While most would agree that only Australians should have the power to influence our election outcomes, our nation is one of the few western democracies where foreign money can still be used to influence domestic elections.

Peter Brent asks would a stronger prime minister pull Peter Dutton into line?

Midterm elections are an important indicator of the national political climate that curb or enhance the power of the president’s party in Congress. If Republicans maintain majorities in the House and Senate, they will continue to pursue core policy priorities.

The Australian government bought 29 gigalitres of water for $80m in the Condamine-Balonne valley. The vendors originally insisted on $2,200 per megalitre. But after negotiation, the government paid a higher price - $2,745 per megalitre. Worse, the water has no legal status outside the farm gate and shouldn’t be counted towards the water recovery target.

The 2018 Investment Statement He Puna Hao Pātiki, shows how the Treasury is moving towards a more holistic way of assessing the government’s balance sheet, by incorporating principles from the Living Standards Framework alongside financial considerations.