Nothing is left to chance with the Rudd government. No detail is too small that it can’t be deployed in the remorseless bombardment of the Opposition. Like Wayne Swan picking holes in their CPRS proposal.
Nick Xenophon 
Coles folds on pokies, will Woolies be next?
Those nice men from Wesfarmers, sitting in pokies-free Perth, have wilted in the face of a strong campaign over kids in venues and committed to spend millions cleaning up their gambling venues, writes Stephen Mayne.
CPRS bills succumb to a quiet defeat
The Government’s CPRS bills slipped to a quiet and deserved defeat this morning in the Senate, to much excitement here in Parliament House but, one suspects, yawning non-interest from voters.
Make the world pay: Turnbull’s carbon plan
Malcolm Turnbull today announced details of a lower-cost emissions trading scheme, which would significantly increase Australia’s reliance on overseas permits. But there’s no free lunch in reducing carbon emissions: someone has to pay.
Political snippets: The national poker machine party, organic food no healthier
The ALP and their pokie loving ways, and is organic food no healthier?
Political snippets: ACT Labor sells out of pokies
In Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks today: ACT Labor sells off pokies interest — which means anti-Pokies Senator Nick Xenophon, the man with balance of power, will be appeased.
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Hu gives Smith, Bishop and Crean a boost? Exactly
The Stern Hu arrest has unsurprisingly launched Stephen Smith, Julie Bishop and Simon Crean way up the list in the battle for political media airtime.
Nick Xenophon: why I won’t vote for the ETS
In the first in a Crikey series, Senator Nick Xenophon explains why he won’t be voting for the government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
Wong’s cynical renewable energy play
The Government is happy to sacrifice its Renewable Energy Target for political expediency.
Will Woolies give Labor $20m for pokies empire?
With Labor now effectively declaring the pokies business was damaging its brand, Woolworths has come to a major fork in the road.
Politicians say the darndest things: Budget 09 in sound bites
Politicians know the power of a snappy sound bite. From “green weeds” to “Groundhog Day”, Budget 09 has given politicians the chance to introduce their latest catch phrases.
Kevin Rudd’s mid-air tantrum week
Stephen Conroy obviously the big mover, but still not all that high on the list from his usual subterranean profile.
Xenophon’s push to improve shield laws
Independent senator Nick Xenophon is working on a plan to force the federal Government to improve its proposed shield laws for journalists’ sources.
Mungo: have a nice trip Kevin, see you next fall
The Prime Minister might feel that even if the economic cycle is still clearly running against him, the political climate at least has changed for the better, writes Mungo MacCallum.
Keep your ETS Safe!
A handy guide
Xenophon’s deal turns water into gold
The Xenophon deal will cause a massive shock to the water buyback market, writes Bernard Keane.
Stimulus secured: A Xenophon stunt — on a massive scale
Today’s passage of the stimulus package is Nick Xenophon’s biggest stunt yet, writes Bernard Keane.
Koalas vs. The Media
The Truth!
Fielding the last man standing in stimulus fest
It’s hard to get excited about the unfolding drama of the Senate’s consideration of the stimulus package, writes Bernard Keane.
Fielding’s $4b stimulus hurdle
Steve Fielding is looming as the biggest threat to passage of the Government’s stimulus package through the Senate. And that’s exactly how the Government wants it, writes Bernard Keane.
Fielding the full sausage in stroganoff-gate
I do confess I have never tried the stroganoff, but the “Parliamentary Burger” – now, I fear, renamed something less creative – is a meal, not just a snack, writes Bernard Keane.
Getting to know the Senate
Maiden speeches from our new Senators…
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Meaty snippets from the home of government, Richard Farmer writes.
The Media Monitors’ Top 20
Big movers of the week come from those pea in a pod South Australians, writes Patrick Baume.
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Canberra’s new man of influence … Cash for trash at Family First … Getting good at this … First hand experience … The Daily Reality Check … The Pick of this Morning’s Political Coverage …
