Free Republic

PRIME Minister John Howard becomes king of the Parliament House castle today, heading the first government to control both houses of parliament for 24 years. As politicians return to Canberra after a six-week break, they face the historic prospect of a parliament where the government of the day controls the Senate as well as the House of Representatives. It is the first time since Malcolm Fraser was prime minister in 1981 that the government has had the numbers in the Senate and will give Mr Howard and his team the opportunity to push through controversial laws on Telstra and industrial...

THE Federal Government still hopes Labor will pass the tax cuts from Tuesday's Budget, says Prime Minister John Howard. pposition Leader Kim Beazley has vowed to block the cuts after yesterday putting forward his own plan which he says is fairer for low and middle income earners. Mr Howard today declined to say whether he would seek to have the Senate sit soon after July 1, when the Government would hold a controlling majority of seats, to pass the laws implementing the tax cuts. "We are hopeful that the Labor Party will see the sense of letting the tax cuts...

FOREIGN Minister Alexander Downer has predicted Kim Beazley will last only a few months, as he attacked the new Labor leader's policies on Iraq. "I must say I thought when Kim Beazley came back as leader of the Opposition he would try to learn from the mistakes of the past," Mr Downer said in Adelaide today. "Mr Beazley has learnt nothing. He has no clear message and no clear idea about what he wants to achieve in relation to Iraq. "Mr Beazley's position is indeed complicated. It's like Mr Beazley's positions have always been – they're not clear, they're not...

MARK Latham will celebrate his first anniversary as opposition leader on Wednesday, but no one is betting on him lasting to his second. If Labor looked split when Mr Latham took over the leadership last December, the rifts are gaping a year on. He has been labelled a dead parrot by a former Beazley adviser, a narcissist who won't listen to anyone by anonymous frontbenchers, and a bully by a state Labor premier. He has allegedly had an angry bust-up with factional heavyweight Stephen Conroy, accusing him of leaking internal ructions to journalists, and says one journalist has been sold...

The Federal Opposition says Prime Minister John Howard has acted inappropriately by declaring his support for incumbent United States President, George W Bush. Labor foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd says Mr Howard has angered US presidential hopeful John Kerry with his decision to endorse his opponent. Mr Rudd says Mr Howard should not take sides but rather leave the decision to the US people. He says Labor has good relations with both parties. "When asked about this on many occasions, the response from the Australian Labor Party has been 'we will work with whichever administration the American people elect, elect...