Brett Worthington

This week in Canberra, Tony Burke finally answered questions about the return of Islamic State relatives, Senate estimates turned into an episode of Utopia, and Andrew Hastie quit the frontbench.

Hastie says he decided to quit because a letter she sent him earlier in the week made clear he wouldn't be formulating the Coalition's immigration policies.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition energy spokesperson Dan Tehan have both arrived home from trips abroad with a spring in their step.

It turns out that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn't need a can of Diet Coke and a cheeseburger to attracted the US president's attention.

This week in politics, the prime minister returned home from the Pacific empty-handed and the climate debate continued to unsettle the Coalition.

This week in politics the government abandoned a confusing word and a former foreign minister rejected bullying allegations.

You need only look to the windows overlooking the prime minister's courtyard to know Australia was about to mark a milestone moment in recognising a Palestinian state.

This week in Canberra a top cop resigned, Japan was chosen to build Australia's warships and pressure mounted on the Albanese government to recognise the state of Palestine. 

Reece Kershaw is retiring early from his role as the Australian Federal Police commissioner, with the first woman to become top cop replacing him.

Targeted advertising on social media and in online games has helped deliver a boost to Australian Defence Force recruitment, offsetting a perennial problem of declining service rates.