Politics

The Greens have been calling for a federal anti-corruption commission for years, meeting fierce resistance from the major parties. Now, finally, a refreshed crossbench may breathe new hope into the endeavour.

When it comes to election campaigns, it’s easier to sell the negative over the positive – at a massive cost to taxpayers.

The Australian Greens and the Nick Xenophon Team square off for third-party status.

Turnbull trades on economic uncertainty: stick with the Coalition and its plan for innovation and tax cuts. Shorten emphasises Labor’s social policies – especially those with which Turnbull might agree.

A Victorian parliamentary inquiry’s recommendation that assisted dying be legalised may also lead to welcome changes in palliative care practices.

The PBO has proved a boon for accountability, preventing political parties from citing fanciful costings or embarking on ‘black hole’ scare campaigns.

As the major parties prepare their final election advertising blitz, donations have dried up, especially to the Liberal campaign.

Against the backdrop of a US presidential election campaign, the killing of dozens of patrons at a gay nightclub in Florida starkly pits anti-Muslim sentiment against gun control – with fear as the common thread.

Nick Xenophon’s team of candidates looks set to give the major parties a shake-up at the federal election, but there are questions about what exactly the NXT stands for.

Donations from a Liberal Party-owned company, through which thousands in taxpayer dollars have been funnelled, expose deep flaws in political fundraising.