News

Liberal slush funds expose Hartcher and bitter factional wars

“The Central Coast has operated like a law unto itself for a long time. Hartcher for years separated himself from the party. It was like an independent kingdom up there.”

Mike Seccombe Behind the ICAC revelations that have already toppled a premier, a factional feud threatens the entire party.

News

News

Breaking the law to force euthanasia debate

Martin McKenzie-Murray Inside the conspiracy of silence holding back the euthanasia debate, and the doctor waiting for police to arrest him.

News

PUP to fight Pyne’s uni funding cuts

“The co-author of Pyne’s review of higher education thinks it would be better to shift the cost to students, via higher fees, rather than cutting university funding.”

Sophie Morris Student resistance to Christopher Pyne’s plan to allow universities to raise their fees will find an unlikely champion in Clive Palmer’s senate bloc.

News

The child and the state

“I’m good thx, but i think dhs is lookin for me again.”

Russell Marks The child protection system struggles to balance the needs of children at risk with the desire to keep families together.

News

Joe Skrzynski on how he leaves SBS

David Salter The former chairman of SBS, Joe Skrzynski, talks about the relevance of broadcasting for our migrant society.

World

Rebel rancher Cliven Bundy no longer right’s hero

Hamish McDonald Slave rant prompts fall from grace; conservatives see red over inequality claims; superannuation funds cheer buried treasures.

Economy

Buyers line up for H&M

Kirsty Simpson H&M opens; hunger for agribusiness; surges in payday lending.

Opinion

Politics

John Hirst
How to reboot Labor’s program

“Why would anyone join the Labor Party when it has not got an inspiring program? The young idealists will remain with the Greens.”

Opinion

Norman Abjorensen
Factional divisions bred in opposition

Opinion

Brigid Delaney
Diverse backgrounds make for strong communities

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

Read

Editorial
Time for party donation reforms

Letters

Taking issue with Labor’s stance

It is disheartening to learn that Labor aims to adopt the disgracefully negligent approach to opposition formerly taken by the Liberal-National Coalition (Sophie Morris, ‘‘Inside …

We can handle the truth

In your recent editorial (“PPL will make a mockery of the budget”, April 26-May 2) you gave the federal treasurer credit because “he correctly diagnoses one of the major structural problems …

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Food

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Food

The new toast masters

Andrew McConnell The hottest new food trend going round? It's toast.

Books

Maxine Beneba Clarke
Foreign Soil

Robert Hillman
Joyful

Maria Takolander
The End of the World

Life

Architecture

Prince Alfred Park pool an urban oasis

Laura Harding The designers of the new Prince Alfred Park pool went to great lengths to deliver a distinguished building, with subtle nods to summers past.

Travel

Seeking divine approval at Chilkur Balaji

Alana Rosenbaum At a temple in south India, devotees find that prayer is the most effective way to cut visa red tape.

Sport

Fast on her feet: Miao Miao, 33, table tennis player

Richard Cooke Australia’s most successful table tennis player, Miao Miao compares table tennis in China and Australia.

The Quiz

1. Dutchman Jacco Verhaeren is head coach of which Australian sporting body?
2. How many strings on a mandolin? (Bonus points for naming how many strings on a cello, a standard acoustic guitar, a double bass.)
3. Where in the body is insulin produced?
4. George R. R. Martin wrote the international best-selling series of epic fantasy novels that became the television series…?
5. What is the English translation for the Spanish phrase “Tengo hambre”?
6. Which two colours make up the flag of Ukraine?
7. What are the three given names of the son of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge?
8. Culinary duo Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson were better known as…
9. What name has been given to the Scottish thistle mascot of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games?
10. Who is deputy premier of NSW?

 

Click through for answers.

Quotes

RETIREMENT

A quarter of a century is a long time, and my current term still has three years to run.

John FaulknerThe reigning king of senate estimates shows what “no surprises” government really looks like, giving a three-year warning he will retire.

ELECTIONS

I do have concerns in the middle of an election about the timing.

Gerry AdamsThe Sinn Féin leader acknowledges the awkwardness of being arrested for questioning over the murder of Jean McConville at the same time as his party campaigns for seats in the European elections. He denies his involvement.

FREEDOM

In Tecoma to see ppl exercising human rights. No protestors, only customers speaking thru spending & @McDonalds property rights.

Tim WilsonThe human rights commissioner backs the incontrovertible rights hidden in all Happy Meals, visiting the much-protested McDonald’s outlet in the Victorian town of Tecoma.

DEATH

He was one of the nicest and best actors I have ever worked with.

Michael CaineThe actor mourns Bob Hoskins, whom he starred opposite in Mona Lisa. Hoskins died of pneumonia this week. He was 71.

PROMISES

If there was a permanent increase in taxation, that would certainly be inconsistent with the sort of things that were said before the election.

Tony AbbottThe prime minister muses over whether a “deficit reduction levy” might clash with the “sort of things” said before the election, like that there would be “no new tax collection” under a Coalition government.

DRUGS

I realise that this has caused some commotion and some people feel that they’ve been let down, and I deeply apologise for that.

Geoff HuegillThe one-time champion swimmer responds to being arrested for alleged cocaine possession. At press time, a decent “black line-white line” joke was yet to be written.