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Paul Bongiorno
politics November 25, 2023
Albanese dragged to Dutton’s level
The performance of the first-term Albanese government has been marked by an unusual stability and maturity as it settled into the daunting task of guiding the nation. The government has shown a level of competence in sharp contrast to its...
politics November 18, 2023
Dutton tracks the scent of victory
As this term of government rapidly nears its halfway mark, the Coalition is convinced it has a greater chance of victory at the next election than it dared imagine over the past 18 months. Peter Dutton is encouraged by continuing tightening in the...
politics November 4, 2023
Peter Dutton’s play at weaponising Israel–Hamas war
Australia’s security chiefs are keeping a nervous eye on reactions to the escalating human disaster that is the Israel–Hamas war. Their worries come at a time when the political debate over Australia’s response is becoming more fractious...
indigenous affairs October 28, 2023
Anthony Albanese has moved on from his thwarted attempt to have an Indigenous Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution. It is frustrating the opposition and disappointing some key leaders in the Aboriginal community. Greatly assisting the...
indigenous affairs October 7, 2023
The ‘Yes’ vote comeback we have to have
Upset results and come-from-behind victories are as common in politics as they are on the sporting field. Opinion polls have famously got election results wrong over the years, although not as often as many underdogs would wish. The referendum for...
politics September 30, 2023
The legacies of Daniel Andrews and Mike Pezzullo
The departure of one powerful man and the sidelining of another has accentuated the profound influence both have had in shaping the direction of the nation. Their legacies are now both a challenge and an opportunity for Anthony Albanese to learn...
indigenous affairs September 23, 2023
The state of the ‘No’ campaign
In the shadow of the National Library, inside the Parliamentary Triangle, the Yes23 organisers could scarcely believe their eyes as the crowd built for Canberra’s version of the Walk for Yes rally and march. The mood was upbeat as Aunty Violet...
indigenous affairs September 16, 2023
Going into the last sitting week before the referendum on a Voice to Parliament, Anthony Albanese was desperate to have something positive to talk about, to assure Australians he was paying attention to their immediate concerns. But as his plane...
politics September 9, 2023
On Tuesday afternoon, immediately after Question Time, Anthony Albanese flew out of Canberra, Jakarta-bound for the beginning of a five-day, three-country series of summits. By all reports, the flight was smooth, unlike the turbulence buffeting his...
politics September 2, 2023
Between the hard right and a soft ‘No’
By any measure this week marks the official countdown to a significant moment in the history of the Australian Federation and its foundation on the dispossession of the original owners of the land. Australians are being asked to accept or reject a...
politics August 26, 2023
One of the great advantages of Labor’s national conference is the access it gives media to the party’s leading figures. When they are cabinet ministers, what they say has even greater weight. When Tanya Plibersek was collared on the sidelines of...
