If there's an engine room of political power in Australia, it's cabinet. And like most engine rooms, it's hidden out of sight, its operations little understood by the rest of us.

Diplomats move around the corridors of power in Canberra, rarely seen. But with access to ministers, politicians and senior bureaucrats, they can achieve one of their key mandates: to influence Australian government policy.

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.

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

When The Power Index spoke to New Ltd boss Kim Williams late last year, he told us that he's not backward in coming forward. We reckon he's lived up to his word today.

This week we're beginning a new countdown looking at the most powerful people across Australia's vibrant arts and culture sphere. Here, Tom Cowie presents the shortlist.

David Gonski beats Peter Costello for the Future Fund chairmanship, Clive Palmer wants to save newspapers and democracy: Miranda Devine-style.

Frank Lowy's not on Wayne Swan's billionaire hit list. Yet when it comes to foreign policy, this shopping king has more sway than the rest of Australia's mega-rich combined.

Ray Hadley celebrates 30 years in radio, Janet Albrechtsen dusts off The Latham Diaries, Alan Jones spruiks for his buddy James Packer.

This week we begin profiling Australia's most influential Rich Crusaders, the people who use their cash to influence public debate and promote causes they believe in. Here, Paul Barry presents the shortlist.

Veteran ALP spin doctor Bruce Hawker has admitted he's unlikely to work on Labor's next federal election campaign after playing a starring role in Kevin Rudd's disastrous leadership challenge.

It's been an emphatic victory for Julia Gillard in the leadership ballot held by Labor this morning, with the prime minister defeating Kevin Rudd in the caucus vote 71 votes to 31.

The family that campaigns together, stays together. And so it's been in the brutal ALP leadership battle, with Kevin Rudd sending forth his wife Therese Rein and daughter Jess Rudd to help drum up people power in support of his extraordinary comeback tilt.

Kevin Rudd stepped up the leadership battle this morning, taking a swipe at Julia Gillard over promises he claims she made in the hours prior to the 2010 midnight coup, and labeling the race for the Australian prime ministership as a matter of trust and confidence.

Labor is in crisis as Kevin Rudd prepares to challenge Julia Gillard to be leader of the party. To see how it all plays out check back to our dedicated section.

Claims overnight that Kevin Rudd agreed to kill off poker machine pre-commitment should he become prime minister threaten to undermine his tilt for the top job.

The show has moved on and so should Kevin Rudd, Labor frontbencher Simon Crean said this morning, adding that Julia Gillard should initiate a frank discussion with the Foreign Minister, and consider sacking him.

Neil Lawrence, the marketer behind the Kevin07 ad campaign, has slammed the Gillard government's attempt to sell the carbon tax as puerile and asinine.

In his youth, Neil Lawrence thought of marketing as little more than a pimple on the arse of capitalism; now, he's corporate Australia's favourite adman.

Julia Gillard may have been thinking about Rupert Murdoch when she told Channel 7 last night that leadership tensions in the ALP were endlessly fascinating to some, but there was no need for a leadership vote.