September 18 – 24, 2021  |  No. 367

News

Exclusive: Ambulances ‘beyond crisis point’

“An emerging realisation – perhaps too late for some – is that any success hospitals have in managing their workload is built largely on the backs of paramedics.”

Rick Morton The ambulance service used to reach its ‘status three’ crisis band once a decade. It has hit it several times in the past few weeks alone.

News

News

Inside Kristina Keneally’s preselection battle

“Labor’s preselection wars have exposed tangled rivalries and tensions in the party’s powerful New South Wales branch, dragging in unions, the party office, the federal leader and a growing line of aspirants hoping to succeed him.”

Karen Middleton Hidden behind the ugly preselection fight in the seat of Fowler is a factional battle over the Labor Party’s future leadership.

News

Homeless deaths in Australia’s richest state

Giovanni Torre As Western Australia posts a budget surplus of $5 billion, figures show more than one person a week is dying on the streets of Perth.

News

Villawood asylum seeker’s plea from solitary ‘torture’ amid virus scare

Sarah Price Following warnings from advocates, Covid-19 has broken out in immigration detention. Imasi Yousef, a stateless asylum seeker, was identified as a close contact of an infected guard. He has been in a windowless room since.

News

Scott Morrison’s intervention in Afghanistan evacuation

“Prime Minister Scott Morrison was part way through a meeting of cabinet’s national security committee when he issued a direction to abort the takeoff of the last Australian evacuation flight from Afghanistan on August 26.”

Karen Middleton An evacuation flight was delayed for 45 minutes by the prime minister, hours before the airport was bombed.

News

Viva Energy and corporate welfare

John Durie Viva Energy collected $100 million in government handouts from JobKeeper and other corporate welfare programs, then handed $140 million to shareholders.

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World

UN warns of mass starvation, Afghanistan to ‘enter the abyss’

Jonathan Pearlman Covid-19 outbreak in French Polynesia. France grants citizenship to migrant frontline workers. Surging consumer demand causes global shipping bottlenecks.

Opinion

Opinion

Hugh White
From the submarine to the ridiculous

“The old plan was to build a conventionally powered version of a nuclear-powered French submarine. It was crazy. The new plan – to buy a nuclear-powered submarine instead – is worse.”

Opinion

Paul Bongiorno
Scott Morrison’s credibility deficit

“Credibility is everything for a political leader. Lose it and the game is over. There are real fears within his parliamentary ranks that Scott Morrison’s has done just that – or is close to it.”

Opinion

John Hewson
The case for electric vehicles

“As with so much of Australia’s response to climate, it’s the states that are leading in terms of both emissions reduction targets and effective policy responses to the EV transition.”

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

Read

Editorial
Losing to win

Morrison’s decision to enter a trilateral pact built around nuclear hardware is a horrifying miscalculation. It places Australia on the front line of any future war with China.

Letters

Top-down poor leadership

Paul Bongiorno is eloquent about Scott Morrison’s multifaceted failures of leadership, including his ongoing, appalling dismissal of women (“The secret life of Scott Morrison”, September 11-17). …

Transparency on party donors essential

John Hewson (“Backbench presses”, September 11-17) laments the Morrison government’s inaction on key policies where action is clearly needed – climate change, aged …

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Culture

Books

Charif Majdalani
Beirut 2020: The Collapse of a Civilization, a Journal

Claire-Louise Bennett
Checkout 19

Michelle Tom
Ten Thousand Aftershocks

Life

Food

Spring greens and shredded lamb shoulder

Annie Smithers

Health

Psychologists worried over long-term mental health issues

James Bradley Psychologists are concerned about anxiety and depression becoming long-term problems due to the pandemic, with the worst effects felt by the young and the vulnerable.

Fashion

Esse Studios’ Edition Five collection

Lucianne Tonti With the launch of her latest collection, Esse Studios founder Charlotte Hicks reiterates her commitment to creating feminine styles that are reliable and comfortable, and that focus on how a woman feels within herself.

Sport

David Smerdon’s rise to grandmaster

Martin McKenzie-Murray After failing to achieve his dream of becoming a chess grandmaster in Europe, David Smerdon returned home to Australia to pursue a career. But when the opportunity presented itself once more, he grabbed it with both hands.

Puzzles

The Cryptic

Crossword No. 367

The Quiz

1. Which Impressionist artist was born with the given names Jacob Abraham Camille?
2. Who carried the Australian flag at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics closing ceremony? (Bonus point for naming how many gold medals Australia won at the Games.)
3. What is the name of the flat-topped mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town in South Africa?
4. Which multinational insurance and finance corporation shares the initials of Australia’s fourth-largest supermarket chain?
5. In which year did the Korean War begin?
6. What avian-related term refers to a structure in the upper part of the main mast of a ship that is used as a lookout?
7. Name the character played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the TV series Seinfeld?
8. What well-known biscuit is made with rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup and desiccated coconut?
9. In Scottish Highland dress, where is the plaid worn?
10. What company beginning with ‘G’ was in 1995 the first provider of pay-TV services in Australia?

Click through for answers.

Quotes

Faith

“I had high hopes for Mr Shelton and am sorry it has come to this.”

Fred NileThe leader of the Christian Democratic Party disendorses Lyle Shelton as his successor. Shelton said this is not how Jesus would act – forgetting that three days after dying he also changed his mind.

Character

“I never thought dobbing and snitching was part of the Australian character.”

Tony AbbottThe former prime minister complains after being fined for failing to wear a mask. This is the same man who as prime minister urged public servants to dob in their colleagues if they mocked him online.

Relations

“And I want to thank that fellow Down Under. Thank you very much, pal.”

Joe BidenThe United States president appears to forget Scott Morrison’s name while announcing a deal for Australia to buy nuclear submarines. If the question is how much would it cost Morrison to become a memorable world figure, the answer is more than $90 billion.

Integrity

“As a potential beneficiary I have no access to information about the conduct and funding of the trust.”

Christian PorterThe former attorney-general says he is unable to say who helped pay for his legal fees through a blind trust. Incidentally, Porter is pretty much out of blind trust.

Publicity

“I apologise if that’s incorrect. It should certainly be the curfew.”

Matthew GuyThe Victorian Liberal leader apologises for sending a press release accidentally calling for an immediate end to Melbourne’s lockdown. It’s still not nearly as confusing as the time he put up “tough on crime” billboards while also meeting with alleged mafia figures.

Mining

“Unfortunate and not reflecting well on the minister.”

John GriffithsThe Federal Court judge asks Resources minister Keith Pitt to explain why grants were given to a gas company exploring the Beetaloo Basin, despite assurances the deal was not imminent. The likely answer is he just really, really loves fossil fuels and couldn’t help himself.