It is ten years since the 2007 election that swept Kevin Rudd into office. But if Kim Beazley had become PM instead, we might have avoided the constant instability and dysfunction we see today.
With the 2017 Federal Budget release fast approaching, take a look back at the spending patterns of previous Australian governments.
Lukas Coch/Alan Porritt/Dean Lewins/AAP
Total government spending has increased over time. But the pressure on the budget under a Turnbull government is more acute now than ever before, because spending is outpacing revenue.
In an ironic twist, Bill Shorten when employment minister paved the way for the Fair Work Commission decision.
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Women remain systemically underrepresented at the top levels of Australia’s most powerful institutions – including the media, universities, government, judiciary and corporate sector.
We thought Malcolm Turnbull had nailed his colours to the mast on climate policy - but maybe not.
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Malcolm Turnbull has said coal will be important for “many decades to come” – joining a long line of prime ministers who talked big on climate policy but found themselves talking up fossil fuels.
New linguistic studies show the ratio of “he” to “she” in Australian news reporting is 3.4 to 1.
AAP Image/April Fonti
A new database that shows the use of gendered words in major Australian newspapers tells us much about whose voices are being heard.
The virulence of some of the contemporary sexism against female politicians reflects the unrestraint that characterises the social media age.
David Foote/AUSPIC
Is Malcolm Turnbull at risk of finding himself in a similar situation to Julia Gillard, with a disillusioned public settling into a negative view that transcends achievements of the moment?
Political reporter Karen Middleton is releasing a book about the life and career of Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese. At its heart is a deeply personal story of Albanese's absent father.
Feminism informs Hillary Clinton’s personal story and influences her policies, but only to a degree.
Reuters/Mark Makela
Hillary Clinton’s political success has been partially due to a willingness to conform to certain journalistic expectations about gender.
Those who object to sexist jokes or other forms of offensive language are often accused of being wowsers, of trying to silence free speech.
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Polls suggest that Nick Xenophon’s team will win a bag of Senate seats. Along with a re-elected Andrew Wilkie, and the Greens, will there be enthusiasm for gambling reform in the next parliament?
The political culture of Australia, unlike the United States, frowns on explicit religiosity.
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Not only is the Australian Christian Lobby losing relevance, it has had to appeal to Bill Shorten to pay attention to the group in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale (right) and Greens candidate for Grayndler Jim Casey are eyeing off the inner-Sydney seat.
AAP/Paul Miller
With the election result almost certain to be close, preferencing will play a key role, leaving the progressive parties in particular in a difficult bind.
Bill Shorten has spent the last two-and-a-half years trying to shed memories of the dysfunction of the Rudd-Gillard years.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Talk of a Labor-Green coalition brings with it images of Julia Gillard and Bob Brown signing the agreement that helped usher in her minority government.
In 2015, the ABC aired a gripping documentary series covering the tumultuous Rudd-Gillard era. This week, Sarah Ferguson has released a book developed from the documentary.