Australian Politics

Paul Kelly speaks to political editor Tom McIlroy about his new book on the turbulent era of the Liberal party under prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. In The Twilight of Exceptionalism, Kelly writes about how the Liberal leadership changed hands from a conservative, to a progressive and then a transactional centrist. The Australian’s editor at large argues that this period demonstrated the party was fractured over its values and confused about its identity in a changing world

Darcy Byrne is the Labor mayor of Sydney’s Inner West Council and he’s helping lead a grassroots movement on curbing gambling harm in the community – including pushing for a reduction in the number of poker machines in licensed clubs in New South Wales. This momentum comes while the federal Labor party continues to face criticism about the scale of its commitment to online gambling reform. The rising Labor star speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, about why he compares the poker machine lobby to the US National Rifle Association, and his successful motion at this month’s NSW Labor conference on gambling policy at the next state election

The 2026 political year has already been surprising. Labor passed changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, which they had previously ruled out. The Liberals changed leaders again, and One Nation has seen a surge of support in multiple polls. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to press gallery colleagues Michelle Grattan, the chief political correspondent at The Conversation, and Melissa Clarke, political correspondent with ABC Radio National. They discuss their report card on the year so far, and the political contests to watch in the second half of the year

It’s the first Guardian Essential poll following Pauline Hanson’s provocative speech at the National Press Club – where she attacked multiculturalism, climate action, the United Nations, and the ABC and SBS. Her polling numbers have since stalled, and even One Nation supporters are expressing concerns about her policy offerings. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler and the executive director of Essential Media, Peter Lewis, discuss the results of Hanson’s pitch to voters, and ideas on how to respond to the anger that’s driving interest in her party

This week, Labor secured a deal with the Greens to pass its reforms to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing. The Greens were unable to negotiate a more ambitious proposal to remove grandfathering or cap the number of negatively geared properties, but the party’s leader, Larissa Waters, says that the agreement was the best that they could do. The Queensland senator speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about why the Greens will vote against the government’s cuts to NDIS spending, and what her party is doing to stem the rising tide of support for One Nation