Insiders

As speculation builds over when the prime minister will call an election, another major player looms over the campaign — Donald Trump. The US president's latest wave of tariffs could send shockwaves not just through Australia but across the global trading system. So, how can Australia come out winning in this game of tariffs?

Continuing to highlight Labor's past critique of Donald Trump carries political risk for the Coalition. Not least because it ignores what's really driving those encouraging Trump to apply tariffs to Australia.

How to deal with Donald Trump 2.0?

The world was understandably gripped this week by Donald Trump's rather surprising suggestion that the US might take ownership of Gaza and turn it into what he's called the Riviera of the Middle East. Whether this was his intention or not, the bombshell announcement did take a lot of attention away from something else the President had done just a day or two earlier, roll out his grand tariff stra...

Heads are best kept below the parapet for now, in what's already proving to be a more difficult environment to navigate than the first Trump presidency.

Hopes of a rate cut. Fears of another antisemitic attack. The election year begins with intense debate over the economy and national security. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton joins Insiders. 

Wednesday's inflation figures came in lower than either the Reserve Bank or most market economists predicted. So, will we see a rate cut in February? 

It's the start of the election year Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers were banking on and the reason why talk of an early poll, either late last year or at the very start of this year, was always misguided.

Happy new year. And happy election year! We may not know exactly when Anthony Albanese will send us all to the polls – but we do know it has to happen by May. So, for this special holiday edition, we thought it would be worth setting the table for what we can expect over the weeks and months ahead. What are the issues that will decide this election? How are the major parties approaching them? And...

The Albanese Government heads into the summer break with a major win.

The final week of parliament for the year has involved an avalanche of legislation. Most of it has been well ventilated and debated over recent months – think social media age limits or changes to the Reserve Bank board structure. But there was a batch of bills involving tough immigration reforms that didn’t receive as much attention. These changes involve new deportation powers and travel bans –...

Before the last election, Anthony Albanese often talked about "kicking with the wind" in the final quarter. Now, he's talking about "leaving nothing on the field", even if he's leaving a few promises behind in the interests of improving Labor's election chances.

As the clock ticks down on the parliamentary year – it's do or die for a stack of government reforms.

The direction of global action on climate change is at a juncture. Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House and his promise to rip-up the Biden administration’s climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act is prompting a reassessment of the landscape. In Azerbaijan, the UN’s climate change talks are in their final days trying to reach agreement on financing to help developing countries take c...

The Prime Minister on the global stage this week talking trade and what the return of Donald Trump means for the world. While here at home the government is preparing to push a raft of legislation through parliament in the last sitting fortnight of the year… as speculation mounts it could be the last before an election. Patricia Karvelas anchors Insiders from Canberra this week, while David Speers...

The concern over big money having an outsized influence on Australia’s politics prompted the Government to promise electoral reform. This is expected to include caps on individual donations and campaign spending, as well as real-time disclosures of donations. Now - with limited time left in parliament before the next election - the pressure to reveal the plan is on. 

This town – Washington DC – has been thrown into a spin. Donald Trump has promised radical change on trade, climate change, and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The question now is – how far will he go? Many here and around the world are grappling for answers. David Speers is joined by Sarah Ferguson and Charles Croucher on the panel. This week’s guest is Charles Edel, Australia Chair for...

Donald Trump is back. Kamala Harris is promising a smooth transition. To say the US is in a different political universe to 4 years ago – is an understatement. How has this extraordinary comeback happened? Why has America returned to Trump? And what happens next? In Washington DC, David Speers talks to Lester Munson, a 25-year Capitol Hill veteran, most recently as Staff Director of the Senate For...

Insiders in Detroit, Michigan – one of the most important states that will decide one of the most important elections. The world is bracing to see whether working class voters in battleground states like this will make Kamala Harris the first female President of the United States – or return Donald Trump to power. We're going to explore how voters here are feeling – and what's at stake. David Spee...

Elections don’t come much closer than this. Nor do they tend to be as consequential. American voters are about to decide on the future direction of this country – indeed millions have already cast early ballots. And there are enormous ramifications for the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, relations with China, global trade and of course climate change.  David Speers visits the state of Mi...

Queensland votes for change - after 9 years of Labor rule. It was a long night but the LNP will form a majority government. There were big swings against Labor in the regions and suburbs – and it was a bad night for the Greens. Plenty of lessons – and warning signs – ahead of the coming federal contest. David Speers is joined by Patricia Karvelas, Anthony Galloway, and Clare Armstrong. Casey Brigg...

Former British MP and one-time Minister Rory Stewart is touring Australia at the moment. He's a writer and co-host of the The Rest is Politics podcast of who's found an enormous following for his reflections on what works and what doesn't in modern democracies. Rory Stewart sat down with Insiders Host David Speers in Melbourne. 

The pre-election contest over fixing the housing crisis heats up. Peter Dutton unveils a new policy – the government says it's a cheap trick. While the Greens go after the Prime Minister for buying his own clifftop home. David Speers is joined by Raf Epstein, Paul Sakkal, and Sarah Ison Our guest is the Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt.

It’s something of a spring election season; Canberra voters go to the polls this weekend, while Queenslanders will cast their votes in a little over a week.  Federal politicians are watching closely for any indicators of the electoral mood. Queensland will be a key state in next year’s federal election and the state poll will be telling. Labor has been in power for nearly a decade and the relative...

Two anniversaries. Neither of them politically easy for the government. The past week has been dominated by a bitter divide over how to mark the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Monday marks 12 months since the Voice referendum. David Speers is joined by Mark Kenny, James Massola and Carly Williams. Our guest is the Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson.