Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been named the most powerful man in the country and his wife Lucy Turnbull the nation's most powerful woman, after the couple both came top in a new poll to find worthy holders of these titles.
The Australian Financial Review (AFR) Magazine has published its 2017 Power List, which ranks government officials, business investors and celebrities in order of who holds the most power in the country at present.
Mr Turnbull may have topped the list, but the AFR's so-called Power Panel is not confident that his position will be safe for long, explaining that while he ultimately holds the most power in Australia due to his role, his parliamentary position has weakened in recent months.
"The panel put Turnbull's loss of power down to internal struggles in the Liberal Party between conservatives and moderates, as well as the unceasing challenges presented by a weak position in the parliament," the AFR panel stated.
"We also cited Turnbull's inability to both assert authority within his own party and project a clear agenda and leadership style to voters."
Some believe that immigration and border protection minister Peter Dutton could be a key contender for clinching Mr Turnbull's top spot in the future. Despite not making the Power List last year, Mr Dutton has come straight in at sixth place on the 2017 list, making him one to watch.
Meanwhile, the Australian cultural power list was topped by television moguls Carl and Mark Fennessy, who are chief executives of Endemol Shine Australia, the company behind hit programmes including Gogglebox, Married at First Sight and Blue Murder, to name just a few.
Celebrities to make the cultural power list included actresses Nicole Kidman and Rebel Wilson. Kidman has long been one of Australia's most successful stars, but her role in the hit show Big Little Lies helped to cement her place on the 2017 list.
The AFL Women's League was named among the cultural bodies with the most power and influence down under this year.
