Optimism is growing that immigration reform is a real possibility in 2014, reports Inside Story's Peter Mares from New York. But getting laws through Congress will only be the first challenge.
We're creating a generation of damaged souls out of people who seek asylum. One of the bodies set up to monitor the situation has been scrapped by the Abbott government, writes physician and Doctors for Refugees member Dr Michael Glicksman.
Malaysian democracy activist Haris Ibrahim was supposed to visit Australia this week, but the Australian government refused him a visa. Anthropology lecturer Gerhard Hoffstaedter calls for the decision to be overturned.
Christopher Pyne's plan to cap university places breaks a commitment to retain Labor's social democratic framework. Labor should hammer them on it to the exclusion of all else.
The Coalition's disdain for facts will eventually come to hurt them, especially if they run away from transparency -- as they've done with asylum seeker arrivals.
Lawyers for an asylum seeker challenging Labor's PNG plan are refiling and expanding their case today. If the new tack is successful, the High Court case could stymie future offshore processing of refugees.
Now we find out how the recruitment of Peter Beattie came about. Plus other bite-sized morsels of the campaign.
IT wobbles at DIAC ... some Coalition types dumping Mirabella in Indi? ... who is Barnaby Joyce anyway? ...
The Business Council's call for economic reform betrays a business mindset that it should be the passive recipient of government help. Bernard Keane and Glenn Dyer interpret the document.
Tony Abbott has been hoisted upon his own anti-asylum seeker rhetoric. Plus other political views noted along the way.
