Anthony Albanese's government has no functional opposition, but an Australian socialist utopia seems as remote as ever. Would Ben Chifley recognise Labor in the 21st century? What happened to the 'betterment of mankind'? The party which once existed to serve the interests of the working class now seems utterly beholden to the military industrial complex, big miners and the gambling industry.

In the vibrant tapestry of Byron Shire, where the waves crash with as much fervour as local opinions, one figure has loomed larger than life: Mandy Nolan.

It's been a busy few days for Labor, with a federal ministerial reshuffle and a rowdy NSW state conference, as well as announcements that Jabiluka in the Northern Territory will be protected in perpetuity from uranium mining, and Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney is retiring.

Senator Fatima Payman's abrupt departure from the Labor Party after crossing the floor over the issue of Palestinian statehood was a very public demonstration of the tensions between party cohesion and individual conscience in the Australian political system.

In the lead up to the 2024 budget, the ALP has just released one of the most idiotic and infuriating documents they've ever produced, their 'Future Gas Strategy'.

Despite promises of reform when the Albanese Government was elected, Australia’s political donation laws remain unchanged, which is why it took until last week to find out who was donating in the last financial year, via the AEC's Transparency Register.

The Albanese Government is currently considering whether billions of extra taxpayers' dollars should go to prop up the Middle Arm gas hub in the Northern Territory, which will facilitate the fracking of the Beetaloo Basin shale gas reserve, one of the world's great carbon bombs.

Anthony Albanese went to the last election promising to end live sheep exports from Australia. This rubbery promise has since been rolled back to his government's second term (assuming they get one). The independent panel's long-awaited report to the federal government on the issue has now also been delayed, from this week to late October.

PM Anthony Albanese was back on the international stage this weekend, on the sidelines of the G7 in Hiroshima, but a housing minefield awaits him at home, with the government finding few friends for its proposed Housing Australia Future Fund.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers' second federal budget in seven months delivered a surprising surplus, some support for battlers, and the usual appalling devil in the detail.