While NSW and the Commonwealth have agreed to a deal that will see the lifting of NSW’s embargo on water trading, Victoria and Queensland aren’t cooperating. Bernard Keane breaks it down.
Nathan Rees
‘What is your perception of Nathan Rees?’: Labor polling begins
Secret polling is already under way in supposedly safe Labor seats in NSW, with fears that the next election may be an complete wipeout for the scandal ridden Rees government.
McGurk’s secret tapes could destroy NSW govt
Explosive claims that murdered businessman Michael McGurk secretly recorded offers of bribes with five NSW MPs and a federal MP, with reports the tapes would bring down the NSW government.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Disaster looming at Immigration Dept?
“Disaster is just around the corner” at the Department of Immigration, says a tipster. Plus: cutbacks could be coming for frequent flyers, and will Rees front up over Sydney’s Environmental Impact Assessment?
Underbelly IV: NSW Labor politics
Nathan Rees has been unable to stop the ‘soap opera’ of NSW politics, with the murder of businessman Michael McGurk opening up a Pandora’s box of corruption claims in NSW politics, thanks to an allegedly incriminating video.
Stimulus package ‘blow out’ worth it
PM Kevin Rudd needs to convince voters that the economic stimulus package did stave off recession, even with its issues of money wastage and poor service delivery, says Phillip Coorey.
NSW gets its geek on
NSW Premier Nathan Rees this morning reinforced the state’s commitment to “open government” with the apps4nsw program. It’s in stark contract to what happened in March this year.
Australia’s most unpopular political leader
Who’s most on the nose with voters? NSW Premier Nathan Rees? Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu or Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull? Possum Comitatus tells who’s winning the race to the bottom.
NSW govt Shooters itself in the foot
The Shooters Party hold the balance of power in NSW and it has just tipped it. Its political alliance with Rees’ government is shot, leaving the government dead in the water, unable to pass laws.
The magical world of John-Paul Langbroek
The Queensland opposition leader John-Paul Langbroek has had yet another week from hell.
Will the messy NSW govt cost Rudd seats?
With no NSW election until 2011, the Rudd government is concerned that voters angry at the troubled NSW state government will take out their frustration against Labor at the next federal election.
Nathan Rees’s government ‘beyond a joke’
The brazenness of Health Minister John Della Bosca’s sex scandal may have increased NSW Premier Nathan Rees’s leadership popularity for now, but it’s time to head to the polls, says Andrew Clennell.
Political snippets: A NSW premier’s first anniversary
It’s nearly Nathan Rees’ one year anniversary as NSW Premier, and the sniping continues. Plus, will Malcolm Turnbull continue to allow Tony Abbott to be an oracle about everything and everyone?
Mungo MacCallum: Nelson salutes, Howard on rights and the mess of NSW
Mungo MacCallum discusses Brendan Nelson’s departure, John Howard’s shameless return to his soap box, and Nathan Rees’ attempts to avoid the Obeid and Tripodi kiss of death.
Time for Kevin Rudd to fix NSW
NSW ALP politics is like having to endure Big Brother all over again, a brain-deadeningly boring production of apparently limitless interest to the media. It’s time to evict some factional heavyweights.
The odd ICAC appointment of Justice David Ipp
Supreme Court Judge David Ipp was last week nominated to be the next commissioner of NSW’s anti-corruption commission. Except, there’s nothing in David Ipp’s public record to indicate an interest in these sorts of matters, writes Stephen Murray.
Climate change to heat up Bradfield byelection
Brendan Nelson’s caution on emissions trading helped lose him the Liberal leadership. Ironically, the Coalition’s climate change policy will prove crucial in the Bradfield byelection, writes Miranda Devine.
Who could replace Rees as Premier?
It is the disunity in the NSW Labor government that has kept Nathan Rees as Premier for so long. But, the main issue for voters is, who is a valid leadership option? asks Simon Benson.
Barry O’Farrell sticks his neck out on donations reform
Barry O’Farrell has stuck his neck out on political donations reform, lobbyist activities and election expenditure in an attempt to make ground on Premier Rees. But his own political fundraising is under question, writes Lee Rhiannon.
Della Bosca poised to attack
NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca has been plotting the downfall of Premier Nathan Rees for several months now, according to Daily Telegraph sources — but he’ll have to get through Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid first.
Exit the Accidental Premier … enter Della?
The tumbrils are beginning to roll down Macquarie Street to carry Nathan Rees to a premature execution as Premier of NSW. Meanwhile, a chariot is being polished for Health Minister John Della Bosca.
Crikey Says: Australia’s most important state deserves better
Until the pleasantly ineffective premier Nathan Rees is returned to sender, New South Wales will remain mired in a leadership and economic mess.
Pubs get lucky with Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees is reportedly ready to ease his crackdown on alcohol-fuelled brawling and anti-social behavior at “hot spot” hotels.
NSW Shooters’ Party MPs stick up Premier Rees
For the past two years, NSW Shooters Party MPs, Roy Smith and Robert Brown, have been voting loyally for controversial Labor legislation to secure its passage through the Upper House.
