Clive Palmer's attack on Campbell Newman's cuts to the public service won't work. What's called for is hard-headed reform which inflicts a measure of pain now, to avoid calamity in the years ahead.

National Living Treasure nominee Clive Palmer is the biggest political donor in Australia. But, with his $5 billion fortune, he can afford to give away a few quid, especially if it wins him friends in high places.

SBS has today revealed the line-up for its second series of the hit documentary Go Back To Where You Came From, with former Howard defence minister Peter Reith confirmed to join five other well-known Australians for the reality show.

Clive Palmer announces a tilt at federal politics (and new cruise ship plans), Twiggy Forrest has another crack at Wayne Swan and Bill Shorten becomes an internet sensation.

More than any others, independents Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor hold the fate of the Gillard government and its legislative agenda in their hands.

He's the states' rights champion who (unsuccessfully) challenged Kevin Rudd's stimulus package in the High Court. Now, legal academic and ex-National Party officer Bryan Pape is the man behind the latest bid to have the carbon tax deemed unconstitutional.

Queensland's new premier is a very brave man who's not short of answers to the state's key problems. But Campbell Newman's got problems of his own, including LNP's key party donor, Clive Palmer.

Self-made billionaire and law school dropout Clive Palmer boasts that he's got a 68-0 success rate in court cases. Here's a look back at Palmer's most high-profile legal stoushes reveals he has a formidable, if not unblemished, record.

Mark Textor is the most domineering, divisive pollster this country's ever seen – and the most powerful. Even his Labor adversaries admit no-one on their side of politics can match him.

Money Talks. And no one in Australia has more than Gina Rinehart, a billionaire twenty times over. But can she use that money to buy influence over two of Australia's most famous newspapers?

Here's what Australia's most powerful Megapohones have been up to over the silly season.

Is there anything ex-pollie Pauline Hanson won't try her hand at? The flame-haired former One Nation Party leader has announced she's up for having a go at radio presenting.

Party reform is the name of the game in the battle for the ALP national presidency, with all six candidates vowing to hand more power over to grassroots Labor members if elected.

Watch out Peter Garrett: another bald, outspoken rock star has his sights set on Parliament House. And he's determined to bring Julia Gillard's government – and her carbon tax – down.

Mining kingpin Clive Palmer has hopped aboard the anti-coal seam gas bandwagon, accusing the industry of using lethal technologies that could have devastating health and environmental impacts.

The peak organisation representing the Australian trucking industry has slammed the Convoy of No Confidence protest, which arrived in Canberra this morning, as naïve and damaging to the industry.

Bruce McIver is the driving force behind Queensland's new LNP and the man who brought about the 2008 merger of the state's Liberal and National parties.