Inside Politics

Political debate was dominated this week by the topic of immigration after anti-immigration rallies in major cities last weekend.

Politicians from both major parties tried to strike a balance between listening to people’s legitimate concerns while condemning the extremist fringe of the anti-immigration movement.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos jo...

This week Canberra turned into a John le Carre novel, with the stunning revelation from the head of ASIO Mike Burgess, that the state of Iran directed at least two attacks on Australia’s Jewish community, on Australian soil. As a consequence, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expelled the Iranian Ambassador from the country. 

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss these dramatic developments, is chief political correspondent ...

This week was an exciting one in Canberra, especially if you’re the kind of person who digs the philosophy of tax and transfer. We are talking, of course, about the economic roundtable, hosted by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. 

Meanwhile Health Minister Mark Butler began the necessary but painful process of reining in the enormous growth of the NDIS.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and senior economics correspondent ...

This week the Albanese government announced it would recognise Palestine as a state, a huge foreign policy shift that was greeted with approval by many and criticism by others. 

Plus, the Reserve Bank assumes a fall in productivity right before the government's productivity summit, and is there tension between the PM and Treasurer?

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Subscrib...

This week on the pod we are going to delve into what we are calling Canberra’s Coachella - AKA the Productivity Summit, which is happening the week after next. 

What is the point of it? And what is productivity anyway? 

Here to discuss, we have Chief Political Correspondent, Paul Sakkal as usual, and special guest star and productivity king, Senior Economics Correspondent Shane Wright.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: htt...

French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian and UK prime ministers Mark Carney and Keir Starmer have all called for Palestine to be recognised one way or another. 

But Anthony Albanese remains cautious. So what is the Australian Prime Minister waiting for?

This week on Inside Politics, European correspondent David Crowe, national security correspondent Matthew Knott and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal ex...

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces tricky terrain with the government lifting a ban on US beef imports to Australia this week, leaving him open to suggestions he has capitulated to pressure from Donald Trump.

We also witnessed a democratic festival in the form of the opening of the new parliament, with former foes Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack putting differences aside to attack the government's 2035 emissions reduction ta...

Well, here we are, a new term of parliament begins next week. There’ll be fresh faces and, hopefully, fresh ideas.

So will the government use its massive majority to press ahead with major reforms in housing, or tax, and how will opposition leader Sussan Ley and her team rebuild their battered party?

Before we get to that, the news this week has been dominated by Anthony Albanese’s trip to China, which has been full of ...

What do the great war time Prime Minister John Curtin, and current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have in common? 

Well, a little bit, according to Albanese. 

On the weekend the PM delivered the John Curtin Oration and set tongues wagging with hints about his newly independent stance when it comes to our relationship with the United States. 

But how will this land with the Trump administration, which is currently re...

The creation of a National Anti-Corruption Commission was a key Labor promise before it won Government in 2022. The Commission was duly created and this week it released the findings of its first ever investigation. 

But was it a little anti-climactic? Can we hope for bigger and better corruption-busting in the future? 

Plus, interest rate cuts and the confusing matter of the Trump tariffs, and their effect on the Austral...

She is a former shearer, a pilot and a mother of three children. She has a dark past as a punk in Canberra. She has been one of the only women in the room in successive Liberal cabinets. She was the deputy to former opposition leader Peter Dutton, and following the last election, she took his job. 

She is, of course, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

Today, chief political commentator James Massola and host Jacqueline Maley speak ...

This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to the G7 summit with high hopes of scoring a sidelines-meeting with US President Donald Trump. The PM wanted to discuss the AUKUS pact, and the tariffs that the US government has put on Australian aluminium and iron ore among other things. 

But events overtook, and Trump left the summit to deal with the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Albanese did not get his m...

This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave a big speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, and used it to dangle the prospect of economic reform. 

During its first term, the Albanese government was criticised for not being bold enough in its agenda. So is the PM signalling he will use his huge majority to institute major reform? What would a daring economic reform agenda look like? And are Australians ready for it...

The dramatic shakeout from the general election continued this week, this time from the left wing of Australian politics, with WA Greens senator Dorinda Cox defecting to Labor. 
It was a coup for a triumphant Prime Minister. 
But will the PM live to regret his new recruit? What does Senator Cox’s defection mean for the much-depleted Greens party? And how does it fit with the PM’s recent approval of the e...

Well, they fight, they break up, they kiss, they make up. 

Never before have the lyrics of a Katy Perry song been more relevant to federal politics.

After last week’s shock split, this week the Coalition got back together again. But at what cost? What compromises have been made on both sides? And will the Nats and the Libs be able to work constructively together after all the drama? 

Meanwhile, Labor is moving ahead...

It was high drama this week with the Nationals telling the Liberals they wanted a political divorce.

But by Thursday, the separation – like a marriage on the rocks – was placed on hold while further conversations took place.  

So what happened? And what’s going to be better for both parties, and the political health of the nation?

Here to discuss the drama, we have our freshly minted Chief Political Comm...

Newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins chief political correspondent David Crowe and federal political reporter Paul Sakkal for an exclusive interview on Inside Politics. They chat about the new Labor cabinet, Albanese's thumping mandate, plans for the term ahead and a new phrase the prime minister is trying out - progressive patriotism.

Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

See omnystudio.com/listene...

It will go down as one of the most resounding victories in Australian political history. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese out-performed the expectations of just about everyone last weekend, decimating the Liberal party to the extent where even its leader lost his own seat. So, what next for Labor? As the caucus gathers in Canberra on Friday, we look at the new faces in the team and discuss which are the ones to watch. Also, we try t...

Well, that was quick, about two and a half hours after the polls had closed, the election had already been called for the incumbent Labor government. But as the night went on, Anthony Albanese’s win was looking like a landslide, and Labor increased its majority in parliament. For the opposition, it was disastrous, its leader Peter Dutton has lost his seat in parliament and recriminations will surely be savage.

To talk us thro...