Labor’s coup plotters and political fix-it men have been suitably rewarded in Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s newly unveiled ministerial line-up. Yet if winners are grinners, the broadest smile was planted on former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s face as he announced his new, plum post as foreign minister at a pr ... Read more

Australia's Julia Gillard has made history by becoming the country's first elected female prime minister, after two rural independent lawmakers announced their support for a Gillard government on Tuesday afternoon.

The stand-off, following the August 21 election, that delivered the country's first hung Parliament in 7 ... Read more

Australia’s system of parliamentary democracy may never quite be the same again following reforms initiated by the ‘gang of three’ rural independents. As the nation impatiently awaited a decision by the three key lawmakers on which side of politics they would support, the political kingmakers announced changes to the ch ... Read more

Australia’s political waiting game may be nearing an end, after veteran Labor incumbent Arch Bevis conceded that he was unlikely to defend his seat of Brisbane from the Coalition candidate Teresa Gambaro. Should the result be confirmed, Labor would retain 72 seats in the lower house—4 short of the 76 required for government&m ... Read more

Australia’s federal election has now gone into its second week of political deadlock. A report yesterday by the AFP, observes that both Prime Minister Julia Gillard and challenger Tony Abbott continue to try and win the fav ... Read more

According to a news report from Reuters today, there seems to be a general acceptance amongst Australians that a minority government will be formed in the country over the next few weeks that will not last a full t ... Read more

Australiamay have moved closer to a new government on Tuesday, with reports that the Coalition could gain a one-seat advantage in the lower house over the Labor Party of caretaker Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Respected ABC election analyst Antony Green has awarded the Tasmanian seat of Denison to independent Andrew Wilkie, after ... Read more

Labor’s hopes of retaining government may have been damaged by a familiar source of woe for the party, with reports yesterday that Governor-General Quentin Bryce was seeking legal advice over her family connection to a Labor powerbroker.

The party still retains bitter memories of the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1 ... Read more

Bill Shorten, the former union boss who orchestrated the ousting of Kevin Rudd from the Labor leadership, is being backed by punters to lead the party to the next election, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. ... Read more

Political horse trading was underway in earnest following Saturday’s cliffhanger Australian federal election, as little-known independent lawmakers suddenly became kingmakers. At last count Sunday evening, Labor and the Coalition were reportedly evenly split on 72 lower house seats each, with the seats of Hasluck (Western Australia ... Read more

The morning after a dreadful night before, Labor looks better placed than the Coalition to form a minority government, the Sydney Morning Herald says, in what could be Australia's first hung parliament in 70 years. ... Read more

Labor Party National Secretary Karl Bitar defends the party's federal election campaign from criticism it was confusing and lacked a central message. ... Read more

Maxine McKew, dropped by voters in Bennelong last night, launches a broadside at the Labor Party, attacking it for sacking former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. ... Read more

Australia faces the prospect of a hung Parliament for the first time since World War II, with neither of the major political parties able to achieve the 76 lower house seats needed to form government in their own right in Saturday’s poll.

The vote counting was set to continue for another week, but as of late Saturday evenin ... Read more

The country faces days of political limbo after both Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Coalition Leader Tony Abbott fall short of winning a majority, the Australian reports.

Both leaders Read more