When deciding who should comprise our Power 50, and how to rank them, The Power Index surveyed Private Media’s most experienced journalists, editors and publishers. Together we came to the decision that the most powerful person in the nation could be none other than Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Wayne Swan runs the Treasury, shapes the budget and guides the good ship Australia through the stormy waters of financial and economic crises.

Conservative powerbroker Nick Minchin has berated the head of Channel Seven Adelaide for publicly backing a candidate contesting the Liberal Party senate seat vacated by Mary Jo Fisher.

As the Leveson inquiry comes to a close the biggest question remains unanswered: who was behind the massive cover-up that took place at News International? Was it the Murdochs, as many suspect, or was it designed to ensure they never discovered what had gone on, as Rupert and James maintain?

This factional Dalek has unexpectedly become one of the government's most important policy figures, having driven its biggest reform agenda by implementing a communications revolution around the NBN and the structural separation of Telstra.

Julia Gillard's insistence that she will lead her party to the next election looks like a losing bet. The strategy of losing government, but retaining as many seats possible, is a sound one. Enter: Wayne Maxwell Swan.

Former Australian Financial Review editor turned senior Fairfax executive Glenn Burge led a victory waltz through Leichhardt Council chambers last night when his daughter’s soccer team seized access to several Balmain sporting fields at the centre of an access spat.

To be prime minister you must be able to run a cabinet. Kevin Rudd simply does not have that talent so governments under his prime ministership are chaotic affairs. That’s why he was sacked. Julia Gillard, on taking the prime ministership, did not spell that out -- and that mistake is still haunting her.

Christine Milne's ascension to one of the most powerful positions in Australian politics -- controlling the balance of power in the Senate -- saw the Greens senator described as a hardliner and uncompromising.

Campbell Newman's astounding sweep to victory as Queensland premier in March has made him one of the most powerful conservative figures in the land.