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The Latest Articles by Michelle Grattan

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Simon Birmingham on Liberal moderates, regrets, and Donald Trump

Opposition Senate leader and former senior minister in the Coalition government Simon Birmingham has announced he will quit parliament. Birmingham, one of the few remaining moderates in the Liberals’ ranks, is shadow foreign minister. Now , aged 50, he’s defecting to a (yet to be announced) commercial job.

The Conversation

Liberals argue Labor’s electoral reform package should stand or fall as a whole in any court challenge

An attempt by the Liberals to insert a potential legal time bomb into the electoral reform legislation and a Labor proposal that would give the ACTU a generous donation cap were main reasons an expected bipartisan deal on the bill imploded at the last moment this week.

The Conversation

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Climate Change Authority head Matt Kean says ‘put more solar panels on commercial rooftops’

The just-ended COP-29 in Baku, and the election of Donald Trump, have put the global response to climate change in the spotlight. Meanwhile back home, Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen this week reported Australia is on track to meet its 2030 target to reduce emissions as part of the Paris…

The Conversation

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Grattan on Friday: Albanese gets down and dirty in deal making and breaking as Senate rushes to Christmas finish

In the chaotic dying days of 2024’s final parliamentary sitting, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reverted to a role he played in Julia Gillard’s government.

The Conversation

Opposition Senate leader Simon Birmingham announces surprise retirement at election

Opposition leader in the Senate, Simon Birmingham, has announced he will retire from parliament at the election, to take up a “new, commercially oriented” career.

The Conversation

Record renewables go into the grid in 2024, generating 45% of electricity in 2025

This year will set a record for the addition of renewables to the grid, according to figures to be released on Thursday by the Clean Energy Regulator.

The Conversation

View from The Hill: An ugly fracas in the Senate leads to suspension of Lidia Thorpe

Wednesday saw an ugly incident that brought shame on the Senate. It was shocking – full of provocation, accusations of racism, and what was described by Senate president Sue Lines as “physically threatening behaviour”.

The Conversation

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Australia on track to meet 2030 43% emission’s reduction target, on latest figures

Australia is on track to reach the Albanese government’s 43% emissions reduction target by 2030, according to the most recent analysis by the Climate Change department.

The Conversation

Social media companies won’t be able to compel people to provide digital or government-issued ID to verify age

Big tech platforms won’t be able to compel people to provide digital ID or government-issued identification documents such as a passport, when verifying age for social media accounts.

The Conversation

Deloitte predicts December budget update will show bottom line has worsened since May, in fiscal ‘thud’

Next month’s update of the federal budget will forecast a bigger deficit for 2024-25 than was predicted in the May budget, according to the Deloitte Access Economics’ Budget Monitor, released on Tuesday.

The Conversation

Greens capitulate, announcing they will ‘wave through’ Labor’s Help to Buy and Build to Rent housing bills

The government has stared down the Greens over its Help to Buy and Build to Rent housing legislation, with the minor party announcing late Monday it will “wave through” the legislation in the Senate this week.

The Conversation

Marles staffer launches court action against the government, deputy prime minister and Albanese’s chief of staff

The chief of staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, is launching legal action over claims she was bullied in his office.

The Conversation

View from The Hill: Albanese government crumples on misinformation bill and gambling advertising

“Big Tech” is celebrating one victory over the Albanese government, but is set to lose on another front.

The Conversation

Remaining members of ‘Bali nine’ set for repatriation, with conditions

The Albanese government is still discussing the details for the remaining five of the “Bali nine” to be repatriated to Australia, Special Minister of State Don Farrell has said.

The Conversation

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The Conversation

Grattan on Friday: Marles plays a defensive bat on nuclear as the government rushes to get through late work

Richard Marles is an ambitious man who hasn’t given up the dream of one day reaching the top job. But, despite being deputy prime minister, his profile is much lower than that of Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the candidate considered most likely to succeed Anthony Albanese as Labor’s leader.

The Conversation

Shorten declares himself ‘a proud moderate’, saying Australians ‘in the middle’ shouldn’t be hostage to intolerant fringes

Bill Shorten has declared himself “a proud moderate” in a valedictory speech declaring parliament has the responsibility to ensure the extremes of left and right do not set the terms of political debate.

The Conversation

Australia’s $230 billion Future Fund encouraged to invest in housing, energy transition, infrastructure

The Albanese government has rewritten the mandate of the Future Fund – the nation’s sovereign wealth fund – to urge it to direct investment into the “national priorities” of housing, the energy transition and infrastructure, where the risk and returns are acceptable.

The Conversation

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Special Minister of State Don Farrell on getting ‘big money’ out of elections

The government says it will take “big money” out of election campaigns – or, more realistically, curb it – with its legislation imposing donation and spending caps and real-time disclosure.

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The Conversation

Budget update will revise down company tax receipts but treasurer Chalmers welcomes economy’s ‘soft landing’

Next month’s federal budget update is expected to revise down company tax receipts for the first time since 2020, amid continued low economic growth in the near term.

The Conversation

Chalmers targets reforms to superannuation products and transparency in the retirement phase

Treasurer Jim Chalmers will announce on Wednesday a package of reforms to the retirement phase of the superannuation system, to make it easier to navigate and consumer friendly.

The Conversation

Albanese government gives firm ‘no’ to joining UK-US agreement to advance nuclear technology

The Albanese government has been put on the spot by a new agreement – which it has declined to join – signed by the United Kingdom and the United States to speed up the deployment of “cutting edge” nuclear technology.

The Conversation

Senate censures Lidia Thorpe for disupting King’s reception and Ralph Babet for posting hate speech

The Senate has censured two of its own, Lidia Thorpe and Ralph Babet, both of whom were absent when the votes were taken because of problems with their flights to Canberra.

The Conversation

Businesses will have to accept cash for essentials under government plan

The Albanese government, anxious to prevent a dash from cash by businesses, says it will mandate that they must accept it for essential items.

The Conversation

NACC head Paul Brereton says resigning in the face of bad publicity would ‘undermine’ the commission

The head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Paul Brereton, has rejected calls he resign after a finding of “officer misconduct”, declaring to do so would harm the NACC.

The Conversation

Government aims to pass political donation and spending caps within a fortnight after in-principle deal with opposition

The Albanese government aims to rush through legislation within a fortnight for political donation and spending caps, after in-principle support from the opposition.

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