Day after day, week after week, month after month, Tony Abbott's opening words in parliamentary question time were almost always the same. It was almost invariably a question to put Julia Gillard on the spot on the carbon tax.

In Australia there are no strong inhibitions or serious sanctions that would prevent media organisations publishing pictures of Duchess Kate's bosoms or cartoons of a nude Muhammad. Yet no one has.

Politicians, journalists and bankers are the least trusted people in a survey of professions compiled by consumer group Which?

Only seven per cent of those surveyed said they trusted politicians and journalists, while just 11 per cent trusted bankers and estate agents.

A political slanging match has broken out over the traditionally politically neutral subject of Australian victims of terrorism.

The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion.

In acting, Abbott made three gains. First, he dumped a senator few on his own side cared for or about. Bernardi had already put many of his colleagues offside with his Islamophobic writings and speeches.

from politicoz …

A furious row has erupted over a French study claiming to have found tumours and other problems in rats fed on genetically modified maize and exposed to a common, associated herbicide.

The next election will be austere if the Treasury boss, Martin Parkinson, gets his way.

Back in June, Dr Parkinson told the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia in Canberra that Australians should get real and realise they couldn't ''have it all''.

Oh, Mitt. America's favourite bazillionnaire has stuck his Gucci loafer in it again, and as usual, it's money-related.

The grotesquery of corruption within our banking systems seems endless, writes contributing editor-at-large Tess Lawrence, with vaultlines leading to the Reserve Bank of Australia.