The Australian - Editorial and Opinion Pages

Editorial and Opinion Pages

Mitchell has said that the editorial and op-ed pages of the newspaper are centre-right, "comfortable with a mainstream Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd, just as it was quite comfortable with John Howard." According to other commentators, however, the newspaper "is generally conservative in tone and heavily oriented toward business; it has a range of columnists of varying political persuasions but mostly to the right." Its former editor Paul Kelly has stated that "The Australian has established itself in the marketplace as a newspaper that strongly supports economic libertarianism".

The Australian presents varying views on climate change. Paul Kelly is consistent with economic libertarianism in condemning non-market mechanisms such as the renewable energy target which has bipartisan support and the direct action policy of the coalition, but other commentators have argued against carbon markets. The Australian is strongly critical of the carbon tax imposed by the Gillard government.

Robert Manne wrote that "The Australian is... the only newspaper that is read by virtually all members of the group of insiders I call the political class, a group that includes politicians, leading public servants, business people and the most politically engaged citizens. Even those members of the political class who loathe the paper understand that they cannot afford to ignore it."

Jonathon Holmes, an ABC journalist and the host of Media Watch, has said "It’s the extent to which its news agenda is driven by its obsessions and campaigns that makes it such an odd newspaper and difficult to read, because you’re constantly having to pick your way through stories that are hard, good journalism and stories that are agenda-driven nonsense."