Scott Morrison’s pledge to spend billions on a Climate Solutions Fund is a thinly veiled rehash of the widely criticised Emissions Reduction Fund, which had much of its work undone by fine print.
With the Coalition and Labor presenting several policy differences, this can be seen as a very ideological election.
AAP/Lukas Coch
As Australians’ trust in politicians continues to slide, whoever wins the 2019 will need to work hard to restore it if it has any hope of bringing about genuine reform.
The latest Ipsos poll has the gap between Labor and the Coalition narrowing to 51-49, but it may be an outlier.
AAP/James Ross/Grant Wells
A Queensland Galaxy poll taken at the same time shows a healthier lead for Labor - but more polls are needed to determine any trends in voting ahead of the federal election.
While Scott Morrison remains preferred PM, Labor maintains an election-winning two-party preferred lead in the latest Newspoll.
AAP/Ellen Smith
The latest polls show Labor holding a solid lead over the Coalition, while seat polls show that Tony Abbott may struggle to retain his Sydney seat.
The goal of every public appearance or interview by a politician is to “stay on message”. In itself, it’s not a malign tactic but the constant repetition of the same messages without answering questions can be a form of obfuscation.
AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation, Michael Keenan, have announced they will leave politics at this year’s election.
The Morrison government has committed $50million to celebrate next year’s 250th anniversary of Cook’s landing at Kurnell on April 29, 1770.
AAP/Marc McCormack
The government’s investment in a celebration of 250 years since James Cook’s voyage to and along Australia, if not done properly, will further inflame the history wars in Australia.
Kelly O'Dwyer last week announced she would not be re-contesting her seat of Higgins at the 2019 elections.
AAP/Ellen Smith
The departure of Liberal women is a sign that they have always been outsiders within the party, and by world standards the gender imbalance is stark and woefully out of touch.
The Australian funded Blackrock base in Fiji will be a regional hub for training of defence and security personnel.
DAN HIMBRECHTS/AAP
Scott Morrison stepped up Australia’s engagement with the Pacific by visiting Vanuatu and Fiji last week and announcing a bilateral partnership with the latter. Here’s what he achieved.
Australia’s plan to move its embassy to Jerusalem rattled Indonesia because recognition of Palestine is one of the key foreign policy values of Indonesia.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The latest Fairfax-Ipsos and Essential polls give a strong lead to Labor, with some interesting – and variable - detail on the attributes voters see in the leaders of the two major parties.
Scott Morrison’s announcement that Australia would recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has cause a negative reaction not only from the Muslim world, but from Israel itself.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
In his efforts to find favour with Israel’s supporters at the Wentworth byelection, Morrison crossed that divide, and has now infuriated many - including the Israeli government.
The funding proposal is no fix for Australia’s health system but it could take some political pressure off the Coalition in the lead up to the 2019 federal election.
OnE studio/Shutterstock
While pushing for changes to increase protections for religious belief, the government has not yet answered if that should extend to being allowed to discriminate against LGBTI people.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has heard “loud and clear” that “Australians in our biggest cities are concerned about population”.
AAP/Lukas Coch
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.
A jubilant Daniel Andrews celebrates a resounding win in the Victorian election.
AAP/Daniel Pockett
Daniel Andrews’ resounding win has probably secured his party another two terms- and it will send chills down the spines of Liberals in Canberra.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiling tough new proposals to strip extremists of their Australian citizenship.
Joel Carrett/AAP
Australia is proposing some of the toughest citizenship stripping laws in the world as it steps up efforts to curb extremist attacks - but the proposed law could run into significant legal hurdles
A student does his homework near a solar power kit in remote PNG - apparently charging his phone or looking up something on the internet.
Geoff Miller/University of Queensland
PNG is enjoying unfamiliar global attention after the APEC summit earlier this week, and the rivalry between the United States and China to exert influence in the region.
Senior Lecturer in Political Science: Research Fellow at the Cairns Institute; Research Associate for Centre for Policy Futures, University of Queensland, James Cook University