The Latest Articles by Michelle Grattan

View from The Hill: What if Bill Shorten had become PM in 2019?

Politics is full of “what ifs?” As Bill Shorten prepares to exit parliament early next year, and Anthony Albanese may be on the path to a minority government, the question invites itself: what if Shorten had won the 2019 election?

The Conversation · Sep 6, 2024

Grattan on Friday: Liberals send in veteran warhorses to deal with party’s hot mess

Finally, just months out from the election, the Liberal Party is tackling the Augean stable that is its New South Wales division. It is a task that should have been a priority two years ago, after the division’s toxic factionalism had been on inglorious display in the run-up to the…

The Conversation · Sep 5, 2024

Bill Shorten to quit politics next year to become vice-chancellor of University of Canberra

Bill Shorten will retire from parliament in February but will remain in cabinet until then to continue his reform of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The Conversation · Sep 5, 2024

Albanese backs down over sexual orientation census question

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed down to agree to the 2026 census including a question asking about a person’s sexuality.

The Conversation · Aug 30, 2024

Grattan on Friday: have we heard the CFMEU’s last hurrah or seen the start of its trench warfare?

In one of those paradoxes of politics, a government that has delivered in spades to the union movement finds itself in a bare-knuckle fight with the country’s most militant industrial organisation.

The Conversation · Aug 29, 2024

Advocacy group to launch national campaign on Sunday to ‘amplify’ Muslim political voice

The advocacy group Muslim Votes Matter has put together a high-profile speakers list to launch its national campaign in Melbourne on Sunday, which is aimed at leveraging its influence for the federal election.

The Conversation · Aug 28, 2024

Government faces likely High Court challenge to its CFMEU legislation

The Albanese government faces a likely High Court challenge to its installation of an administrator into the construction division of the CFMEU.

The Conversation · Aug 27, 2024

View from The Hill: Jim Chalmers switches to attack dog but the style could bite him later

Is the Albanese government trying to cast Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as Australia’s Donald Trump? And if so, what’s the thinking and why is Treasurer Jim Chalmers in the vanguard of the charge?

The Conversation · Aug 27, 2024

Airline ‘customer rights charter’ to specify when cash refunds required

An “aviation industry ombuds scheme” and improved assistance for passengers with a disability will be among measures the federal government will announce on Monday to force airlines to address the extensive public discontent with their services.

The Conversation · Aug 25, 2024

Grattan on Friday: Presidential battle showcases the differences between US political system and ours

Australia has a much better-functioning governmental system than the United States, but for political tragics it’s the American scene that’s the riveting must-watch this year.

The Conversation · Aug 22, 2024