The beastly outburst of Senator Cory Bernardi has upset many -- not least my jack-russell-cross Roxy, who clings to the hope her love for me will one day be sanctified. It's hard to resist such jokes -- Bernardi's comments were so extreme as to be risible. However, for the Coalition their impact will be deadly serious.

The Victorian Labor Party agreed to lobby for the interests of the African community in exchange for vital preferences that will help its candidate beat the Greens in tomorrow’s state byelection, the candidate has claimed.

With Bob Brown gone, Labor’s relationship with the Greens was bound to come to grief. But given Labor's lack of moral and political capital, distancing itself from the Greens won't be enough against a relentless Tony Abbott.

Trade unions have never been so irrelevant to Australians, and yet union leaders have incredible clout when it comes to political and economic life.

Frank Lowy hits back at Clive Palmer, Stephen Conroy gets a win, art world salaries ramp up and Clover Moore could be up against US-style primaries. Here's a run-down of today's power moves.

A stoush is brewing within the Labor Party over the controversial issue of same-sex marriage, as supporters of both sides prepare to air their views at the National Conference next month. So who's saying what on which side?

If the numbers keep telling Labor MPs they can hold onto government (or their seats) with Rudd as leader, then the party's powerbrokers will eventually be flattened in the stampede. And right now the numbers do show that.

A round-up of Australian Political Fixers would be incomplete without mentioning the legendary men who made fixing an art form. So where are they now and what can they still do?

Today’s most powerful political fixers are not necessarily those who brought down a prime minister in 2010. So what became of the men that featured in the 24 hours that saw Kevin Rudd axed from the top job? Paul Barry finds out.

Mark Butler's great grandfather and great-great grandfather were both Premiers of South Australia on the conservative side of politics, but he may well outdo them at a federal level.

Senator John Faulkner wants the Labor Party cleansed of its unionist bosses, but this political-fixing legend's minority view diminishes his power.

He's left Canberra but Karl Bitar's still playing politics

Bill Ludwig is the most feared political fixer in Australia and among the most brutal. When Kevin Rudd called for the Labor Party to be purged of 'right-wing thugs' it was Ludwig he had in mind.

Not so long ago Mark Arbib was Australia's #1 political powerbroker. Times have changed, but Arbib surprisingly still retains some power.