Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt has approved the dredging and dumping of spoil on land to make way for the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal in north Queensland and the shipment of coal from Queensland's vast Galilee Basin.
December 23 marks 100 full days as Prime Minister for Malcolm Turnbull. How has he fared? Lisa Cox looks at his successes and the headaches.
Incoming ABC boss Michelle Guthrie has defended the national broadcaster's place as a "true independent public broadcaster" after being announced as Mark Scott's successor.
The government should not cut benefits to low-income earners if it won't crack down on tax avoidance by large corporations,which costs the budget billions in revenue,crossbenchers say.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has defended ASIO chief Duncan Lewis' right to "speak out" after reports he called Coalition MPs to urge them to tone down the language they used in public discussion of Islam.
The Turnbull government has confirmed it is backing away from unpopular changes to paid parental leave proposed under Tony Abbott that saw new parents who claimed work and government entitlements accused of being "double dippers'.
Labor has signalled it is prepared to block savings measures in the government's mid year economic and fiscal outlook,including the scrapping of incentive payments meant to encourage bulk-billing for diagnostic and pathology services.
Environmentalists have lost a legal challenge to halt plans to build Australia's biggest coal mine.
Failed Liberal defector Ian Macfarlane has hinted he could quit politics after his attempt to switch to the National party room was rejected.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has spoken of his "lonely" days in boarding school and of how losing the opposition leadership prepared him to become a better leader of his party in government.