www.breakfastpolitics.com

WEDNESDAY

High five, Tony! Parental leave plan would make us a top taxer, Michael Stutchbury, Australian
A generous view: Abbott has made the govt look stingy, Peter Van Onselen, Australian
"Internationally groundbreaking": is that what you really wanted, Tony? Stephen Lunn, Australian
Abbott has trashed the Liberal brand, Peter Hartcher SMH
Uh oh: "Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission", Phillip Coorey SMH
Did someone mention Mark Latham? Yes, Lenore Taylor SMH
Plus Mao. Plus Maggie, Malcolm Farr, Daily Telegraph
Abbott defends plan & apologises in one breath, Matthew Franklin, Australian
Abbott makes Barnaby Joyce sound sensible, Michelle Grattan, Age
This suggests Abbott thinks he can't win, Shaun Carney, Age
Unions, Greens, women lavish praise on Abbott, Misha Schubert, Age
Tony (goes rogue) in Wonderland, Tony Wright, Age
How did Tony blow it? Let me count the ways, Andrew Bolt, Herald Sun
Senate could derail current parental leave plan, Phillip Hudson, Herald Sun
Time to reform incentives for all parents, working & stay at home, Jessica Brown, Australian
Try appealing to parents, not just women, Leslie Cannold, Age
Superannuation did not bankrupt us: nor will parental leave, Julia Perry SMH
Business now has to choose lesser of two evils, Peter Van Onselen, Australian
Abbott & Rudd both leave colleagues in the dark, Dennis Shanahan, Australian
PM "throws billions to the wind", Malcolm Turnbull SMH
Health rebate defeat provides another poll trigger, Sid Maher, Australian
SBY won't support Rudd's Asia vision..., Mark Dodd, Australian
Despite receiving one of Australia's highest honours, Kirsty Needham SMH
Indonesia can take tough talk on Papua, Marc Purcell, Age
Bali bomb suspect may be dead, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Australian
"Job ads rise signals slump is over", David Uren, Australian
Booming jobs market bad news for borrowers, Peter Martin SMH
Insulation debacle has cost at least 1500 jobs, Tom Arup SMH
Now MPs fear Rudd's social housing juggernaut, Royce Millar, Age
Union strike rate has tripled in a year, Amanda O'Brien, Australian
Unions outsource their own recruitment, Ewin Hannan, Australian
NSW won't sign hospitals deal before Henry tax review, Matthew Franklin, Australian
For any credibility, govt must release Henry tax review now, Paul Kelly, Australian
Small is beautiful, Ross Gittins SMH
Maths & science studies at a dangerous nadir, Luke Slattery & Nicholas Perpitch, Australian
VCs spooked by govt's uni regulator plans, Andrew Trounson, Australian
Glitch could render 6000 student visas invalid, Bernard Lane, Australian
"Stop calling them dodgy colleges"..., Mike Riddiford, Australian
Alright: shonky colleges should be axed, Andrew Trounson, Australian
Actually one in five colleges are visa factories, Dan Harrison, Age
School principals want govt to turn on new computers, Pia Akerman & Nicolas Perpitch, Australian
Diggers may take over Dutch command in Afghanistan, Ian McPhedran, Herald Sun
Faulkner goes to war on Defence extravagance, Linton Besser & Dan Oakes SMH
Defend your country & get a boob job too, Linton Besser SMH
How does Defence get so much money to spend? Mark Thomson SMH
US & EU beef about import delays, Nicola Berkovic, Australian
Ex-Lib MP admits drought relief is life support for some terminal cases, Matthew Franklin, Australian
Farmers hail autumn rains in NSW, Vic, Paul Sellars et al, Weekly Times
Don't dismiss the Top End water dreamers, Paul Murray, West Australian
Midwives still fighting to save homebirths, Kate Benson SMH
Yet another love letter to Julia Gillard, Andrew Bolt, Herald Sun
Qld scraps solar scheme for being too popular, Sean Parnell, Australian
Bligh wins unwanted praise, Steven Wardill & Brian Williams, Courier-Mail
SA parties scrap for the underdog tag, Michael Owen, Australian
SA voters ready to give Rann a fright, Dennis Atkins, Courier-Mail
Labor MP Jodie Campbell drops assault charge, Nick Clark, Mercury
Dubai assassins steal another Australian identity, Rick Fenely et al SMH
Keating lashing "shocks" property developers: what did they expect? Vikki Campion & Edith Bevan, Daily Telegraph
NSW artists must pay for bureaucrats to censor their work, Andrew Clennell SMH
China insults Robert Dessaix, Jason Steger, Age
A plea: keep religion out of politics, all of you, David Penberthy, Punch
Pup must choose: love or leadership, Peter Roebuck SMH

Canberra weather: 21, fine mostly sunny, BoM

International:
Icelanders should not have to pay back European savers, Der Spiegel
Muslims must not smoke, says Indonesia's biggest Muslim group, Arghea Desafti Hapsari, Jakarta Post
Saudi women have more to fight for than head coverings, Maha Akeel, Qatar Morning Post
Thanks for the US$45 billion: now cough up, Citibank says, David Lazarus, LA Times
Steve Martin vs Alec Baldwin: who won? Eric Spitznagel, Vanity Fair

TUESDAY

"Our shared destiny", Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono & Kevin Rudd, Age
Indon PM arrives today: drugrunners' families hope for clemency, Kirsty Needham, Age
So do 240 asylum seekers stuck in Indon port, Yuko Narushima, Age
No deal yet on asylum seekers though, Brendan Nicholson, Australian
Indonesia has defied the doomsayers, Peter Hartcher, Age
Thai PM likely to cancel Australian trip, Ben Doherty, Age
Time to revive the international community, Bruce Grant, Age
PM's plan for Obamas: fun & furry animals, Phillip Hudson, Herald Sun
Plus some heavy talk on what Diggers can do, Rafael Epstein, Age
Defence spends billions on gyms, furniture, relaxation, Linton Besser SMH
Spending is out of control, despite promises, Linton Besser SMH
Defence accounts list unaccounted "stuff", Linton Besser, Age
Newspoll: SA Libs level with Labor on 50-50 2PP, Michael Owen, Australian
Mike Rann will stop staying sorry & starting getting feisty, David Nason, Australian
Pregnant with a job? You could earn up to $75K, Phillip Coorey & Jacob Saulwick SMH
Abbott's surprising family stance: cash, but not for all, Matthew Franklin, Australian
Unions don't believe it, Christian Kerr et al, Australian
Nor do Abbott's coalition colleagues, Samantha Maiden, Australian
Abbott: "It's pro-family, pro-child, pro-mother", ABC Lateline
"No new taxes" was last month's promise, Ben Schneiders & Michelle Grattan, Age
Converted ladies' man will soak the rich, Phillip Hudson, Herald Sun
Big spending will hurt Abbott, Michelle Grattan, Age
At least we have consensus on paid maternity leave, Peter Hartcher SMH
ACTU brings back Tragic Tracy, Dennis Atkins, Courier-Mail
Union IR campaign is a smokescreen for Rudd's failures, Malcolm Colless, Australian
Abbott unlikely to change views on homosexuality, Matt Johnston, Herald Sun
Howard: Abbott does not take himself seriously & that's a Good Thing, David Penberthy, Daily Telegraph
Abbott really does have people skills, Gerard Henderson, Age
PM should learn from his least favorite economist, Oliver Marc Hartwich, Australian
Rudd still has ticker, & that's official, Phillip Hudson, Herald Sun
Belinda Neal is disappointed but defiant, Phillip Coorey & Saffron Howden SMH
Govt reinstates beef imports ban over mad cow fears, Nicola Berkovic, Australian
Meateaters determine govt policy, Alison Rehn, Daily Telegraph
Meat-eating talkback radio listeners, Jacob Saulwick SMH
Family Court allows 11 yo girl to be sterilised, Caroline Overington, Australian
Welfare management should be a voluntary step, Clare Martin, Australian
Growth is just as risky as last year's crisis, Michael Stutchbury, Australian
Rudd hits the road to sell hospitals plan, Matthew Franklin, Australian
Nursing homes side with states on health plan, Adam Cresswell, Australian
Victoria wants billions of dollars for hospitals, Paul Austin & Michelle Grattan, Age
Tas Premier is already spending health money, Matthew Denholm, Australian
PM's hospitals plan critical for Tas Labor's future, Matthew Denholm, Australian
Dodgy college crackdown due for release today, Andrew Trounson, Australian
Dubious schools will pay higher levies under plan, Dan Harrison, Age
Rain & prudence may delay Qld desal plant, Sean Parnell & Sarah Elks, Australian
Qld waters rise yet restrictions could remain, Steven Wardill, Courier-Mail
NSW Libs in-fighting this week directed at leader, Adam Walters, Daily Telegraph
WA union wants disabled pupils out of classrooms, Bethany Hiatt, West Australian
Bigelow wins Oscars for best movie, not best woman, Karl Quinn, Age
Why ethnic minorities succeed (a theory), Tim Colebatch, Age
John Howard can be the world's best umpire, Ross Brundrett, Herald Sun
Pup & cricket the latest victims of the fool Fevola, Will Swanton SMH

Canberra weather: 22, fine partly cloudy, BoM

International:
Australians in post-war Japan, with some credulous assertions, Jeff Kingston, Japan Times
Could modern theatre even consider the ambiguities of war? No, David Aaronovitch, Times
Why the blue people didn't win, Alex Ben Block, Hollywood Reporter
Plagiarism is good - for Oscars frocks, Karl Raustiala & Chris Sprigman NYT
Mulled wine's health claims, JoongAng Ilbo