The Australian newspaper’s current campaign against the Government’s stimulus package has to be one of the more dishonest and hypocritical of recent years.
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Crikey Conversations: The future of the Australian public service
Andrew Podger is one of the most respected leaders in public administration in Australia. He chats with Crikey’s Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane about the challenges facing the public service, under Rudd and beyond.
Rudd reshuffle: a win for talent… and factional allegiances
You have to hand it to the Prime Minister — he sure likes making things complicated. Bernard Keane wraps the weekend reshuffle action after Joel Fistgibbon’s resignation.
Hold the champagne on Australia’s growth figures
The collective fawning over the March quarter growth figures by the press gallery shows a thorough misunderstanding of Australia’s economic predicament.
politicians behaving badly Defence Minister Fitzgibbon’s gone
The beleaguered Defence minister is gone (read the back story here). Who will replace him?
Australia avoids recession: what the pundits say
Yesterday’s confirmation that the Australian economy had avoided a technical recession sent the Rudd government into a fit of giggles, but the commentariat was less enamoured.
The little recession that couldn’t
For the Government and Treasury, this is as close to vindication of its stimulus approach as it will get. And all thanks to 0.4%, in black, rather than red.
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Six weeks of ALP decline
The government has taken a chunky hit over the last six weeks, while the Coalition is currently equalling their best period of performance this term — last September when Turnbull took over the leadership.
Government tests the power of positive thought
Can the government’s efforts to keep public discourse on the economy positive minimise the impact of the recession? asks Ross Gittins.
Rudd turns his back on closing the gap
Labor’s rhetoric on Indigenous health is better than in the Howard years, but the reality from Rudd and Macklin is no different from Howard and Vanstone, writes Gavin Mooney.
Crikey Says: Things are brighter than the Government would have us believe
Rudd feels it necessary to ramp up the rhetoric of grim times and tough policy responses — but the reality is far brighter.
Budget causes Rudd honeymoon to end… according to Fairfax
Nielsen never actually demonstrated the political change that Fairfax had projected onto it — it was just poor analysis.
Nielsen Poll signals return to healthy Oz democracy
The Coalition should allow themselves just a little celebration over today’s Nielsen poll.
ACNielsen: weak results for Rudd, 53-47
The first post-budget poll has given Labor its second weakest poll result since the election of the Rudd government.
Crikey Says: So where does the end of Budget week leave us?
So far the Government’s stimulus strategy seems to be working. But at some point Kevin Rudd will run out of excuses to spend.
Returning to surplus within six years is hopelessly optimistic
Rudd will not be able to honour his pledge to keep the budget in surplus over the next cycle, says Rowen Cross — and he has the figures to prove it.
Greg Sheridan wants to be UN secretary general. No, really
Greg Sheridan isn’t handling the Rudd Government too well, writes Bernard Keane.
Future of clean energy jobs in Senate’s hands
It’s time politicians and big polluters stopped arguing or seeking excuses for inaction and got on with the job, writes John Connor.
Rudd persists with first home buyers furphy
The First Home Owners’ Grant is a policy which significantly inflates the cost of property for first home buyers, and mostly benefits wealthy property investors and developers.
Sage boost for home owners
While one can debate the intellectual merits of the policies, Rudd has been decisive and masterful at managing the vagaries of human psychology, writes Christopher Joye.
Indigenous affairs money scattered but plentiful
In percentage terms, it’s still better than just about any other government has done before.
Climate spending won’t restore Rudd’s climate credibility
The downside of the Clean Energy Initiative – and the Rudd Government’s climate policy more generally – is the weighting given to coal interests, writes Andrew Macintosh.
Swan’s boom-era Budget should sail
The mixed message of handouts and infrastructure for everyone in a time of supposed austerity is still confusing but probably not enough to cause any difficulty for the Government.
Journalist shield laws do not go far enough
Robert McClelland’s proposed shield laws for journalists will leave all the discretion to judges. Not good enough, writes Christopher Warren.
Pre-Budget poll: Labor’s streaks ahead
A narrowing trend in recent federal polling has come to an abrupt halt with this week’s Essential Research survey, which shows Labor’s lead blowing out from 57-43 to 61-39. Poll Bludger reports.
