Mal Brough's mere presence as Special Minister of State is dragging down the Government. If the Prime Minister stands by him, he will have a lame duck - indeed, a next to useless minister - on his hands, writes Barrie Cassidy.

When it comes to action on climate change, the Government has permitted "big business" to take out public insurance against democracy, says Kellie Tranter.

Ian Macfarlane has revealed that within one week of being dumped from the Turnbull frontbench, he began looking to the Nationals for a way back in.

There is new force in Christendom. The unquestionable art of promoting the concept that trying to stop pollution is actually creating global warming. It's a new religiousdom theory tagging along with the older science of planetary geo-engineering. It's only a small weeny force yet, but, as the index of pollution goes up,  I am sure it will take, as it should, a momentum like the Christian crusades of the late 11th century AD... Apotheosis, here we come — as well as Asbestosis on the side, but it's a small price to pay to save the planet.

The terrorist attack in Paris "represents an attack against our country, against its values, against its youth and against its way of life.”

President Francois Hollande

All Christians are suspect. Tracking collars? Closing the borders? Ankle monitors on the leaders of these dangerous sects preaching violence and hate? (My thanks to Senator Jacqui Lambie for the idea.)

Fox Television has been cut to the bone by accusations the network cheated stars out of millions. 

The whistleblower who exposed wrongdoing at HSBC’s Swiss private bank has been sentenced to five years in prison by a Swiss court.

The "nice" atheists are out in force trying to prove to themselves, mostly, that Dawkins and Harris are pushing the atheist barrow too much too far too fast too nasty. Some, like Jeff sparrow, even will say that:

An Open Letter to the Prime Minister, the Honourable Malcolm Turnbull

Dear Prime Minister,

In the last four decades Australian writing has grown into a major force, popular with readers in Australia in its many forms — children's books, young adult fiction, thrillers, romance, fiction and non fiction — and acclaimed internationally.