Michelle Grattan

The environmental deal is a major win for a government whose critics on the left are calling for it to be more reformist.

Neo-Nazis exploit feelings of alienation among a section of the community and making martyrs of them could play into their hands.

The Liberal conservatives' success in forcing their party to dump its commitment to the net zero emissions reduction target has been a triumph of ideology over pragmatism.

The main characters are dead. Some of those still around from the time maintain their rage, which has lasted through the decades, long after that election campaign. 

Labor came to power in 2022 promising a new form of transparent, accountable politics. As recent incidents have shown, there is little sign of it. 

The Liberals have faced an existential crisis over climate and energy twice in recent memory. The damage must live in the memory of today's parliamentarians, who face the prospect of another episode.

There is general agreement in Labor that Jim Chalmers is the government's best communicator. But insiders watching this race know Tony Burke is the master tactician. 

Crossbenchers are joining forces to condemn the government's FOI bill, calling for its withdrawal and an independent inquiry. Will the Coalition stand for transparency?

A Labor factional heavyweight is making the case for more federal politicians and longer, fixed parliamentary terms. 

As the government rejects Trump's UNGA rhetoric, Liberal leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie sounds decidedly Trumpian.

The fracas over Jacinta Nampijinpa Price shows the Liberal party is a seething mass of frustrated ambition, resentment, tribalism and deep ideological division.

Despite being in an overwhelmingly dominant position politically, Anthony Albanese sounded quite tetchy this week.

If the intelligence community had its Logies, ASIO chief Mike Burgess would be chasing gold this week.

The opposition will say Jim Chalmers hasn't been talking about the right things. The reform purists will say the big issues remain untackled. 

One observer describes next week's economic roundtable this way: "Chalmers has opened a can of worms — and everybody has got a worm."

Australia has little influence on what's happening in the Middle East but the Australian public is increasingly horrified by the images of the humanitarian crisis. 

Among Opposition Leader Sussan Ley's multiple problems are two very unhappy former frontbenchers. 

The opposition leader faces a diabolical situation with the debate over whether the Coalition should abandon the 2050 net zero target. 

The first sitting weeks of the 48th parliament will see MPs of all persuasions adjusting to the new status quo — and avoiding political pitfalls.

Anthony Albanese has nominated "affordable child care" as the legacy he wants to leave. It's all the more surprising, then, that the government didn't seem to spot a plethora of problems in an area so central to the prime minister's ambitions. 

More than a decade ago political passions ran high in conservative circles about the alleged evils of 18C. This week it was only briefly back in the news cycle. 

The treasurer has lowered expectations about achieving specific outcomes at his tax summit but he'll be looking for broad support in one direction.

To the extent anyone is paying attention, Sussan Ley has made a better start than many, including some Liberals, had expected.

Let's never knock a summit, but let's not be taken in by the suggestion that the planned August meeting, involving employers, unions and the government, will mark some breakthrough moment. 

Labor leaned into attacking Peter Dutton and was never afraid to name him. With Sussan Ley, the prime minister might adopt the Bob Carr approach.