Illustration by Simon Letch

Messiah to pariah:Dutton stopped believing in Trump,and now we know why

The US president had unsettled the election campaign from the outset. But in the past couple of weeks,the tangerine titan has become totally toxic.

  • Peter Hartcher

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Trump’s gut tells him he’s got China on the ropes. He couldn’t be more wrong

Donald Trump believes his tariff folly will isolate its superpower adversary. But it will be the US,not China,that could find itself outside the tent.

  • Peter Hartcher
The 2025 campaign will hide policy lethargy behind personal animosity.

A campaign of sound and fury pauses for a moment of constructive policy competition

It’s taken too long for parties to take the housing shortage seriously. Sunday’s campaign launches offer some hope that might be about to change.

  • Peter Hartcher

The politics of grievance was a winner for Trump. It’s not working for Dutton

Excited by dominance in meaningless midterm polls,misled by the false analogy of Trump’s political success,the Coalition allowed itself to think it could win without doing the work required.

  • Peter Hartcher
Donald Trump’s China tariffs are an economic act of war

Donald Trump’s China tariffs an act of economic war

The consequences of this war are unpredictable,but we know one thing already:trade is conducted for mutual benefit – it’s win-win. Its cancellation is lose-lose.

  • Peter Hartcher

Trump’s tariffs:Friends with few benefits and foes with plenty

The Australian government was confident about an exemption from Trump’s trade imposts but as it turned out,that privilege was reserved only for enemies.

  • Peter Hartcher
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Trump and Professor Ross Garnaut don’t agree on tariff policy.

Trump wants to close off America. If he succeeds,the global consequences will be catastrophic

Under Donald Trump,the country that created the global free market is bringing it to an end,not soberly but vengefully. The entire episode would be comically clownish if it weren’t so serious.

  • Peter Hartcher
Trump’s tariffs have delivered a massive political advantage to China,Peter Hartcher says.

Trump delivers ‘huge advantage’ to China with self-destructive tariffs

China may be facing a 34 per cent economic penalty on exports,but Peter Hartcher says the US president has handed Xi Jinping a big favour on a silver platter.

  • Peter Hartcher
Illustration by Joe Benke

Australians are clear on our biggest threats. But our leaders don’t want to discuss it

Voters want to know what the contenders for the prime ministership will do to protect the national interest. Neither Albanese nor Dutton so far have any answers for them.

  • Peter Hartcher
Graphic by Marija Ercegovac

Sanity and superficiality to the fore as campaign kicks off. That can’t last

Election offerings so far,from both sides,are coherent,but insignificant. As one political observer quipped,it’s like a “battle of the Band-Aids”.

  • Peter Hartcher