Peter Brent writes regularly on politics and polls for Inside Story. He tweets on electoral matters at @mumbletwits.
National affairs
Sizing up a bigger parliament
Peter Brent
23 October 2025
Labor is testing the arguments — and support — for more MPs and fixed four-year terms
National affairs
Less Hastie, more speed
Peter Brent
17 October 2025
The pretenders to the Liberal throne are united by one thing — a lack of electability
National affairs
Who’ll swing the next election?
Peter Brent
9 October 2025
The electoral pendulum tells only part of the story
National affairs
One Nation’s warning
Peter Brent
2 October 2025
Far-right disinformation has had a limited impact on Australian elections. But it would be wise to plan ahead
National affairs
Toxic emissions
Peter Brent
19 September 2025
The Australian’s Greg Sheridan is backing Matt Canavan’s electorally dangerous campaign against renewable energy to the hilt
National affairs
What was that number?
Peter Brent
11 September 2025
A misleading assertion about Indian voters has rippled across the political landscape
National affairs
Selling immigration
Peter Brent
4 September 2025
The weekend’s protests are a reminder of Australia’s distinctive record
National affairs
The trouble with Coalition’s young-voter problem
Peter Brent
14 August 2025
How the pundits are getting it wrong about generational voting
National affairs
How to misread a referendum
Peter Brent
23 July 2025
More evidence emerges that Peter Dutton’s electorally toxic impulses were reinforced by misleading polling
National affairs
Labor’s Trump card goes missing
Peter Brent
27 May 2025
A key factor in Labor’s election win was forgotten once the postmortems began
National affairs
Notes on a landslide
Peter Brent
5 May 2025
The signs were there but the size of the swings still came as a shock
National affairs
Day of reckoning
Peter Brent
3 May 2025
With the final polls published, what do we and don’t we know?
National affairs
Against the flow
Peter Brent
1 May 2025
Beware of claims that supporters of small right-wing parties will overwhelmingly preference the Coalition
National affairs
Who do you trust?
Peter Brent
24 April 2025
Early voting, preference dealing, overinterpreted polls and an underwhelming debate: notes from another week of campaigning
National affairs
Notes on a resurgence
Peter Brent
9 April 2025
Pollsters are giving Labor a winning edge, but the government has reasons to be cautious
National affairs
State of exception
Peter Brent
25 March 2025
Taswegians tend to go their own way at national elections, and that can matter when the results are close
National affairs
From whom the preferences flow
Peter Brent
18 February 2025
Newspoll is changing the way it estimates how voters will direct their preferences
National affairs
Queensland to the rescue?
Peter Brent
7 February 2025
History suggests Labor’s state election loss in the Sunshine State last October might — just might — work in Anthony Albanese’s favour
National affairs
Expectations matter
Peter Brent
16 January 2025
But not necessarily in the way pundits think they do
National affairs
A long goodbye?
Peter Brent
12 December 2024
The signs aren’t great for Labor, but the Coalition has its vulnerabilities too — and the election is still months away
International
Not only did Harris lose…
Peter Brent
18 November 2024
With the results near-final, what do we now know about the shifting preferences of American voters?
International
Testing time for America’s pollsters
Peter Brent
5 November 2024
After two presidential misfires in a row, the polls are under intense scrutiny ahead of tomorrow’s vote
National affairs
There’s a Wills but is there a way?
Peter Brent
24 September 2024
Bob Hawke’s old seat is among the Greens’ best prospects, but the redistribution isn’t quite the gift it looks
National affairs
Peter Dutton’s road to nowhere
Peter Brent
28 August 2024
The opposition leader has an electorally ineffective obsession
National affairs
Crossbench 2025
Peter Brent
10 August 2024
How many independents and small party MPs can we expect in the House of Representatives after the next election?
International
Beware “the vibe”
Peter Brent
18 July 2024
It’s still a long time till polling day in America
National affairs
The whisper in the west
Peter Brent
13 July 2024
Glenn Druery’s days are over, but Labor will still be worried about key Western Sydney seats
National affairs
No guts, no glory?
Peter Brent
24 June 2024
Peter Dutton isn’t the first opposition leader to opt for a big-target strategy. The precedents aren’t encouraging
National affairs
Poll position
Peter Brent
31 May 2024
One of Australia’s pollsters got very close to the actual result in 2022. Can they do it again?
National affairs
That fickle budget bounce
Peter Brent
17 May 2024
All eyes will be on the next round of opinion polls. But it’s the ones that come later that count
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