In the final sitting week for the year, the encryption bill was finally passed, and the Liberal Party changed its rules to prevent sitting prime ministers being toppled.
Players from all over the world, including Australia’s star forward Thon Maker - originally from South Sudan - play in the National Basketball Association in the United States.
Tannen Maury/EPA
Star basketball players are suffering the fallout from a race scare campaign by politicians from the Liberal party over crimes committed by a small number of young people who came to Australia from South Sudan
Abbott strongly supported the proposal.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The right is strong within the
party. And with the Morrison government now dealing with a hung parliament, there has been a risk that a disendorsed Kelly could defect to the
crossbench.
Kelly was one of those who scuppered the National Energy Guarantee, in.
the party meltdown that ended Turnbull’s leadership.
MICK TSIKAS/AAP
Michelle Grattan speaks to Deep Saini about the week in Australian politics.
When Labor tried to suspend standing orders in question time, Cathy McGowan, Rebekha Sharkie, Kerryn.
Phelps and Julia Banks abstained.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
While the Liberals are losing out
politically because of their low female representation and inability to properly address the problem, on the crossbench the women are now standouts (and a majority).
Craig Kelly - wearing a T-shirt with the face of Robert Menzies.
on it - told the ABC he would not defect to the cross bench.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Malcolm Turnbull has struck back angrily at a report that he has been helping independent Kerryn Phelps, his successor in Wentworth, as chaos continues to fracture the Liberals.
Josh Frydenberg on the Liberal troubles
CC BY21,5 MB(download)
Frydenberg reiterates that the Liberal party is still a "broad church" and says he isn't concerned about other MPs like Craig Kelly following Banks' suit.
Former Liberal Julia Banks has not ruled out running as an independent in Chisholm.
Mick Tskias/AAP
The Victorian backbencher has announced she is quitting the party to join the crossbench, launching a scathing attack on the right wing of the Liberal Party in the process.
Ryan declined to name names, but his reference to the media was.
directed at commentators on Sky in the evening and the Sydney shock
jocks.
Mick Tskias/AAP
In a critique of federal influences in the rout of the Victorian Liberals, Ryan, a former vice-president of the state division, pointed to swings in seats “that are the cradle of the Liberal party”.
Scandals, and a progressive Labor government, may hinder the Greens’ progress in both houses at the Victorian election.
AAP/Penny Stephens
The Victorian state election presents opportunities and risks for the Greens – including whether they can transition from being a protest party to a major party.
Scandals have dominated the recent headlines, but healthcare, education and public transport have been at the core of the policy debates.
Wes Mountain/The Conversation
With just days to go before the election, Labor is making a last-minute appeal to voters to stay in power, while the Liberals are pressing for change.
This week’s fallout from Turnbull’s Indonesian excursion has undermined Morrison on foreign policy – about which he gave his first major address on Thursday – and cast doubt on his personal credibility.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
For years Turnbull had to endure the sniping of Abbott, the man he brought down. Now Turnbull is the sniper at the window, though Morrison didn’t cause his fall (unless you buy the conspiracy
theory).
Morrison and minister Angus Taylor announced, or rather re-announced,
their “big stick” measures to force power companies to lower prices,
including threatening to break up recalcitrants.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Scott Morrison, unless his prayers for a political miracle are answered, will go down as the fireman who arrived late armed only with leaky buckets to confront a building ablaze and collapsing.
Morrison reiterated the government’s intention to serve its full term.
Chris Pavlich/AAP
While the government currently has pledges of confidence from some crossbenchers, they would be in a strong position to demand concessions in a hung parliament.
Independent Dr Kerryn Phelps has easily won the formerly blue-ribbon Liberal seat of Wentworth.
AAP/Chris Pavlich
The trouncing in Wentworth will re-open fractures in the government, threatening more damaging in-fighting between the party’s conservatives and moderates.
Morrison’s chameleon quality means that he may be able to modify the blokey approach if the focus groups suggest that’s required.
Mick Tskias/AAP
Morrison is conflicted. It’s risky for him to play down the allegations of standover tactics, let alone fail to take seriously enough the party’s need for more female MPs.