Candid Canberra

The policy that is haunting Abbott

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:21:26 GMT

Tony Abbott has a zombie problem. An undead policy from 2007 is following him wherever he goes.

Election 2010 begins to get grubby

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:21:25 GMT

There's the campaign you read, hear and see upfront and then there's the one going on underneath. Sometimes that's the more intriguing and revealing and (usually) grubbier version. And in week two, here it comes.

Troops, football and world politics

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:21:25 GMT

When she arrived in Brussels, Julia Gillard looked exhausted.

Gillard battles novelty value

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:21:25 GMT

She's a bit of a curiousity in Brussels. As some 40 or so leaders gather for the biennial Asia-Europe summit, many from the European end are keen to know just who is this woman who ousted that bloke who used to be Australia's Prime Minister?

PM keeps one eye on home front

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:21:25 GMT

It's been what you might call a two-track start to Julia Gillard's G20 odyssey in South Korea.

Another week, another summit

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:21:24 GMT

Another week, another summit. This time, it's Lisbon. Subject, Afghanistan.

Taking in Tarin Kowt

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:21:23 GMT

We spent much of today travelling the new Tarin Kowt to Chora road, through the highly dodgy Baluchi Valley in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, talking to local village and tribal elders about the war, development and their hopes for the future.