Lisa Palu, Associate Director 

I am a self-confessed Maiden Speech junkie! I love this time in every electoral cycle, when the political newbies stand up, look out over the floor of parliament and bare their soul, giving voters insight into what makes them tick, what pushes their buttons and (hopefully) what they want to achieve for their communities.

The COVID Delta strain has made campaigns and elections a fraught exercise, with no simple pathway to victory, writes Ben Hindmarsh, Principal Consultant.

The Labor Caucus will meet on Tuesday 31/05 and select the Ministry which will be sworn-in on Wednesday 01/06.

The SAS Group was founded in 2009 as a cross-partisan advocacy firm, to give certainty and consistency to our clients in their engagement efforts as political tides come and go. In the 13 years since then, we’ve demonstrated the success of this model, across six Prime Ministers (three each from Labor and the Coalition) and multiple Labor and Liberal Premiers in various states.

Australia is heading into our seventh federal election in which climate policy is a key factor. In each case the debate is framed as a trade-off between jobs and the environment. The Coalition has won four of the previous six (2004, 2013, 2016 and 2019) by claiming it has the better policies for protecting jobs while also reducing emissions. Labor won in 2007 and 2010 by convincing voters it was better placed to reduce emissions while protecting jobs.

The Albanese government celebrated 100 days in office earlier this week and today another milestone has been reached – the long-awaited Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra.

Malcolm Cole, Director – Media and Communications

My colleague and friend Larry Anthony shared a political analysis earlier this week posing the question whether Scott Morrison is – or might be – a political Houdini.

Tonight Labor Leader Anthony Albanese will deliver his Budget-in-Reply speech to the House of Representatives, and the work of the 46^th Parliament of Australia will - for all intents and purposes – come to a close.

Hon Bernie Ripoll, Director 

Congratulations to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Labor team, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and of course Treasurer Jim Chalmers from Queensland, for a great win and forming a majority government. Commiserations to all the hard working MPs who didn't make it back and thank them for their service to their constituents and our country.

‘Roll up your sleeves’ is the main message coming out of Canberra as the COVID skirmish continues. The last month has certainly seen the vaccine rollout speed up, with Australia now well ahead of the world average.

The start of 2022 has seen federal politicians hit the ground running, with an election just months away.

If a Federal Election were held today the Morrison Government would lose office. At least that’s what the polls indicate (and they’ve never been wrong!).

It’s been a tumultuous finish to the parliamentary year for the federal government. A backbench rebellion by several Coalition senators, an inability to pass key legislation, and continued hostilities with some state Premiers have all dominated the past month.

Written by Mitch Collier, Media and Communications Consultant

One of Australia’s longest running policy sagas has taken yet another dramatic twist this past month. Climate change policy has bedevilled each federal government since John Howard occupied the Prime Ministership. 

Written by Ben Hindmarsh, Principal Consultant

Amidst the rising rates of COVID vaccinations and talk of pathways out of lockdown that dominate our everyday political debate at home, the launch of the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States has catapulted our nation onto the centre of the world stage.

It’s been just under six weeks since the election of the Albanese Government, and – on the surface at least – it seems the new Prime Minister and his team have settled comfortably into the Ministerial wing at Parliament House.

Shayne Sutton, Associate Director

When Scott Morrison won the 2019 election his win was dubbed “Morrison’s Miracle”.  Most people, regardless of political affiliation, had expected Bill Shorten to be sworn in as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister soon after polling day.  Few anticipated the result delivered by the people.

Hon Larry Anthony AO, Chairman

It's one thing to win an election, it's another to govern. The 47th Parliament resumed this week with Anthony Albanese steering the ship, literally at the dispatch box. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returned from the funerals of the Queen and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to face a maelstrom of domestic affairs as part of the job of governing Australia.

Hon. Larry Anthony, Chairman

Houdini, a magician famous for his ability to escape chains and handcuffs under water, is long gone. But can some of that amazing magic live on, politically speaking, to help Scott Morrison escape the train wreck coming?