Michelle Grattan

The local fallout from the Middle East war is signalling that Australian multiculturalism has moved into a new, more challenging phase, fraying its fibre. Even when it finally ends, the divisions and wounds will not be healed easily or soon.

Anthony Albanese needs to take the win and move on from the successful negotiation of Julian Assange's freedom. The issue could become sticky fly paper and with troubling inflation and Senator Fatima Payman voting across party lines, he now has other problems to tackle.

In the timing of his announcement, Peter Dutton is putting his nuclear power policy through an early stress test, writes Michelle Grattan. 

Anthony Albanese says his cabinet is preparing "an offer" to put to the Australian people at the election. As it crafts its pitch, the biggest uncertainty is what sort of parliament a second term Labor government would likely face.

When we consider the desirability of federal hate speech legislation, we quickly run into the freedom-of-speech conundrum. But a line in the sand would be useful.

While federal politics often seems top-down on most issues, the fight against social media's grip on children is starting from the bottom and being pushed up.

In his budget reply, Peter Dutton tapped into the electorally emotive issues of housing and immigration. It was a logical path to take.

While the iconic "budget tree" has its own narrative, it's now up to Chalmers to weave his budget story and kick some goals for the government, writes Michelle Grattan. 

There are serious questions about ministerial responsibility and administrative competence (or incompetence) that need to be answered, writes Michelle Grattan.

The fight between Elon Musk and the government is in court, but in the court of public opinion, Anthony Albanese’s rejection of the up-yours attitude of the man he labels an arrogant egotistical billionaire is likely to resonate with many, writes Michelle Grattan. 

Australia's multiculturalism is enduring unprecedented strains, with all the difficulties that brings for political and community leaders.

Anthony Albanese's government is defining itself by robust stances, and two totally different topics this week are showing us how.

In appointing Samantha Mostyn as Australia's next representative of the king, Anthony Albanese has shown the two sides of his political character: a leader who wants to make a statement, but also a cautious leader.

How well ambassador Kevin Rudd would go if there were another Trump administration is unknowable, but the bigger question is how the Albanese government would manage it, writes Michelle Grattan. 

If history had taken a different turn, Australia might now not be debating nuclear power but have had it up and running for decades, writes Michelle Grattan. 

This is a transition budget that has to be crafted carefully, given the uncertain economic times, writes Michelle Grattan.

The prime minister has the foreign stage coming to him as he prepares for the special ASEAN summit in Melbourne. But with the Dunkley by-election only days before, he may have other things on his mind.

A central problem is that the department's component parts are a bad fit. There seems an overwhelming case for separating immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs into their own department with cabinet status, writes Michelle Grattan.

When the government presents its latest implementation plan for Closing the Gap on Tuesday, it will test its ability to produce policy muscle in Indigenous affairs, writes Michelle Grattan.

Those wanting comprehensive tax reform aren't saying trust should be breached — they're arguing now's the time to put the tax system on the table for review, writes Michelle Grattan.

The vast majority of taxpayers in Dunkley will be better off under the government's tax cuts. That's the first problem for Peter Dutton. But then there is the question of the opposition's response, writes Michelle Grattan.

For an issue in which Australia is not a player and has no direct influence, the Israel-Hamas conflict is putting serious strain on the Albanese government, internally and externally, writes Michelle Grattan.

If the government's position doesn't improve substantially, people will take a more serious look at Peter Dutton — the hard man from Queensland — and speculate about what sort of prime minister he'd make, writes Michelle Grattan.

Despite its unrelenting announcements the federal government is struggling on key issues. After successful trips to Washington and Beijing, prime minister Anthony Albanese is suddenly looking on the back foot.

The High Court isn’t usually front and centre in politics. But when it is, it can land sharp punches that throw governments off balance.