The most unfortunate aspect of the controversy surrounding ASIO chief Duncan Lewis is that it has given a free kick to those who want to sharpen a divisive debate about Australia’s refugee intake and Muslim immigrants generally.

Attorney-General George Brandis has pre-empted his opponents in the Senate by rescinding his controversial direction that all requests to the Solicitor-General for advice must go through him. After a scathing report from the non-government majority on a Senate inquiry into the events surrounding Brandis issuing the direction, the Senate numbers were there for it to...

Scott Morrison is a “once bitten, never shy” sort of guy. Having had a bad experience in the high profile debate over whether to change the GST, which ultimately came to nothing, the Treasurer this week launched into the hot topic of housing affordability.

Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson has quit, declaring his relationship with Attorney-General, George Brandis, is “irretrievably broken” and taking a major swipe at his government critics. Gleeson’s resignation follows their bitter row over Brandis’s order that all requests for the Solicitor-General’s advice must come through his office. In a toughly-worded letter to Brandis, Gleeson says his decision...

Malcolm Turnbull has directly lobbied US legislators to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which he describes as “a very critical part of America’s continued presence in the Asia-Pacific”. Turnbull stressed the TPP’s importance in his talks with politicians on Capitol Hill, who included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as in an address...