Here we go again. The Gillard government now has to defend not only its carbon pricing plan, but also its apparent hypocrisy in spending some $25 million of taxpayers’ money to promote it.
Steve bracks
Bitar’s email bombshell on the ‘Lindsay test’
ALP national secretary Karl Bitar sent a private email to Kevin Rudd chief-of-staff Alistair Jordan demanding that “every policy and announcement must pass the Lindsay test”, according to a footnote in the secret section of Bracks-Faulkner-Carr review examining Labor’s 2010 election campaign.
Baillieu set to seize power in Victoria: poll
The Liberal Party is set to deny John Brumby his first election victory and seize power in Victoria, according to a Morgan Poll conducted exclusively for Crikey.
Self flagellation in the ALP Left; deckchair shuffle on the Right
The National Left of the ALP will move beyond Doug Cameron’s pronouncements on caucus democracy and gay marriage and strive to implement a wide ranging program of party reform, according to key resolutions of the faction’s weekend talkfest seen by Crikey.
Victoria no martyr on health
It’s no wonder John Brumby is the parochial laggard on health reform: he’s racking up an impressive record of bad policy.
Politicians should be fit, and by god we should know it
After Tony Abbott’s 14 hour ironman triumph on Sunday, Nicola Roxon had the nerve to suggest that Abbott’s fitness regime was eroding his time for policy formation. Not true. Abbott’s continuing Australia’s fine tradition of sporty politicians, writes Kim Crow.
Brumby’s poor disclosure over donations and jobs for relatives
While there are literally hundreds of examples of politicians either employing their relatives or having party colleagues take them on, very few have reached the scale of Victorian Premier John Brumby’s family.
Come in Spinner: There’s a fraction too much fiction
The recent controversy over a strategy prepared by a Victorian government media adviser illustrates the problems that arise from journalists-turned-advisers, explains Noel Turnbull.
Austin: Brumby to get the boot?
The Bracks/Brumby Labor leaders have ruled Victoria for a decade, but judging by recent byelections, the Labor tides are changing. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end? asks Paul Austin.
Kennett, Bracks, Jeffed — it’s 10th anniversary season
This is a big call, no doubt, but Jeff Kennett led one of the most reformist and revolutionary governments in any stable western democracy over the past 50 years.
Melbourne City Council — its part in my disillusionment
The richest man wins the whole box and dice — so long as he has ALP approval to play in his own sand pit and does not frighten the horses in Spring Street, writes Terry Maher.
Bracks v. Goss in the battle for TV regulation
Having an ex-premier as front man is evidently now de rigueur in the broadcasting sector, writes Bernard Keane.
Oz should follow China’s lead on car industry
China has done the most obvious thing and lifted sales taxes on cars with big engines to make them more costly: without actually saying so, it’s effectively a tax on fuel consumption, writes Glenn Dyer.
Bracks report: An additional two billion dollar handout to the car industry
The Bracks review of the car industry released this morning is already getting headlines for steering away from recommending the retention of the current 10% tariff on imported vehicles, writes Bernard Keane.
Stars align for serious campaign finance reform
The combination of an ethically-strong Kevin Rudd, a governance-obsessed John Faulkner and the Wollongong City Council looks like ensuring the stars are about to align for Australia’s most comprehensive program of campaign finance reform, writes Stephen Mayne.
Swan, Hockey to climb a steep learning curve
In politics, words are bullets. You don’t spray them around randomly. You use them well. You pick your target carefully – then fire off your ammo with precision. No wonder the PM kept his head down when Wayne Swan was at the dispatch box yesterday. It was like hunting with Dick Cheney, writes Christian Kerr.
Rudd’s first Question Time: happy as a pig in mud
Kevin Rudd is as happy as a pig in mud. Wayne Swan is as happy as a goldfish in a blender. They’re the conclusions that can be drawn from the first Rudd Government Question Time, writes Christian Kerr
Waterwall to wall Labor and Howard’s backflip with pike
Only Labor can end the blame game, or so Kevin Rudd claimed during the campaign. He had to. He had to neutralise the threat of wall to wall Labor governments. John Howard had different priorities. He had to make the Labor state administrations look difficult. Like on water, writes Christian Kerr.
