The Party Room

Australia hosted ASEAN leaders in a special summit in Melbourne this week as key differences over China were set aside.

In an explosive briefing, ASIO boss Mike Burgess revealed a former Australian politician "sold out their country" after being recruited by a foreign intelligence service. In the wake of the revelations, former Treasurer Joe Hockey has called for the person to be named.

And the stakes are high at the Dunkley by-election this weekend. And while the Government managed to pass its contentious changes to stage 3 tax cuts through parliament, recent polls have given the Opposition a confidence boost.

It comes as new gender-pay-gap data reveals disparities across certain industries, and as former Prime Minister Scott Morrison exits parliament.

Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

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Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

A political storm has broken out, after a boat with 40 asylum seekers landed in a remote section of the WA Coast. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has criticised the Government for being weak on border security, while the Prime Minster accused the Opposition leader of acting like a "cheer squad for people smugglers."

And there's been a push for random drug and alcohol testing in Parliament. It follows the behaviour of two National Party members, but is it realistic? And Australia's surface naval fleet is being reshaped, but will the overhaul help plug capability gaps?

David Crowe, Chief Political Correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

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Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

Footage of Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce lying on his back on a Canberra footpath, drunk and swearing into his phone has raised questions about the conduct of Parliamentarians, and his future in the party.

And the Albanese Government tabled its Closing the Gap statement this week, with the Prime Minister condemning "inexcusable" findings on Indigenous disadvantage. So, how will the Government try to shift the dial?

Narelda Jacobs,10 News First Midday and Afternoons Presenter joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

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Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

Parliament returned from summer break this week, and the Albanese Government has already managed to secure wins on some key policies.

The Opposition conceded it wouldn't "stand in the way" of Labor's changes to stage 3 tax cuts. And after much negotiation, the Greens and Senate crossbencher David Pocock's agreed to support the Government's IR bill. 

Cameron Stewart, Chief International Correspondent at The Australian joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

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Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

The Albanese Government has returned from the summer break with a bang, announcing changes to the contentious stage 3 tax cuts. And while the redesign means a larger tax cut for over 11 million Australians, will the benefits outweigh a broken promise for voters?

And what else can we expect from the political year ahead?

David Speers, ABC Political lead and host of Insiders joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

David Speers, ABC Political lead and host of Insiders joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

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Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

The Albanese Government has changed its position on a ceasefire in Gaza this week, signing the U.N. General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.The Opposition has criticised the move, suggesting the Government caved to "domestic pressure". 

And the government has ended the year at a low-point, but 2023 was really a year in two halves. So, how will Labor try and rebuild momentum in 2024?

Karen Middleton, Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas for the final The Party Room of 2023.

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Got a burning political query? Send a voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

Parliament is about to wrap for Christmas break, but not before the Albanese Government managed to pass its controversial Preventative Detention legislation. The passage of the bill comes after a messy couple-of-weeks for the Government, but will this be the reset they need?

And the long-awaited NDIS Review has finally been released, so how will the Government look to futureproof the scheme?

Charles Croucher, Chief Political Editor for Nine News joins Fran Kelly and Afternoon Briefing Host Greg Jennett on The Party Room.

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Got a burning political query? Send a voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

As the end of the parliamentary year draws closer, cost of living pressures and recent political missteps are plaguing the Albanese Government.

And Opposition leader Peter Dutton hasn't missed the opportunity to pounce, telling his partyroom he has a 'one-term' election strategy. So, is this just the standard first term slump for the government, or something different?

Anna Henderson, Chief Political Correspondent at SBS World News joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has faced sustained pressure to disclose whether he confronted Chinese President Xi Jingping over a naval incident that saw Australian divers injured by a Chinese warship’s sonar.

And the Government has attempted to seize back the domestic agenda and distract from the fallout, releasing a suite of new policies. But has it worked?

Michelle Grattan, Chief Political Correspondent at The Conversation and Professorial fellow at the University of Canberra joined Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly on The Party Room.

As the Israel-Gaza war escalates, tensions are also intensifying in Australia. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been critical of the Government’s response, while the Prime Minister has accused the Opposition leader of “weaponsing anti-Semitism”.

And the Government is pushing through emergency legislation to deal with the fallout of the High Court’s decision that indefinite immigration detention was unlawful, which has already led to the release of 83 former detainees. But will that be enough?

Cameron Stewart, Chief International Correspondent at the Australian joins Patricia Karvelas and David Speers on The Party Room

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's long awaited visit to China was largely overshadowed by domestic issues this week, with Optus experiencing a nationwide outage and the RBA lifting interest rates to a 12-year high.

As the Israel-Gaza war continues to escalate, there's been a subtle change in how the Australian Government is referring to the unfolding crisis.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with US President Joe Biden in Washington, with the two leaders reinforcing bilateral and security ties. But can Australia further strengthen ties with the US, while also rebuilding its economic relationship with China?

And the state visit came amidst the backdrop of the escalating Israel-Gaza conflict. So how are global tensions playing out in politics here at home?

Peter Hartcher, Political and International Editor at the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

Two Muslim federal Labor Ministers have spoken out against collective punishment of Palestinians while defending the right of Israel to retaliate against Hamas.

After the Indigenous Voice referendum was voted down by the Australian public, the fallout from the majority No vote continues to play out in Canberra and across the country.

Amid the grief and horror of the Hamas terrorist attacks and Israel's retaliation, the federal opposition criticised the government's response, prompting the Prime Minister to accuse Peter Dutton of politicising the tragedy.

With just days to go until the Referendum, Carly and Fran take a look at the campaign and what you need to know before you vote. We'll also outline the arguments we've heard from both sides about the vote.

The Government has announced a crackdown on “grotesque abuses” and exploitation in the immigration visa system, focusing on migration agents and dodgy vocational education training centres who are rorting the system.

And as the referendum on the Voice to Parliament draws closer, campaigning from both sides has ramped up. But with nearly one million Australians already casting their ballots at pre-polling, what messages are cutting through?

Isabella Higgins, Indigenous Affairs reporter joins Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas on The Party Room.

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Got a burning political query? Send a voice recording to PK and Fran for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au 

There have been concerns about increased levels of racism during the campaign, particularly as the debate gets more heated and the date draws closer. So what will a yes or a no mean for reconciliation in this country? And how will the referendum be viewed overseas?