Normally, when a media interviewee responds by saying "Let me answer the question this way", the rest of the answer bears little relationship to the original question. This was not the case with Ken Henry on ABC 730 last night. His openness …

Bernie Fraser has decided to speak out. The organisation he heads, the Climate Change Authority, is set to be abolished when the new Senate sits. It was set up to provide independent expert advice to the government on climate change mitigation initiatives, …

After the Manus Island riots, Scott Morrison announced an independent review. He used this, at the time, as a justification for not providing any detailed information to the public about the riots. We would need to wait until the review was completed …

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has indicated the Coalition is looking to ease media ownership restrictions. Turnbull is "sympathetic" to calls for less regulation and believes many of the rules are outdated in the internet age. The …

The Qantas debate is set to go nowhere for several weeks yet, as the Qantas Sale Act legislation languishes in the Senate. It has instead become a vehicle for broader political arguments. The federal government is again intent on pinning a portion …

Every so often, an individual piece of journalism provides a perspective, hitherto unseen or unacknowledged, that makes a mockery of whole swathes of public debate. Just such a piece appeared in today's Australian Financial Review. Neil …

Tony Abbott has re-affirmed his commitment to delisting 74,000 hectares of World Heritage forest in Tasmania, explaining his position in these terms: "We have quite enough national parks. We have quite enough locked up forests already. In fact, in …

"I reject this idea that Qantas is Australian and Virgin isn't," said Tony Abbott, "because let's face it, Virgin is employing Australians and it's serving Australians." It's hard to imagine that Australians will be …

Fairfax this morning carried an alarming report about the death of Reza Barati on Manus Island.  "Everyone knows who attacked him and is surprised no one has been taken into custody," said the unnamed detention centre staffer. The …

Tony Abbott seemed to back away from providing immediate assistance to Qantas. Treasurer Joe Hockey had earlier intimated that the government was being dragged, "kicking and screaming", to a debt guarantee, but Abbott in parliament yesterday …

Qantas this morning reported a $252 million half-year loss and announced it would cut 5000 jobs as part of an overall plan to reduce costs by $2 billion over 3 years. The results come as the government weighs up assistance measures for the struggling …

The prime minister this morning announced a $320 million drought assistance package. It consists of $280 million to fund low-interest loans for farmers who've been without rain for more than a year, as well as support for targeted health initiatives, …

The Coalition's pursuit of Labor was entirely understandable and justifiable when it was in Opposition. Using the power and privileges of government to continue to flog old wounds risks looking not only petty but vindictive. The Coalition …

"You don't want a wimp running border protection," said Tony Abbott yesterday, attempting to defend Immigration Minister Scott Morrison. It was an extraordinary response, given the issue revolves around one man being beaten to death and …

The High Court declared the WA Senate result void, so the entire state will go back to the polls, most likely in April or May, to elect six federal senators. The result will dictate how many cross-bench votes the Abbott government needs to pass legislation …