Annabel Crabb
Annabel Crabb is a refugee from the legal profession who has been working as a journalist covering politics for ten years. She has written a book about the Labor Party ('Losing It', 2005) and recently published a Quarterly Essay on Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party. A former political correspondent for The Age and London correspondent for Fairfax's Sunday titles, she is now a columnist and sketchwriter for the Herald and is a regular panellist on ABCTV's Insiders program.
Love and other Liberal catastrophes
Annabel Crabb Oh, People Skills, People Skills. What a marvellous creature you are. Was there ever such an exotic as Tony Abbott? So joyously unpredictable, so boyishly impetuous - so passionate, yet so...
Petty officers, major battle and general confusion
Annabel Crabb Never, in the field of Liberal warfare, was so much energy expended to achieve so little. As the dust settled yesterday, and the ack-ack faded from the surrounds of the Opposition party room, the...
I am the boss - of the most unruly rabble ever
Annabel Crabb It was a landmark Turnbull victory: electric, anarchic and quite possibly Pyrrhic. ''I am the leader,'' he reminded attendees at his late media conference last night, five times, with a brilliant...
Depressing truth of Mike Rann's 'icky' business
Annabel Crabb Does anyone remember that Nicolas Cage movie where he wins the lottery then splits the $4 million winnings with the waitress whom he had been too poor to tip, the day before?
Sorry, I have a nagging doubt
Annabel Crabb Honestly, the Canberra weather system really needs to be investigated as a strong source of teleological evidence for the existence of God.
Day 'the Trellis' Ellis trounced Hulk Hogan
Annabel Crabb It's a demonstration of just how odd politics is at the moment that yesterday's Canberra highlight was a public arm wrestle between the Sports Minister, Kate Ellis, and the pro wrestler Hulk Hogan.
Knights of the Rudd Table say they're not tilting at windmills
Annabel Crabb THE Scourge of the Denialists continues in the House of Representatives.
Chuckles Combet the warm-up comedian
Annabel Crabb Greg Combet, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change, is not a natural comedian. But yesterday he had the House of Representatives rocking along with laughter.
God's memo for Kevin and Joe
Annabel Crabb A Special Address to a Joint Sitting of the House of Representatives and the Australian Senate, from God.
A shape-shifter in the Lodge
Annabel Crabb Just when we think we're getting to know Kevin Rudd, he goes and changes again, writes Annabel Crabb.
In your ears until they bleed, the calm, methodical Rudd
Annabel Crabb It's time for some fresh thinking on this asylum-seeker issue. We're running disastrously short of ideas on how to dissuade displaced Sri Lankans from pointing their boats towards the Australian...
Gracious Rudd turns grubby
Annabel Crabb One of the most gracious things I have ever seen Kevin Rudd do happened on February 13 last year, at 10 minutes to 10.
Sometimes it's wiser to let sleeping logs die …
Annabel Crabb There are many points of difference between Julia Gillard, Australian Deputy Prime Minister, and Tammy Wynette, late American country singer.
Ground control to Rudd: who the hell is running the ship?
Annabel Crabb Who's steering this boat? After a third day of Coalition questioning on this matter, the answer remains resolutely unclear.
Ruddboat had all hands on deck to bale out flood of immigration queries
Annabel Crabb The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has much to report on the climate front. For instance, as he told his colleagues yesterday at their regular Tuesday morning love-in, Australia has just been invited by...
PM makes no apologies for being unapologetic
Annabel Crabb It was the previous prime minister, John Winston Howard, who became famous for not being able to apologise.
Left for dead like a Dutton chop
Annabel Crabb Certain ancient and enduring themes occupied the minds of our representatives under the Canberra Coat Hanger this week.
Fake-wrestling rivals box one another's ears
Annabel Crabb "YOU should go back to eating earwax," remarked Malcolm Turnbull pleasantly to his opponent the Prime Minister, towards the end of yesterday's wing-ding about refugee policy.
What a cover version: John Denver lookalike gets his mug in the mag
Annabel Crabb REALLY, we should have been prepared for this. Really, we should have been prepared for this. The news yesterday that Kevin Rudd has been interviewed and photographed for Rolling Stone magazine is -...
Hockey the winner as the old gang resumes hostilities
Annabel Crabb THE spring break having been spent in its customary way (the Ruddbot assailed by a freak illness, the Opposition Leader terrorised by his own back bench), Parliament resumed yesterday.
