Stephen Parker and Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics.
Critics are already seeing Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s reaction to a cross-party same-sex marriage bill as Abbott going back on his word.
AAP/Lukas Coch
The prime minister is suddenly looking like a throwback to Tony Abbott, health minister, when he was fighting trenchantly against losing ministerial power over the abortion drug RU486.
The leak of the proposed same-sex marriage bill caught Prime Minister Tony Abbott by surprise.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Tony Abbott’s office took quite a while to respond to Sky News’ Wednesday report that a group of backbenchers from across the parliament planned to bring forward a gay marriage bill.
Television personality Ray Martin has been appointed by the ABC to conduct its review into Q&A.
AAP/Tracey Nearmy
Bill Shorten has neither built the profile nor provided the performance that renders him prime minister-in-waiting rather than fragile whinger-in-chief.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Tony Abbott listen to former MP Bruce Baird.
AAP/Tracey Nearmy
In all the politicking and government attacks on the ABC for giving a platform to former terror suspect Zaky Mallah, the free speech debate has become confused.
Tony Abbott has released the federalism discussion paper.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Allowing states to raise their own income tax and changing the way the GST is carved up are among options put in the government’s discussion paper on reform of Australia’s federation.
Education Minister Christopher Pyne was fast to dismiss the idea of wealthy parents paying for public school.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
First it was the tax paper falling victim to the exigencies of politics; now it’s the federalism one. Neither is finished but already the government has, under sharp political pressure, ruled certain options…
Pope Francis has made a strong call to action on climate change.
AAP/Fabrizio Belluschi
Tony Abbott gets some lucky breaks. Imagine if Pope Francis had issued [this week’s encyclical - with its clarion call for the world to address climate change - last year in the run up to the G20 hosted by Australia.
The Brotherhood of St Laurence’s ‘Given the Chance’ program enables asylum seekers and refugees to demonstrate their skills and loyalty as employees.
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Seeking asylum from persecution is a right and people who do so are not “illegals” under the law. Yet refugees are portrayed in negative and threatening terms in Australia, while positive stories are ignored.
Tony Abbott: ‘We can encourage jobs and tackle the costs of living far away from major cities’.
AAP/Lukas Coch
A 20-year roadmap to boost northern Australia’s development and investment will be unveiled by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The Abbott government has hid asylum policy behind ‘operational matters’ since it took office – starting with then-immigration minister Scott Morrison in 2013.
AAP/Paul Miller
If governments are to maintain public support for their military ventures, war narratives must be kept simple and consistent. The underlying message must not change: the West is always the innocent victim of terrorism, never its perpetrator.
Julie Bishop: ‘The best way for Indonesia to resolve any concerns it has about Operation Sovereign Borders is for Indonesia to enforce sovereignty over its borders’.
AAP/Paul Miller
The government has admitted that it will do whatever it takes to keep the boats stopped and, it seems, if that takes slapping the Indonesians around a bit, it doesn’t seem too concerned. As senior Indonesian…
Tony Abbott wouldn’t say whether ‘by hook or by crook’ included paying thousands of dollars to turn back a recent boat bound for New Zealand.
AAP/David Moir
Tony Abbott declared on Friday that Australia stopped the people smuggling boats “by hook or by crook”. What Abbott wouldn’t say is whether “by hook or by crook” included paying thousands of dollars to…
Tony Abbott said Australia was talking with our friends and partners about ‘how the Iraqi forces might be better helped’.
AAP/Dean Lewins
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has flagged that Australia would like to see its substantial military contribution to the war against Islamic State more effectively used.
Joe Hockey has been defended by Prime Minister Tony Abbott – again.
AAP/Dean Lewins
In trying to help a colleague out of a hole, there’s always the danger of slipping into one yourself. Shoring up Joe Hockey after the treasurer’s advice to young homebuyers to get a good job, Tony Abbott…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s default political position is confrontation.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Liberal backbencher Craig Laundy, who won the marginal seat of Reid from Labor in 2013, this week started making videos that he’s promoting as “spin-free”.