Teal MP to mediate with chief of staff over dismissal
Teal MP Monique Ryan and the Commonwealth of Australia have agreed to keep political staffer Sally Rugg employed for two weeks while they enter mediation.
national news
Health tops national agenda but reform will take time
Federal, state and territory governments committed to work together to reform Australia's health system with recommendations from a Medicare task force report.
Electric vehicle policy sparks debate over car bans
Questions about how the government should encourage drivers to swap petrol for electric cars has sparked a debate over incentives and bans.
The Green Comet is visible again after 50,000 years
A space voyager known as the Green Comet is now visible from Australia, 50,000 years after its last earth encounter in the time of the Neanderthals.
NSW Greens looking for lush result at upcoming election
The NSW Greens are confident they could take new regional seats at the upcoming state election as ageing voters show their loyalty.
Lab leads nanoscopic hunt for plastic in human bodies
Aussie scientists are hard at work trying to determine if the world's plastic pollution crisis extends to the innermost reaches of the human body.
Australia’s most popular picnic location revealed
NSW and Queensland have been named Australia's most popular picnic locations, with South Australia and Victoria also making the Top 10 list.
Volvo stablemate takes early pole position in EV race
Offering an admirable range, with spunky Scandinavian style and an online showroom, Polestar makes a strong case in the electric vehicle market.
Struggle to survive in Torres Strait Island ‘paradise’
Traditional owners in the Torres Strait Islands are being forced to leave their archipelago homes amid the soaring cost of living and lack of housing.
Spongiest city no match for deadly ‘atmospheric river’
Extensive flood devastation in Australia and New Zealand is calling into question the design of cities that should keep millions of residents out of harm's way.
Electric car tax cuts are fuelling demand and delays
Demand for electric vehicles is speeding up in Australia, fuelled by tax cuts, but one policy is putting the brakes on progress.
RBA decision tipped to deliver more mortgage pain
Another interest rate hike is expected when the Reserve Bank board meets on Tuesday for the first time in two months.
PM reveals why he is optimistic for referendum success
Anthony Albanese says Australians will have the opportunity to show the best of their characters in a referendum to enshrine an Indigenous voice to parliament.
Voice referendum question to be finalised by June
Government frontbencher Tony Burke says laws finalising the referendum question on the voice to parliament will be set by the second quarter of the year.
Ex-minister misled public: Barilaro trade job report
Former NSW trade minister Stuart Ayres was not at arm's length in the appointment of John Barilaro to a plum US trade job, a parliamentary inquiry has found.
NSW premier unveils five-year cashless pokies reform
All poker machines in NSW will be cashless within five years under a proposal by Premier Dominic Perrottet, who says the change will protect vulnerable people.
Australia urges calm over Chinese ‘weather’ balloon
Foreign Minister Penny Wong insists a diplomatic clash between the US and China over a suspected spy balloon won't derail upcoming talks involving Australia.
Consumers tighten belts amid interest rate rise squeeze
The latest retail figures show Australians are tightening their spending, falling 0.2 per cent in the December quarter.
PM ups the ante on voice support as parliament returns
As federal parliament returns for the year, Prime Minister Albanese is focused on building support for an Indigenous voice.
EV boom! Electric car sales tipped to be led by Baby Boomer generation
Australians from older generations are most likely to buy new generation electric vehicles, according to a new study, that also found car costs are rising.
Price pressures may ease but mortgage cliff looms
Inflation is likely to start easing but many mortgage holders face higher repayments once their fixed-rate terms expire, a living costs committee has been told.
‘Buffer zone’ in place for Cardinal Pell’s funeral
A buffer zone will help mitigate the risk of clashes between mourners and protesters outside Cardinal George Pell's funeral on Thursday.
Home values slide further but regions prove resilient
The property downturn is hitting capital cities harder than regions, suggesting higher demand has become permanent for regional markets.
Rise in ‘dark money’ as 10 dominate political donations
Political parties' and donors' financial returns for 2021/22 have been made public, with Clive Palmer giving his United Australia Party a record $117 million.
PM eyes immediate response to Alice Springs crisis
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to act as quickly as possible on the recommendations of a report into alcohol-fuelled crime in Alice Springs.
Australia calls for peace after China war warning
Australia will try to avoid war with China through diplomacy but will continue to build up an arsenal for deterrence, Defence Minister Richard Marles says.
Union call to widen scope of probe into Lehrmann case
Former Queensland solicitor-general Walter Sofronoff will lead an inquiry into the handling of rape allegations against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.
Adversarial neighbour protests innocence at burnt club
A resident who lives near a controversial nightclub admitted he previously threatened to burn it down as the heartbroken owner vowed to rebuild.
Police bid to block Pell protest dropped, route changed
Organisers have agreed to change the route for a protest of George Pell's funeral so they don't enter the street outside the cathedral where he lies in state.
Electric and hybrid vehicles win new on-road discounts
Drivers who register electric or hybrid vehicles in the ACT will save hundreds of dollars each year in a scheme experts say should set the example.
Dangerous radioactive capsule found in remote WA
Search crews have found a tiny radioactive capsule which fell off the back of a truck while being transported from a mine in remote Western Australia.