Since 2007 Australia has not really had prime ministers of sufficient calibre. Instead, we have had an incessant struggle for power by those who believed they had the goods.
‘A political leader must always have an economic narrative.’
Lukas Coch/AAP
There was a time when economics was front and centre in political life and debate. Turnbull can help the country return to one that is economically literate.
Back to the old team: the Liberals returned to Malcolm Turnbull, seeing him as a better fit for prime minister once Tony Abbott’s limitations were laid bare.
AAP/Lukas Coch
The partyroom, not the people, decides the leadership, and if the leader lacks the skill set the role demands at the time, the party rarely hesitates to change the leader.
In many respects, Malcolm Turnbull seems an ideal Liberal leader for the 21st century – but there are some potential downsides.
AAP/Sam Mooy
Malcolm Turnbull’s problem is that he often seems to be slightly ahead of the times – and that he can’t always take either his party room or the public with him.
Prime Minister-designate Malcolm Turnbull with deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop during a press conference after Turnbull won the leadership in a party ballot.
Sam Mooy/AAP
Tony Abbott has announced Liberal MPs will vote on Monday night for the leadership and deputy leadership, after Malcolm Turnbull’s challenge to the Prime Minister’s leadership.
There are leadership rumblings of Malcolm Turnbull replacing Tony Abbott as prime minister.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
When Kevin Rudd came under attack from some of his ministers for the way he ran his cabinet, it turned out to be the beginning of the end. Now we are seeing Tony Abbott struggling to contain instability…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has rejected the idea of having a same-sex marriage plebiscite at the next election.
Glenn Hunt/AAP
New polling has shown almost seven in ten Australians favour legalising same-sex marriage, as Tony Abbott rules out a popular vote with the election and the government remains racked by division. Far from…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has suffered another poll blow.
Glenn Hunt/AAP
Ministerial divisions have broken spectacularly into the open over whether Tony Abbott’s proposed popular vote on same-sex marriage should be a plebiscite or a constitutional referendum.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has dismissed Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s same-sex marriage plebiscite idea.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
Tony Abbott is burnishing his lines for a popular vote on same-sex marriage in the next term, if he wins one. Abbott told parliament on Wednesday: “Going into the next election there will be two parties…
Barnaby Joyce has been outspoken in opposition to a government decision to build a coal mine in his electorate of New England.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Collective responsibility – or cabinet solidarity – is an axiom of political prudence that has mutated into a constitutional convention of how ministers should behave.
Tony Abbott’s ban on frontbenchers appearing on the ABC’s Q&A program remains in place – for now.
AAP/Glenn Hunt
It is difficult to work out Tony Abbott’s strategy in his attacks on the ABC and Q&A. It appears to have been astonishingly cack-handed for a number of reasons.
The ban on government frontbenchers appearing on Q&A will be lifted by the Prime Minister when the program is transferred into the news and current affairs department.
ABC
Tony Abbott on Friday told the ABC that ministers will appear again on Q&A if and when the program is brought under its news and current affairs umbrella.
Malcolm Turnbull has called for a more robust dialogue on national security, where measures are free to be challenged.
AAP/Stefan Postles
The continual use of colourful language when talking about terrorism exaggerates the threat in Australia and could play into the hands of Islamic State’s sophisticated recruitment strategies.