Two decades ago, on her first day as a Senate staffer, a young Tanya Plibersek stood at the doors of Parliament House in Canberra.

First it was their banks that were "too big to fail" - now it's the United States Government itself which has been deemed to be so, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

The United States shutdown is global news because it poses a threat to economies around the world, writes Steven Hoadley. Is this the trigger to a global meltdown?

The Queensland Government's plan to lock up criminal bikies in a super jail could lead to more crime, critics warn.

The United States moved closer to a default that could seriously harm the economy as a partial government shutdown entered its third week.

Finally, more than a month after the election, Australia's new political landscape is beginning to take shape and ready itself for the start of the new Parliament, probably next month.