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Simon Birmingham

November

Simon Birmingham and Peter Dutton hug after the former announced his retirement from politics.

Report card on 47th parliament: Could do better

Two retiring politicians offered some pointed advice for their colleagues in parliament’s last session for the year.

  • The AFR View

The full list of bills to be passed tonight

The Senate has begun voting on a series of bills being rushed through in the final hours of parliamentary sittings for 2024. Follow live updates.

  • Updated
  • Timothy Moore and Lucy Slade
Peter Dutton and Simon Birmingham

Birmingham warns Liberals against ideological extremes as he departs

Announcing his exit from politics, Liberal Senate leader Simon Birmingham also slammed China for abusing its power when it blocked Australian trade.

  • Andrew Tillett
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with China’s President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in November 2023.

Albanese hopes to persuade China, US against a trade war

Ahead of world leaders’ meetings in South America, the PM says Australia’s middle-power status gives it influence with the two superpowers.

  • Phillip Coorey, Andrew Tillett and Tom Rabe
Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd deletes anti-Trump social media posts

Past criticism of the incoming president continues to dog Australia’s envoy to Washington.

  • Andrew Tillett
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Donald Trump and Kevin Rudd.

‘Don’t hit the panic button on Rudd’ if Trump wins

Recalling Kevin Rudd from Washington because of his past criticism of Donald Trump would be rash, said Dennis Richardson, Australia’s former ambassador to the US.

  • James Curran

October

Independent Lidia Thorpe has angered Senate colleagues after her royal protest this week.

‘She likes the attention’: Growing anger over Thorpe protest

The Coalition is seeking legal advice on whether the Victorian independent senator was rightfully sworn into parliament.

  • Tom McIlroy
Palestinians mourn as they carry the bodies of relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital in Deir el-Balah, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.

Labor has trashed backing for Israel: Birmingham

The Coalition has weighed in on the call by Palestine’s envoy for Islamic voters not to hurt Labor, as a new Muslim-backed candidate emerges to take on minister Jason Clare.

  • Andrew Tillett

September

Israeli soldiers arrest a blindfolded Palestinian during an army raid in Tubas, West Bank, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024.

Australia set to break with US on West Bank vote

The Albanese government is disappointed Palestinians have not made more concessions on a UN resolution demanding an end to Israel’s occupation but won’t vote no.

  • Andrew Tillett
A bulldozer from the Israeli Forces moves on a street during a military operation in the West Bank refugee camp of Al-Faraa in August.

Australia joins push to water down anti-Israel UN vote

A fresh vote at the United Nations on Thursday will revive the damaging domestic debate for Labor over Palestinian policy.

  • Andrew Tillett

August

Iran’s ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi.

PM not tough enough on Iranian envoy: Libs

Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi has hit out a “Zionist plague”, describing Hamas’ commitment to the “wiping out” of Israel by 2027 as a “heavenly and divine promise”.

  • Phillip Coorey

July

Labor senator Fatima Payman crossed the floor to vote with the Greens to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Voters will ‘resist the poison from Canberra’: WA premier

Roger Cook says WA voters will resist the introduction of sectarian politics to Australia, warning against “poison” from Canberra coming into his state. 

  • Tom Rabe and Tom McIlroy
Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon.

Lebanon evacuation plans under way as Hezbollah menaces Israeli border

A stern warning to Israel’s ambassador not to escalate the war was delivered with the safety of up to 20,000 Australians in Lebanon in mind.

  • Andrew Tillett

June

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrived in Canberra at 7.37pm on Wednesday.

Political row erupts over ‘hero’s welcome’ for Assange

The opposition says it is inappropriate for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to have spoken to Julian Assange after Assange’s arrival in Canberra on Wednesday.

  • Andrew Tillett
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Parliament House last week.

Why Dutton is flying in the face of the China hawks

As the opposition leader’s rhetoric softens dramatically, the days of turning China into an election wedge appear to be over.

  • James Laurenceson
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Senator Fatima Payman.

Labor senator Fatima Payman crosses the floor over Palestine

The first-term Labor senator has avoided expulsion from the ALP after voting with the Greens to recognise Palestinian statehood.

  • Tom McIlroy
In this September 21, 2016, file photo, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard troops march in a military parade in Tehran, Iran.

Australia urged to list Iran’s enforcers as terror group

Canada’s designation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp as a terrorist group has put pressure on the Albanese government to follow suit.

  • Andrew Tillett
Peter Dutton is getting close to announcing his nuclear policy

Climate wars to escalate with Dutton to unveil nuclear sites

Peter Dutton will escalate the climate wars on Wednesday by announcing site plans for nuclear power plants.

  • Phillip Coorey

May

The funeral service for hostage Shani Louk in Srigim-Li On, Israel.

Dutton open to cutting ties with ICC over Netanyahu arrest warrant

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has floated cutting ties with the International Criminal Court amid a deepening political row over an arrest warrant being sought for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

  • Updated
  • Andrew Tillett

April

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned Iran’s attack and hinted at further action.

Israel pushes Australia on Iran, says ‘extreme measures’ required

Israel is insisting Australia designates the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp a terrorist organisation, and sanctions any party that supports its proxies.

  • Phillip Coorey