Books & arts
19 October 2010
In some ways, not much has changed over the past sixty years, writes John Cain
14 October 2010
Americans vote soon in mid-term elections that are partly a referendum on the presidency. Lesley Russell looks at why the Democrats seem to be struggling despite the…
National affairs
6 October 2010
The parliamentary debate on the war needs to face up to its costs and the lack of progress, writes Brian Toohey
National affairs
28 September 2010
Despite vast differences in the way elections are run in the US and Australia, we have one thing in common – allegations of voter fraud. But where is the evidence?
National affairs
24 September 2010
The figures are in: almost 3,252,000 eligible Australians didn’t cast a valid vote in last month’s election, write Brian Costar and Peter Browne
National affairs
22 September 2010
Labor is still deciding who will review its election performance and how far back they will go for clues as to why the party nearly lost. Rodney Tiffen starts the ball…
21 September 2010
Liam Weeks writes from Ireland, where as many as 40 per cent of governments have relied on the support of independents in parliament
Podcasts
16 September 2010
Neither the major parties nor the media coped well with the seventeen days of uncertainty after the election. Peter Clarke talks to Sophie Black and Brian …
National affairs
16 September 2010
Sometimes it’s a hard party to believe in. But Labor’s ledger has more black ink than red, writes Geoffrey Barker
15 September 2010
With the mid-term elections looming, Barack Obama is out of the Oval Office and back on the campaign trail, writes Lesley Russell
National affairs
10 September 2010
Every Australian state and territory has experienced a minority government over the past twenty years. And it’s a surprisingly strong field
National affairs
6 September 2010
It’s so far, so good, for Tasmania’s Greens-backed minority government, writes Kate Crowley
National affairs
3 September 2010
In Victoria, Steve Bracks’s minority government transformed a knife-edge win into electoral longevity and parliamentary reform, write Brian Costar and David Hayward
National affairs
3 September 2010
Minority government in South Australia produced a novel solution that challenged the way the Westminster system has worked in Australia, writes Norman Abjorensen
Essays & reportage
1 September 2010
The election campaign showed how we don’t seem able to have a rational debate about population, writes Peter Mares
National affairs
28 August 2010
A generation of independent MPs has quietly risen in state and federal parliaments. Brian Costar and Jennifer Curtin look at their motivations, role and significance
National affairs
27 August 2010
The sudden rise to influence of the independent MPs is a challenge to the two-party system and how it’s reported
National affairs
25 August 2010
In this interview with Terry Lane, first broadcast in 2002, the newly independent MP discusses why he joined the Nationals, and why he left
National affairs
23 August 2010
Broadband might have divided the major parties before the election, but there’s not going to be so much difference now, writes Jock Given
National affairs
23 August 2010
Old political records keep being broken by the participants in this extraordinary election, writes Rodney Tiffen
National affairs
19 August 2010
It’s the party that changed, rather than Victoria, writes Paul Strangio
National affairs
19 August 2010
Brian Costar does the maths – and it’s not a repeat of 1931
National affairs
18 August 2010
Australian governments tend to take a hit at their first bid for re-election, writes Norman Abjorensen. But it’s not clear why
National affairs
18 August 2010
Both major parties have announced policies that will be difficult to implement after the election, writes Ben Eltham
National affairs
13 August 2010
Following last week's High Court win, today's Federal Court decision is another success for GetUp!'s challenge to the voter enrolment rules, writes Graeme Orr
National affairs
13 August 2010
Amid piles of letters and leaflets from fifteen very marginal seats, Sally Young looks at the role of direct mail campaigning in this election
National affairs
13 August 2010
Mark Davis and Miriam Lyons outline the main themes of the new book, More Than Luck: Ideas Australia Needs Now
National affairs
12 August 2010
By playing to different constituencies during the campaign, the Coalition could be creating big problems for itself, writes Jane Goodall
International
11 August 2010
In Australia, Julia Gillard replaced Kevin Rudd almost overnight. In Britain, the leadership transition is taking quite a lot longer
National affairs
10 August 2010
Australia votes in a fortnight but we won’t find out who made large election donations to the parties until early 2012. In this respect, we can learn something from the…