“Somebody needed to stand up to Howard and rein in his 2007 budget plans. Unfortunately, Nick Minchin said nothing.” A first exclusive peak at the Peter Costello memoirs.
Nick Minchin
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
The Pope, in case you were too obsessed by the future fortunes of Peter Costello to notice, has recently spent a little time in Sydney.
Emissions trading
Who’s a good boy then? Who’s a good boy?
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Meaty snippets from the home of government plus the daily reality check and the pick of other people’s political coverage. Richard Farmer writes.
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
The Liberal Party must be cleared of its obstructive, distracting dead wood. By which we mean Costello and Lord Downer.
Tips and rumours
When Lin Hatfield-Dodds announced in a blaze of publicity that she was withdrawing from the Olympic torch relay, she gave the impression that she did so with the full support of the various organisations with which she claims allegiance - Uniting Care Australia, the Australian Council of Social Service and the Uniting Church. The only […]
Labor’s new federalism shows its first cracks
While the cooperative Labor federalism promised by Kevin Rudd had a relaxed start in late 2007, we’re now seeing the reality of different levels of government with different policy agendas and political needs trying to work together, writes Bernard Keane.
Bipartisanism shock: all hands in the pork barrel
Nick Minchin acted to gag the Australian National Audit Office. So did Robert Ray, writes David MacCormack.
Howard’s End: where was the bitterness?
As a clearer picture of the dying days of the Howard Government emerges, questions suggest themselves. Howard biographer Wayne Errington writes.
Senior Liberals now reconciled and relaxed
One suspects that in years to come, Brendan Nelson’s speech in reply to the Prime Minister’s apology to the Stolen Generations will be known chiefly for how it was jeered and rejected. Such an outcome is unfair on him and unfair on the Coalition, writes David MacCormack.
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.
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Libs take note of GOP choice … Turnbull’s on to something … Snazzing up the CV … a whale of a problem … Swan’s cheap cuts .. the pick of the morning’s political coverage … Daily reality check.
Who died and left Nick Minchin in charge?
It wasn’t what Malcolm Turnbull did, says Nick Minchin, it’s the way that he did it. He should’ve checked with his party colleagues before racing off and supporting an apology last year before the leadership ballot. Que? asks David MacCormack.
Mungo: Nelson should just say yes to saying sorry
After ten long years the federal Liberals are still dithering over whether to be part of a formal apology to the stolen generation of indigenous Australians. They have learned nothing; but apparently they have forgotten just about everything, writes Mungo MacCallum.
Libs-Nats merger talk: as ever it’s all about the Labor Party
A recurring response to Coalition electoral defeat is the call for a merger between the Liberal and National parties. It never goes anywhere, and probably never will, but it can be quite revealing to see just who is pushing the idea and why, writes Charles Richardson.
Outpoll, outwit, outlast: time for conservative Survivor
For a mob who claim to be pro-competition and opportunity, there’s only one way to create a single party on the non-Labor side of politics - fight it out. David MacCormack writes:
Minchin rebuilding the Libs in his own image
The Liberal Senate leader and the former deputy federal director of the party, Nick Minchin, has been quick to show his credentials for the task of rebuilding. Yet Minchin is actively playing the factional game, too, writes Christian Kerr.
Liberal crisis continues; party offers more of the same
The Liberal Party’s federal executive meets in Canberra today, and the shadow ministry has its first meeting. Questions over the leadership and Federal pressident positions remain. There is no doubt that the Liberal Party is in denial, writes Christian Kerr.
Petey’s pouting leaves the Liberals in the lurch
They’ve installed Brendan Nelson as leader and now the right wing of the Liberal Party is now set to roll federal party president Chris McDiven, writes Christian Kerr.
Political bite-sized meaty chunks
The Bali agenda … Dr Brendan pays the bills … Lookalikes …
Nelson vs Turnbull: A battle on many fronts
Fighting Kevin Rudd and balancing progressives and conservatives within his party will be tough enough for Nelson. But he will find himself shadow-boxing with Turnbull as well, writes David MacCormack.
Conservative warriors unite to sink Turnbull
The demise of Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership ambitions yesterday was in part revenge by those Liberals — right wing warriors such as Nick Minchin and Tony Abbott — who have always treated the former Republican leader with shall we charitably say, suspicion, writes Greg Barns.
Rundle: At the end of the day he’s a banker not a Bismarck
With the Liberal party falling in on itself , the knives are coming out for Howard. This is only one chapter in a comprehensive and delusional rewriting of history, writes Guy Rundle.
Mayne: In defence of Peter Costello
Peter Costello has done the right thing by himself and his family in pulling the plug on politics and deserves to have a highly successful career in the commercial world, writes Stephen Mayne.
The high and low laughs of Election 07
As the election campaign eases into its fourth year and we gather to learn how badly we’ve done in the exams, we pause to consider the highlights so far.
