THERE have been so many records set recently in Australian politics that the politicians should be tested for steroids. We began the current electoral cycle with the personal defeat of a prime minister for only the second time in 110 years, with John Howard following the 1929 precedent of Stanley Bruce and being swept from...

Despite the bipartisan consensus, Australia’s role in Afghanistan is demonstrably counterproductive, writes Brian Toohey.

People might have strong feelings about asylum seekers, but there’s no sign in the latest polls that harsher measures are a vote winner, writes Peter Browne.

Policymakers are undoubtedly watching developments overseas with interest. But how much can we learn from systems that are so different from our own, asks Dahle Suggett.

With the government and the opposition treading water, Brian Toohey looks at the way forward in Inside Story.