Today
‘Unifying flag’: senators back Dutton for no Indigenous flag display
Peter Dutton says he will never address the nation with the Australian and Indigenous flags; former Australia Post boss to lead Victorian taskforce. Follow live updates.
- Lucy Slade and Timothy Moore
Yesterday
These new missiles mean the Navy has its most lethal fleet yet
Warships are now capable of firing missiles with a range 20 times greater than before, after destroyers test fired a Tomahawk missile last week.
- Andrew Tillett
Labor’s manufacturing fund takes stake in quantum tech company
The National Reconstruction Fund has taken a $13 million stake in Quantum Brilliance, which aims to build an Australian-first facility to make diamonds used in quantum computers.
- Ronald Mizen
Liberals dismiss CSIRO’s latest nuclear costings as ‘political’
The CSIRO’s latest appraisal of the Coalition’s nuclear power plans fails to detail the comparative cost of Labor’s renewable rollout, the Liberals say.
- Phillip Coorey
- Analysis
- Antisemitism
Taskforce better late than never, but the damage has been done
It feels like the government has again underestimated the import of a serious event and is playing catch-up, which doesn’t help a prime minister fighting a perception of weakness.
- Phillip Coorey
New police, ASIO squad to keep Jews safe
Amid a deepening political row, a special flying squad of officers will be created to tackle antisemitism as Friday’s synagogue fire is declared an act of terrorism.
- Andrew Tillett and Gus McCubbing
David Rowe cartoons for December 2024
David Rowe is a multiple Walkley award-winning cartoonist. He draws a daily political cartoon and one for the Chanticleer column.
- David Rowe
Albanese blocks China with $140m Nauru deal
The new treaty with the Pacific nation gives Australia a veto over security, banking and teleco agreements – and comes with a $140m price tag.
- Andrew Tillett
No ongoing threat after synagogue attack: ASIO
ASIO conducts own antisemitism inquiries as the AFP sets up a special operation; David Lamming avoids criminal conviction after arrest outside The Star. How the day unfolded.
- Lucy Slade
Greens the worst political performers of 2024: AFR readers
The Greens have been judged the worst-performing party by readers of The Australian Financial Review, who criticised its MPs for obstructing parliament.
- Tom Rabe
- Opinion
- Antisemitism
Labor’s foreign policy gestures alienate both Jewish and Muslim Australians
Strong statements on the Middle East will not mitigate the potential loss of support from the once rusted on communities that now have other voting options.
- Kos Samaras
- Analysis
- Anthony Albanese
‘Albo knows best’: Inside Labor’s discontent with PM
A series of missteps has raised questions about Anthony Albanese’s judgment. Is he too confident in his own instincts?
- Ronald Mizen
This Month
Dutton walks back migration target until after election
Peter Dutton has stepped away from a previous commitment to cut net migration to 160,000.
- Julie Hare
Boris Johnson’s mispriced Australian tour fizzles out
The former UK prime minister is no longer hot property on the corporate speaking circuit.
- Mark Di Stefano
- Exclusive
- Big four consultants
What Defence spent on consultants could run submarine fleet for a year
What would Defence’s $811 million in spending on the big five consulting firms in 2022-23 buy? Turns out the answer is quite a lot.
- Ronald Mizen
Victoria urged to adopt NSW-style protest laws after synagogue attack
Premier Jacinta Allan on Sunday declined to call the pre-dawn attack terrorism, saying she did not want to risk compromising the police investigation.
- Ronald Mizen
- Exclusive
- Public service
How many can you name? The 30 public servants earning more than $1m
Executives from NBN Co, Australia Post and Snowy Hydro topped the latest leaderboard for public service and government-owned business pay packets.
- Tom McIlroy
‘Darn sensible’ Labor states outcompete Victoria, says top Liberal
Shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell has been in Britain looking at how the state might get in on the AUKUS action, and ruing the salesmanship of rivals NSW and SA.
- Hans van Leeuwen
PM says synagogue fire ‘fulfils definition of terrorism’
Anthony Albanese says the arson attack had the aim of creating fear; hundreds of Jewish community members are expected to gather in Melbourne. Follow updates here.
- Staff writers
Netanyahu blames Albanese for Melbourne synagogue attack
The Israeli prime minister said that “it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government”.
- Phillip Coorey and Andrew Tillett
Ex-NSW Liberal leader’s son gets community service for drug dealing
Mark Chikarovski, 38, will serve a 35-month sentence in the community for supplying a range of drugs via the dark web.
- Max Mason
Dutton pushes role for gas power amid blitz on Labor seats
The Opposition Leader hit five Labor electorates this week, in an indication the Coalition is increasingly confident of holding its own seats and is on the hunt for more.
- Phillip Coorey
‘Shocking crime’: Albanese condemns synagogue attack
Anthony Albanese has spoken with the head of the synagogue and the AFP; Jacinta Allan said she felt “sick” by the arson attack. How the day unfolded.
- Lucy Slade and Timothy Moore
- Opinion
- Middle East tensions
A lot of politics is driving the debate about antisemitism
It is one thing to take issue with the federal government’s position on a resolution to the UN. It is another to argue it is the cause of rising antisemitic attacks in Australia.
- Laura Tingle
- Opinion
- Antisemitism
‘Doing our best’ to fight antisemitism? Far from it
In Victoria, Jews live in a climate of fear because next to nothing has been done to stop the attacks against them.
- Phillip Coorey
