This Month
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Chalmers confronts his economic critics
The treasurer insists his budget gets the balance right, even if the economists don’t agree. What will the Reserve Bank and the voters think?
- Updated
- Jennifer Hewett
- Opinion
- Australian economy
On his third budget, Chalmernomics has finally emerged
The Albanese-Chalmers government embodies a short-term and emotive response to wage stagnation, not a rational one.
- Stephen Anthony
- Opinion
- Federal budget
Chalmers came to Sydney, left his humility in Canberra
The treasurer promotes the national security benefits of protectionism, but can’t explain how his government can find better investments than the private sector.
- Aaron Patrick
April
‘You’re the chief now’: Crowds greet Albanese at start of Kokoda Track
Long-time residents of Papua New Guinea said it was the most lavish welcome an Australian leader had received since Paul Keating in 1992.
- Matthew Knott
- Opinion
- Defence
Subs ahoy! Marles defends Labor’s record in defence
Richard Marles argues the Labor government has delivered dramatic reform in defence to project Australia into a much changed and more dangerous region. Is that right?
- Updated
- Jennifer Hewett
Male mentors drove Mostyn’s career, but she influenced them too
The next governor-general is best known as an advocate for professional women. She also had influential male mentors.
- Aaron Patrick
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Keating’s reforms fell short of making Australia a top economy
Readers’ letters on Paul Keating and Australia’s standing in the economic world, the myth of ever-growing productivity; magical thinking in the debate over Palestinian statehood; the market’s overreaction to inflation data; and the need for investment in quantum computing.
- Opinion
- The AFR View
The week Australia travelled further down the dead-end policy road
At the least, the Treasurer should join with whoever can claim to be an economic rationalist in this government to yell stop, wrong way, go back.
- The AFR View
New governor-general Sam Mostyn and the battle for relevance
She will want to avoid the fate of Michael Jeffery - known as ‘Mr 2 per cent’ after a particularly brutal survey found just 2 per cent of the population knew who he was.
- Hannah Wootton and Sally Patten
How to make money being Paul Keating
Thank god for writing royalties, says Jonathan Biggins, who reckons politics is stuck on repeat and the new puritanism is hard to poke fun at.
- Emma Connors
What to expect from the new governor-general, from those who know her
Praised for her integrity, empathy and roaring intellect, all those who have worked alongside Sam Mostyn, or seen her in action, expect great things when she starts her new role.
- Sally Patten, Hannah Wootton and Samantha Hutchinson
The new governor-general - in her own words
Sam Mostyn has been one of Australia’s most influential company directors for many years, shaping policies on gender, climate and First Nations issues.
- Hannah Wootton
March
Keating succumbs to Chinese ‘grey zone’ influence: Taiwan
One of Taiwan’s top diplomats says former prime minister Paul Keating fell victim to Chinese “grey zone” influence.
- Jessica Sier
- Analysis
- Tax reform
Why Comyn went ‘off script’ and called for a major tax shake-up
The Commonwealth Bank chief executive spoke out for income tax cuts and a higher GST in what he described as “heart in your mouth sort of stuff” for his advisers.
- John Kehoe
- Opinion
- Foreign relations
A British friend with important lessons for Australia
The UK is a good strategic partner for us. It is also a public policy laboratory for what works – and what does not.
- Alexander Downer
- Opinion
- China relations
The Wang-Wong doctrine: embrace and fight at the same time
China and Australia’s foreign ministers are both adept at the art of making frenemies. It’s working for now, but for how long?
- Richard McGregor
- Analysis
- China relations
Keating turns meeting with Wang into a history lesson
In the former prime minister’s telling, he and China’s foreign minister had a “pleasant and engaging” meeting for 65 minutes.
- Updated
- Andrew Tillett
- Opinion
- Foreign relations
Keating complicated Wong’s job on China. Then came Trump and Rudd
As she negotiated a visit by China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Penny Wong also had to pick her way through critical comments from Paul Keating and from Donald Trump on Australia’s US ambassador Kevin Rudd.
- Jennifer Hewett
- Exclusive
- AUKUS
US needs to step up assurances on AUKUS, admits Kurt Campbell
America’s second highest-ranked diplomat says the US needs to give more assurances to partners Australia and the UK that the AUKUS project is going ahead.
- Updated
- Matthew Cranston
Keating toes Labor line before China meeting government doesn’t want
The Albanese government would prefer a meeting between former PM Paul Keating and China’s foreign minister did not happen
- Andrew Tillett
