A Sydney restaurant owned by Tourism Minister Andrew Robb and his family is being promoted by a government-funded $40 million, 18-month Tourism Australia campaign that targets 17 key global markets to sell the Australian "foodie" experience to the world.

The New South Wales government has been accused of running a poker machine “slush fund” after it emerged that a $20m pool of club profits was spent overwhelmingly on community projects in Coalition electorates or to pay for Liberal-National party election promises.

The lunch at the upmarket Sydney eatery Rockpool in early December 2010 was as expensive as it was exclusive. Little did the seven diners know that the link that had drawn them to lunch that day would fracture friendships and destroy careers.

You can’t believe a word the United States or its mainstream media say about the current conflict involving The Islamic State (ISIS).

You can’t believe a word France or the United Kingdom say about ISIS.

NSW premier Mike Baird’s proposed changes to the state’s electoral funding laws could cost taxpayers more than $10 million extra per electoral cycle.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says coal is "good for humanity" and will be the "world's main energy source for decades to come" as he opened a new $3.9 billion coal mine in central Queensland.

The top one percent of the wealthiest people on the planet own nearly fifty percent of the world's assets while the bottom fifty percent of the global population combined own less than one percent of the world's wealth.

So, Australian Prime Minister wants to shirt-front Russia's President Vladimir Putin, does he? It is difficult to find a more blatant example of childishness, incompetence for the position, criminal intent, downright nastiness and an indication of a disturbed mind crying out for therapy. Don't the Australian people deserve better?

Dear Mr. Abbott,

After your reckless remarks and unfounded, slanderous insinuations about Russia shooting down a civilian aircraft and murdering Australian civilians we now have apparently a statement attributed to you by the media of your country about intending to "shirt-front" President Putin on his visit to Brisbane in November for the G-20 Summit.

Not to mention Aboriginal deaths in custody or the woman killed every week by her partner.

It is now looking pretty clear that some sections of the Parliamentary Labor Party Left are distancing themselves from the Bill and Tony comedy duo. I wouldn’t be surprised if this tactic is part of the right’s attempt to win back disaffected supporters and voters. Let the left have a little leeway, not too much, but enough to attract support for a new Labor that will be in fact just like old Labor – neo-liberal economically and reactionary socially.