Pauline Hanson’s One Nation may be surging in the polls, but it still faces many of the same structural and personality hurdles that have long held it back.
Political Capital
A new poll, conducted exclusively for Capital Brief, puts One Nation level with the Coalition, squeezing Sussan Ley as she plans an immigration stance that won’t lose the centre or the right.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used to play tennis with former treasurer Josh Frydenberg. It's hard to imagine that happening again.
Anthony Albanese ends 2025 under the kind of political pressure which seemed unthinkable just weeks ago.
The Bondi terror attack has prompted unusually sharp language from the opposition, signalling a torrid few weeks ahead for Anthony Albanese.
A week that started with optimism for Anthony Albanese quickly collapsed into frustration and stonewalling as the Anika Wells travel claims scandal rolled on.
The opposition has found itself on the political front foot for the first time since the election, as revelations continue to emerge about Anika Wells' use of entitlements.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to do better on transparency. But this week’s Senate estimates showed how far his government is from that goal.
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is on the rise, rattling a hollowed-out Coalition as it braces for another rupture — this time from the right.
Labor has ended a five-year stalemate on Australia’s environmental protections, sealing a deal with the Greens to overhaul national protections on the last sitting day of the year.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finds himself in a surprisingly dominant position as the clock winds down on the year in parliament.
Labor is attempting to woo the business sector as it looks to establish itself as the natural party of government and secure lasting reform.
Sussan Ley has settled on a net zero position. Now, the Liberal Party's right flank is pushing her into a fresh fight on migration.
Sussan Ley is hoping she can engineer a Tony Abbott-style swing in public sentiment on climate. But the political landscape has changed since 2009.
The Liberals’ moderate wing, weakened by successive election defeats, is mounting a rearguard action on net zero.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is forcing the Liberals to confront their deep divisions over climate policy. The move is already generating pushback.
The National Party playing its hand on net zero could define — or destroy — Sussan Ley's leadership.
Donald Trump’s first meeting with Xi Jinping delivered brief breakthroughs but few lasting solutions, leaving many questions unanswered.
Internal divisions over net zero are tearing at the Coalition once again as Labor brings its revamped environmental laws to parliament.
US President Donald Trump has predicted a “fantastic deal” with China when he meets Xi Jinping next week. Analysts say an uneasy truce is more likely.
Anthony Albanese avoided a worst-case scenario in his meeting with Donald Trump — and came away with a few clear wins. For Australia’s US ambassador, the picture is less rosy.
Anthony Albanese is returning to the US for the second time in weeks, as the thorny question of China trade looms over his first sit-down with Donald Trump.
Labor's backdown on super tax — despite its thumping majority — has sparked questions about just how serious it is about long-term reform.
Labor has long avoided dealing with the issue of the remaining 'ISIS brides'. But the return of six Australian citizens from Syria is forcing its hand.
Andrew Hastie's departure adds to a growing group of conservatives sitting restlessly on Sussan Ley's backbench.
Nuclear energy is back as a topic of debate in the Liberal Party, and a former strategist is urging the opposition to seize the moment.
Anthony Albanese's decision to address a partisan political rally in the UK has been criticised as unusual and self-indulgent. But there could be a more pragmatic angle.
Andrew Hastie is coyly denying short-term Liberal leadership ambitions. But he is edging out Angus Taylor as the conservative wing’s alternative to Sussan Ley.
Anthony Albanese won't sit down with Donald Trump in New York after all. He now faces questions on trade, AUKUS and just how healthy the US alliance is.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is finally set to meet US President Donald Trump. Securing AUKUS and sidestepping drama will top his agenda.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ wellbeing framework was meant to reshape how we think about progress. But shifting economic priorities are leaving it on the sidelines.
The dumping of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price could yet spark a move on Sussan Ley’s leadership. But why would anyone want the job right now?
Veteran fund manager Geoff Wilson pushed attendees of the Economic Reform Roundtable to raise Labor's proposed super tax, as the prime minister reportedly mulls tweaks to the plan.
The government's strategy to secure a soft landing hinges on the private sector taking over from the public sector in powering the economy forward. What happens next?
The Coalition faces an existential crisis in migrant communities. This weekend was Sussan Ley's first test in the Opposition's top job.
An odd statement from the Pentagon about Defence Minister Richard Marles' White House visit sent Canberra into a tailspin this week, but a former advisor to Ronald Reagan says "people need to calm down".
After a week where almost everything was put on the table, the strangest thing about the days ahead as Parliament sits is how much is not up for debate.
The Treasurer’s economic reform roundtable delivered some quick wins and lofty principles — but the real tax debate is being saved for the next election.
Jim Chalmers is betting that AI and data centres are a generational opportunity for Australia. But he knows red tape could push investors to Singapore and Malaysia.
An ambitious treasurer and a cautious PM can deliver political magic, or a complete mess. The jury is still out on Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers.
