Paul J. Berating

Today's Top Stories

⚡ Top Story

SMH · James Massola

If Angus Taylor can't thread this political needle, his fate might be all sewn up

Angus Taylor must claw votes back from Labor and One Nation simultaneously — a contradiction the Liberal leadership hasn't resolved since Howard left the building.

Taylor's threading a needle with one hand tied to the mining lobby and the other tied to Hanson. Menzies built a broad church wide enough for Deakin liberals and Country Party graziers. Taylor's running a tent revival where the preacher's checking the focus group between hymns.

SMH · Natassia Chrysanthos

NDIS rewrite hands the minister the chequebook and the gate key

Sweeping new NDIS laws head to inquiry, narrowing eligibility and concentrating discretion in ministerial hands.

Strict new criteria and sweeping ministerial powers — the scheme was built so a parent in Dubbo didn't have to beg a bureaucrat in Canberra, and now we're handing the bureaucrat a bigger desk and a sharper pen. 'All other appropriate treatments first' sounds reasonable until you remember half the country can't get a GP inside a fortnight.

Michael West Media · AAP

Trump, Xi set for Beijing talks on trade truce, Iran

With Donald Trump's approval ratings ‌badly dented by the Iran war, the US president's first visit to China in almost a decade has taken on extra significance.

Trump flies to Beijing because the Iran war's chewed through his polling and Xi's the only bloke left who can hand him a photo op that looks like a win. Nixon went to China to split the Communist bloc. Trump's going to split his own approval rating from the floor. The trade truce will last exactly as long as the next Truth Social post.

Guardian Australia · Tom McIlroy Political editor

Taylor hands the immigration dial to a building industry that can't hit its own targets

The Coalition will tie temporary migration to housing completions, plus a $5bn infrastructure fund and a watered-down construction code.

Taylor's plan: cap migration at whatever the building industry manages to nail together. The same building industry that hasn't hit a target since Menzies wore short pants. It's policy by hostage — we'll let the carpenters set the immigration rate, and when they down tools for a long weekend, the queue at Tullamarine backs up to Singapore.