Liberal MPs reveal how the former prime minister and his close confidante have been at the centre of a string of disastrous decisions that led to the party’s stunning election loss and the collapse of the Coalition.
While headlines on the so-called tobacco wars focus on firebombings, extortion and gangland jealousies, skyrocketing government taxes on tobacco have long been fuelling the fire behind the scenes.
Both major parties have made housing policy a centrepiece of their campaigns, and neither has escaped criticism for avoiding real affordability solutions focused on tax reform and supply.
Despite promises to end the Coalition’s Cashless Debit Card, Labor has rebranded the welfare payment system that is compulsory in some Indigenous communities.
The Coalition is struggling to win support from women – a problem raised in a review of its last election defeat that has only grown worse under Peter Dutton’s leadership.
As community independents look increasingly competitive in several Liberal-held seats, a concerted campaign against them is running in the Murdoch press.
