In-depth analysis of the day’s news, plus stories and gossip from Australian politics.
Turning our sheepdogs into poodles
Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one…
Seven reasons why Australia is a better friend to the US than Canada
On Saturday Donald Trump sent a congratulatory tweet to new Prime Minister Scott Morrison: This innocuous and pleasant message has…
The Fairfax reshuffle scoop
For two hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his new ministry, this is all The Age had on the…
Long live the king
Personally, I was cheering on Peter Dutton. So it’s with a degree of objectivity I now admit Scott Morrison may,…
Politics triumphs over all
Big businesses in Australia will not be getting their small tax cuts eight years in the future. That money will…
How Simple Simon tripped Turnbull
In years ahead when historians try and explain the downfall of the Malcolm Turnbull government, it’s clear that Education Minister…
Getting better with Menzies: reconnecting with good values
While the Canberra leadership game evolves, for the rest of us it can pay to look at the only thing…
The Canberra convulsions and the Honey Badger
I don’t follow rugby so I don’t know the Honey Badger. But I do follow politics and know that a…
A fight for the heart and soul of the Liberal Party
Choosing between Peter Dutton and Scott Morrison as to whom should lead the Liberal party is the most significant decision…
To the Prime Minister, Peter Dutton, Tony Abbott, the Attorney and Governor-General…
The key people in the current crisis urgently need independent and urgent advice, the sort of advice they may not…
How soon our media forgot last week’s outrage
While we wait to see just who will be prime minister at the end of today (or if we’re heading…
How the spill looks to Fairfax’s job snobs
Such horrible elitism. Such snobbery. Such privilege on display — and from publications so woke. We need a hashtag. We…
Some priorities for a Liberal PM – any Liberal PM
Two messages for Canberra: Firstly, Australia does not have a problem with too much carbon dioxide going to the sky…
#WhatAboutUsBlokes
Feminist commentator Clementine Ford would be a nightmare in couples counselling I suspect. If her crazy-making political antics translate to…
The Liberal leadership and other circus acts
In a long and often bloody and tumultuous history of the Roman Empire, there are few periods like what has…
Charles Blackman’s 90th birthday
Geoffrey Lehmann and I were invited by August, his eldest son, to join the family celebrating Charles Blackman’s ninetieth birthday…
The end of the beginning
So Malcolm Turnbull finally made a tactically wise move and vacated the leadership to bring on the Peter Dutton challenge…
In the name of God, go!
The message from the Liberal Party to Malcolm Turnbull should be the same as Leo Amery’s message to Neville Chamberlain…
Will we vote now before the party room?
Malcolm Turnbull rolled the dice. He won — but only just. The ambush worked — but only just. Paul Keating, of course,…
The #MeToo bombshell we didn’t see coming
Question: if life is as simple as black and white, men are oppressors, women are victims, wouldn’t all of life’s…
Malcolm, you promised… so go
Malcolm Turnbull’s backing off trying to bully his party into a NEGative plan has given the Liberals a golden opportunity…
Abbott’s a better option than Dutton, but…
As Malcolm Turnbull limps into the second week of a tumultuous parliamentary sitting, his leadership is under threat whether he…
Young or old, too many Liberal backbenchers won’t stand for principle
I knew things were bad with the federal Liberal Party but I didn’t know things were this bad. You see…
Only certain outrage makes the Letters to the Editor
There are some words and phrases that are better left unsaid and newbie Senator Fraser Anning has now probably realised…
Sino sexbot subversion? It’s coming…
China is looking to dominate the American market in yet another sector: WMDOLL, based in China’s southeastern Guangdong province, develop AI-powered…










































