Lawyer and author Madeline Gleeson says there are positive elements in Australia’s asylum-seeker policy, but a lack of political will to abide by the Refugee Convention.

After parliament’s first week, rifts within the government and opposition prove as telling as those between them.

Just as political opponents may form friendships based on their shared circumstances in Canberra, the relationship of biographer and subject is equally complex.

As new senators arrive in Canberra for induction, the horsetrading has already begun.

As the country reacts to the Nauru files and confirmation the Manus detention centre must close, a new chapter appears to be opening in the refugee debate.

The new minister for the environment and energy, Josh Frydenberg, is ready to balance his portfolios and disappoint critics on the left and right.

Plans for more American troops to be based in the Northern Territory have stalled as battlelines are drawn over who should foot the bill.

Malcolm Turnbull faced a disunited Coalition party room, as members complained about the election campaign and threatened to revolt on policy.

Political realities are biting for all parties in the wake of the election, as everyone looks to explain the numbers.