Joe Hockey looks set to have the toughest job in Australian politics come September next year. That's when, if current polls bear out over the next 18 months, he'll become Treasurer.

It's flack against flack as PR legend John Connolly sues Libs polling king Mark Textor over an errant 140 characters.

Julian Assange opens up about his possible Senate run and Opera Australia's artistic director tells unions to get out of his way.

Independent Rob Oakeshott has taken to Ray Hadley's most despised form of communication to take a shot at Hadley himself, Twitter.

Clive Palmer looks set to take on Frank Lowy in court, after the Football Federation of Australia today moved to revoke Gold Coast United's licence to play in the A-league.

No person has snatched, wielded and lost more power in the past eighteen months than Julian Assange. We spoke to one of the world's most wanted men about why he does it.

Miranda Devine's war on cyclists, Ray Hadley interviews Tony Abbott, Andrew Bolt on asylum seekers (and the Wiggles).

When it comes to pulling down the patriarchy, there aren't too many in the sisterhood willing to go in as hard, or as often, as Leslie Cannold.

Break out the shame file and get ready for a free speech barrage, bearded megaphone Derryn Hinch is back from his five-month court-imposed media exile.

You won't believe this but Santa Claus has topped our Christmas Power List again. We were planning to kick him out of the Top Ten for 2011 and replace him with an iPhone, but he just keeps on getting more popular.

For some it feels like just yesterday. For the true believers and a bon mot-starved press gallery, they probably wish it was yesterday. Today marks the 20th anniversary of Paul Keating's prime ministership.

Yes, it's here at last. The Christmas Power List. Everyone will be talking about it at the water cooler this week. So you need to know who's in and who's out.

This is the one you've all been waiting for: the Christmas Power List. Nothing this year has got our office so excited. So what are our big surprises?

When does the country's most powerful Money Mover become not so powerful anymore? Why, when the Big Four banks decide to gang up on him of course.

Yep, pretty much everyone's doing it. And now billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer has joined Twitter to (quelle surprise) amplify his opposition to the federal government's carbon legislation.

He may have looked more movie star than politician when wearing it, but Malcolm Turnbull has decided to auction off his celebrated black leather jacket – with the proceeds going to charity.

Commonwealth Ombudsman Allan Asher will have the blow torch applied to his belly this week over revelations that he scripted questions for Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Few expect him to survive in the job.

It's been a strange, startling and sad week: the Australian publishing industry lost a brilliant entrepreneur and the marketing and technology world lost a genius. Meanwhile Richo caused a stir, Hoges sued the ATO and a Napoleonic palace is no more. This is The Power Index's roll call of people who mattered this week.

Are you more likely to be ignored on social networking site Twitter if you're not considered powerful or influential? Social media expert Julie Posetti certainly thinks so.

Arthur Sinodinos has today been endorsed as the candidate to fill the Liberal Party's vacancy in the Senate, after the departure of former senior minister Helen Coonan last month.