaken the policy objective they’re designed to serve, writes Crikey intern Rhiana Whitson.

Kerry O’Brien came close to breaking parliamentary convention and revealing the Liberal party room spokesperson chastised by Tony Abbott for getting it wrong. Richard Farmer goes the whole way and names names.

Eric Abetz has the Liberal Senate leadership sewn up, but it’s a three way race for the deputy position. Jim Richardson has the inside goss that George Brandis will beat out Mathias Cormann and Ian McDonald.

Eric Abetz is expected to be named as Nick Minchin’s replacement as Senate leader, but fighting has broken out over the deputy position. Will the conservative Mathias Cormann beat the moderate George Brandis? asks Latika Bourke.

MP George Brandis does some serious sucking up to his leader Tony Abbott, in a deep piece in The Oz about Abbott the “intellectual warrior”, a pragmatic and straight talking man of the people.

Brandis’ attacks on Julia Gillard has it exactly the wrong way around. The perspective of the chidless is exactly what’s needed when talking about children and young people.

Tony Abbott’s planned private member’s Bill to override Queensland’s Wild Rivers legislation may be, as his opponents claim, a political stunt, but they can hardly deny that it’s a bloody good one.

Which major major metro newspaper has has told applicants that it will not be awarding any journalism cadetships?