From High Court decisions and Chief Justice criticisms, to the ACCC chairman's bid to get tough and the opposition leader quietly setting in motion industrial relations reform: these are The Power Index's top picks of people who mattered this week.

Despite rumblings that Julia Gillard could be turfed out before the next election, Labor factional boss Bill Shorten is standing by the woman he helped install as leader.

As power couples go, this one would be hard to beat. He's a suave investment banker and Liberal Party powerbroker; she's The Australian's most conservative and most talked-about columnist. Together they'd be a conservative killing machine.

Watch out Paul Howes: your status as the biggest loudmouth in the Australian union movement is under threat. ACTU boss Jeff Lawrence is fired up, making new enemies by the day and dominating the headlines.

The Chaser's comedians are often attacked when their jokes misfire, but former Chaser Charles Firth was still amazed to be ambushed by ACTU boss Jeff Lawrence at the union movement's media dinner in Melbourne last week.

Maybe money can't buy happiness but, as property developer and newspaper tycoon Chau Chak Wing has learnt, it can help give you remarkable access to Australia's most powerful politicians.

See what power readers have to say about our first list, the Top 10 Most Powerful Political Fixers.

Gina Rinehart is more powerful than the Prime Minister, according to Forbes magazine, which has named the mining magnate as one of the top 100 most powerful women in the world.

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?

Anti-pokies senator Nick Xenophon has bewailed Helen Coonan's decision to take up a lucrative position on the board of James Packer's Crown Casino.