As is often the case with symbolic gestures of government, the political capital gained far exceeds the investment made in changing the day-to-day reality of victims' lives.
If only grants to Indigenous businesses were a Closing The Gap indicator, things would be looking up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people...
Another year, another report showing that we're failing to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Kevin Rudd's National Apology was meant to be a turning point in Australia's treatment of Indigenous Australians, but after a decade we've learnt that it was anything but.
Barnaby Joyce has been dubbed a political genius but the truth is he has always lacked judgment and any interest in the detail or consequences of his actions.
Wayne Swan faced a more dramatic set of economic challenges than any treasurer since World War II. His handling of them meant hundreds of thousands of Australians kept their jobs.
The media obsessing about Barnaby Joyce and the ethics of reporting his relationship is trivial compared to the "boiling frog" effect of relentless claims about national security.
Emails exclusively obtained by Crikey via FOI have revealed that the Department of Social Services initially decided to hide last year's data breach from affected employees.
If the Department of Home Affairs was trying to stop detention centre visits with its new, punitive visitation procedures, then it may have worked.
As the tenth anniversary of Closing The Gap nears, a report has detailed how some very Canberran failings wrecked it.
