1754 Results

The government wants to increase the Medicare levy to help support the national disability insurance scheme. Amber Jamieson and Sasha Petrova report on politicians’ historical love of levies.

Suddenly, it seems, both sides of politics have accepted that the point of fiscal policy is to use it to help the country adapt to changing circumstance.

Crikey readers talk the perils of fast fashion, the IPA’s hypocrisy as it cries poor and the need for austerity.

Julia Gillard’s speech on the government’s fiscal challenge repeated Labor’s bizarre claims that it understands that Aussie families are “doing it tough” due to “cost of living pressures” — which the government knows is nonsense.

The long campaign to provide Australian women with access to medical abortion will near an end today — but what will an Abbott government do on RU486?

RU486 — back to befuddle Canberra. Who’ll pay the bills — and defend press freedom — as newsrooms shrink? A Crikey survey of what teachers really earn. Bernard Keane on the “lazy” population debate. And Guy Rundle watches snooker (it’s more entertaining than it sounds).

Tony Abbott got more print mentions than the Prime Minister this week, and that may continue as more and more Australians see him as the likely next PM.

Is Julia Gillard actually being investigated? By the police, and not just by News Ltd? Plus other political views noted along the way/

Julia Gillard faced a crowd of undecided voters in Melbourne last night — and the public’s apparent hostility to her government was nowhere to be seen. Crikey intern Kylar Loussikian was there.

The Prime Minister is still using children as photo props, Labors election chances improve slightly, and other political views noted along the way.

The Greens are the model supporters of the government’s education and high-speed rail plans, but Liberal state premiers are having none of it. And what’s happened to Kevin Rudd?

Labor’s primary vote is starting to recover, but the PM’s personal ratings are not. However, voters aren’t enthused with Malcolm Turnbull’s broadband proposal.

The federal government says it has doubled higher education funding in recent years, so universities should give them a break. How does that claim stack up? Crikey’s Amber Jamieson and Kylar Loussikian investigate.

The losers in this week’s education reforms are likely to make their disappointment known, but the winners will probably not follow suit. Plus other political issues of the day.

Julia Gillard wraps up a five-day trip to China with a deal that sees the bilateral relationship move up a notch. It’s a solid win which comes after too much neglect and hamfistedness from Australian PMs in their dealings with China.

Julia Gillard’s visit to China is likely to result in a jump in the polls. Plus everyone is talking about the Coalition’s broadband plan and its midwife, Malcolm Turnbull.

Julia Gillard has been well received by China, and other political views along the way.

Are tax policies really the most effective policy to increase retirement savings? Plus other political issues of the day.

Labor MPs are sniping over superannuation changes, and the PM is heading to China, no doubt hoping to poll better while she’s gone.

How is Labor going to pay for its big-ticket promises on education and disability care? Crikey intern Ben Westcott asks leading economists whether Wayne Swan should tinker with super, Medicare, taxes or the GST to balance his books.

Adelaide punters are jealous of all the western Sydney love, plus other political issues of the day.

The Gold Coast mayor is attacking the $30 a year for the carbon tax, plus other political issues of the day.

The real story of government debt is much more complicated than News Ltd papers claim. And there’s a deep irony in their campaign against it, write Bernard Keane and Glenn Dyer.

Senior Labor MPs went down in a blaze of media coverage after they fell on their swords following the spill that wasn’t.