Paula Matthewson
Paula Matthewson is a freelance communications adviser and writer on politics. She was media advisor to John Howard in the early 1990s and has worked in communications, political and advocacy roles for the past 25 years. She tweets and blogs as @Drag0nista.
The myth of two Malcolm Frasers Opinion
Posted
Contrary to popular opinion, Malcolm Fraser's politics never changed - he was a lefty on social issues and staunchly right-wing on economic matters.
Such a combination should not be a relic of the past to be wistfully remembered, but a feature of today's politics.
The sadness of Fraser's death is magnified by his loss as a role model for modern Liberal progressives.
Topics: liberals, government-and-politics
Turnbull's new pitch as Mr Right Opinion
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Malcolm Turnbull has been eking out his leadership manifesto recently, and much of his efforts seem aimed at boosting his conservative credentials while not scaring off his progressive support base.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony, turnbull-malcolm
The Age of Clive is nearing its end - thankfully Opinion
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And then there was one. In the Senate at least, after Glenn Lazarus announced he was leaving the Palmer United Party.
While PUP promised voters an alternative to the major parties and a commonsense approach to policies, in truth it was nothing more than a hollow sales pitch of a white-shoed wannabe.
For the good of the nation, let's hope the departure of Lazarus brings an ignominious close to the Age of Clive in Australian politics.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, clive-palmer
One upcoming budget, three jostling narratives Opinion
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Aside from its inherent meanness, the thing that damned the 2014 budget was its messages were mixed.
Not only did it preach an equitable sharing of the burden while heaping pain on those least able to bear it, the budget also claimed fiscal responsibility while pouring money into slush funds for roads and research instead of reducing debt.
So far this year, the story is much the same. Hockey is sticking with his tough-love message, Morrison is talking about incremental reform, and Abbott is simply focused on doing whatever it takes to ensure his political survival.
Topics: budget, federal-government
Liberals should fear disunity, not Labor Opinion
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New polling today shows the Coalition has bounced back slightly against Labor, but Tony Abbott's leadership still remains under pressure.
Meantime, those MPs resisting a change are arguing that such a move would reduce the Liberal Party to the same level of "chaos" experienced by Labor during the Rudd-Gillard years.
But considering Labor's key attack dogs are still smeared with the stains of the Rudd-Gillard wars they are in no position to capitalise if the Liberals do ditch Abbott.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony
So much for a more 'consultative' PM Opinion
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Today marks a fortnight since Tony Abbott, reportedly shaken by the number of MPs who had voted against him in the failed leadership spill, vowed to be more consultative.
But it's become clear he either has no intention of keeping that commitment, or is simply incapable of doing so.
And with continued gaffes and poor decisions - and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin, again under attack - it may be too late for Abbott to regain the authority he needs to lead the Liberal Party.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony
Turnbull: too left to be right for the Liberals? Opinion
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There's more than just Tony Abbott standing between Malcolm Turnbull and the PM title. If he wants the top job he'll need to contend with the Liberals' hard-right faction - and time is running out.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony, turnbull-malcolm
The Liberal rebellion is far from over Opinion
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Before surviving the leadership spill Tony Abbott made a few concessions to shore up his position.
But at no point did the PM vow to abandon two of his biggest problems - the dysfunctional operation of his office, and his Government's dogged pursuit of a reform agenda that singularly lacks in empathy.
With blood now in the water, an off-the-radar battle is taking place between the right-wing conservatives and the moderates, which could decide the leadership of the party.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony
Trigger-happy chatter does not make a spill Opinion
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Despite two Coalition backbenchers taking to the airwaves to declare Tony Abbott has lost their confidence, two disgruntled MPs do not make a coup.
The number of Government MPs supporting a spill is unlikely to get anywhere near a majority until the ministry breaks ranks, and at this point ministers appear to be holding firm.
Until a real consensus for change emerges within the Liberal Party, rallied behind one contender, disgruntled backbenchers will achieve nothing other than entertaining Twitter.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony
Without change, Abbott's a dead man walking Opinion
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Following the deafening outcome of the Queensland election, it's difficult not to see a connection between the reckoning delivered by voters to Premier Newman and what they'd like to do to Tony Abbott at the next federal election.
If Abbott wants to fix this and quash leadership speculation then he needs to make fundamental changes.
If he continues to ignore this and uses today's National Press Club address to simply dismiss his struggles as a communication problem, he will be a dead man walking.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony
Abbott navigates his crucial 'year of reform' Opinion
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In the three-year election cycle a new government usually spends the first year blaming the predecessor, the second developing policy, and the third campaigning for re-election.
The Abbott Government is now well into its mid-term year, and is receiving pressure from the business sector to reform taxation and workplace relations laws.
But Tony Abbott would be crazy-brave and bordering on foolish to takes proposals to expand the GST and change workplace relations laws to the next election.
Topics: government-and-politics, tax, federal-election
Voters forgive leadership change, but not disunity Opinion
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Despite Tony Abbott's protestations to the contrary, there is no golden rule in Australian politics damning a governing party that changes leaders mid-stream to eternal political opprobrium.
From Keating to Gillard, recent history has plenty of examples of parties that switch leaders and go on to win the next election.
If there is a lesson for anyone in the Rudd-Gillard saga it is actually for Abbott: voters are more concerned about political disunity, incompetency and unmet expectations than they are about changes in the Government's leadership.
Signs of mutiny on the Good Ship Abbott Opinion
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That sound you hear is the whisper of Liberal Party MPs carefully shuffling around a Prime Minister who's taken on water and is listing dangerously.
The flotilla of leaks to the media seem to be an attempt to either show ministers in the best possible light, or to rein in any leadership challengers.
We've known for some time that the Good Ship Abbott was in trouble, and with MPs now seemingly jostling for position could it be a case of man overboard?
Topics: government-and-politics, abbott-tony, budget
Abbott follows the Howard blueprint on GST Opinion
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More than a decade after John Howard took the GST to an election and won, Tony Abbott looks set to use the same campaign blueprint in an attempt to expand the tax.
Unfortunately for Abbott, the Government's "budget emergency" narrative is a harder sell than the "broken tax system" one used by the Howard government to justify its tax reforms.
And it's also hard to imagine any reform proposal involving the word "tax" endearing estranged voters to Abbott or making him more electable.
Topics: government-and-politics, abbott-tony, business-economics-and-finance, budget
Abbott has six months to get it right Opinion
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Despite the chatter it's too early to tell whether Tony Abbott will make it through 2015 as Prime Minister, but there are three - maybe four - upcoming tests of his survival.
The first will be a likely agenda-setting address to the National Press Club later this month. The second and third will be the state elections in Queensland and NSW. And the last will be the budget in May.
The next election is indeed two years away, but Abbott's own reckoning will take place within the next six months.
Topics: government-and-politics, abbott-tony, federal-election
Will 2015 see the rise or fall of crossbenchers? Opinion
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The motley crew of independent, micro and minor party senators has been a constant headache for the Abbott Government and one that it must come to terms with in 2015.
It remains to be seen whether voters' fascination with the non-major political players is a relic of past grievances with the major parties, or a sign of the future.
Whether we return to the major parties' status quo or to the permanent disruption of minor parties, this will be an authentic renewal that will shape our future democracy.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, minor-parties
Ministry reshuffle built on paranoia, not progress Opinion
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Tony Abbott's ministry reshuffle may appear to be a reset in preparation for 2015, but in reality it is more about the PM's paranoia and tenuous leadership than it is about his Government's rejuvenation.
His concession to the demands of critics while handing poisoned chalices to potential competitors is perhaps the most intriguing thing.
You need only look as far as Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison and Kevin Andrews to see this in action.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony
Does the ministry 'stability' border on stagnation? Opinion
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In an effort to display stability Tony Abbott has resisted calls to reshuffle his cabinet, but that has meant keeping some deadwood from the Howard years and stifling ambitious backbenchers.
This desire to maintain the status quo also suggests Abbott is concerned that his hold on the party room could be fragile and at risk of being fractured by the dissatisfaction that a reshuffle would inevitably produce.
Ultimately though, it will be a different concern - that over the Government's poor electoral standing - that leads to the most destructive type of party room unrest.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, abbott-tony
Defence of Credlin a career-limiting move? Opinion
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In the face of ongoing criticism about the operational style of his most senior adviser, the Prime Minister made the extraordinary suggestion that Credlin would not be "under this kind of criticism if her name was P-E-T-E-R as opposed to P-E-T-A".
This proposition involves a lack of self-reflection that is breathtaking even for Tony Abbott.
And in essentially accusing his colleagues of sexism, he may have made a career-limiting move.
Topics: abbott-tony, gillard-julia, feminism, federal-parliament, government-and-politics
Abbott must heed past mistakes, not repeat them Opinion
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When it comes to changing his paid parental leave scheme or "rebooting" his Government's image, Tony Abbott seems incapable of learning from past mistakes.
Topics: government-and-politics, abbott-tony, budget
Are pollies' kids fair game in political journalism? Opinion
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The publication of a toddler's photo simply because of the colour of her dress might well mean it's time for campaign strategists to reconsider the role of MPs' children in political life.
Topics: abbott-tony, rudd-kevin, community-and-society, feminism, children
Chief of staff job too big for one person Opinion
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The Prime Minister's chief of staff Peta Credlin is copping a lot of the blame for the Abbott Government's woes.
MPs naturally resent an unelected staffer playing gatekeeper and being the Prime Minister's principal confidante. But that's not to say there mightn't be some substance to the complaints.
It may be that the job is simply too big for one person to handle.
Topics: federal-government, abbott-tony
Coalition needs a better budget, not better PR Opinion
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Members of the Federal Government's conservative media cheer squad have turned into nervous nellies two years out from the next federal election.
The common complaint is that the Abbott Government lacks good communication; that its less than sterling performance would be remedied with better media staff and a better narrative.
But slick media strategies and strong narratives are of no help to a flailing government if its political decisions are flawed and its policies untenable.
Topics: federal-government
Lambie doesn't want to stay, doesn't want to quit Opinion
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It's no longer a matter of when but how Jacqui Lambie will leave the party that delivered her one of the most decisive (and divisive) roles in today's polity.
Since becoming a minor celebrity due to her pivotal membership of the Senate crossbench, the new Senator has quickly outgrown the limits of party solidarity.
Now Jacqui Lambie is daring Clive Palmer to sack her, while he in turn is trying to make her leave. The manoeuvring is all about who can position themselves as the victim after the split.
Topics: clive-palmer, political-parties, federal-parliament
Abbott's tough talking comes undone at the G20 Opinion
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If anything, the G20 has made the Prime Minister's life just that much more difficult.
The take-home message for Australians will be that Tony Abbott wimped on representing the interests of devastated MH17 families to Putin, and was overruled on his domestic approach to climate change.
He could have done without having metaphorical sand kicked in his face, considering his "protector of the realm" persona is one of the only strengths he has left.
Topics: world-politics, foreign-affairs, federal-government, climate-change, unrest-conflict-and-war, abbott-tony
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