Barton Deakin, the Coalition’s ‘evil twin’ lobby firm
Hidden behind two of Australia’s biggest lobbying firms is one company and an endless list of political links.
News
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WikiLeaks: Secret trade deal exposed
“It is incredibly dangerous that such critical public policy aspects are being discussed behind closed doors without any public scrutiny. ”
Leaked negotiations from a key trade deal show radical plans to deregulate services in Australia, including banking and childcare.
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Senator Ricky Muir’s new-found confidence
One year into his senate stint, Ricky Muir has developed into a confident speaker, a popular figure with unions and someone the ALP could eye as a future candidate.
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Queensland plans crackdown on alcohol-fuelled violence
Proposed changes to liquor licensing laws in Queensland are ruffling the feathers of venue owners and drinkers alike, but data following strict changes in NSW correlate with a sharp fall in assault rates.
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The battle for open-access information
A Melbourne-based PhD candidate’s online open-access publishing forum is a boon for those wishing to access texts and transcripts free. But at what cost to the authors of some of these works?
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Greece set to sail on a new odyssey
Obama on the line to keep Putin at bay; nation-building by another name.
Opinion
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Janet Galbraith
Vulnerable, brutalised and returned to Nauru
“They took everyone, including me, violently, to the buses that waited. When anyone resisted, they tied their hands with plastic handcuffs. We were scared.”
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Paul Bongiorno
Tony Abbott’s ABF and excessive use of higher force
“Asylum seekers must always be seen as threats, queue jumpers and illegals, and never as desperate human beings, men, women and children.”
Letters, Poem & Editorial
Culture
History beckons for Banished actor David Wenham
David Wenham's acting roles have taken him from Middle-earth to a leper colony to, most recently, Botany Bay.
Love and Information – a dazzling piece of theatre
Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information is drama down to its bones, with so much living in the spaces in-between.
Kevin Rudd’s nephew, artist Van T. Rudd
Controversial Australian artist and activist Van T. Rudd talks politics and ‘non-gallery’ art.
Food
Life
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US FDA set to approve flibanserin, the ‘female Viagra’
With a ‘female Viagra’ now on the cusp of approval, is there any proof the disorder it’s targeting exists?
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The Bali starling and Indonesian wildlife
The rare Bali starling is the end point of a flying visit to some of the island’s conservation areas.
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Rock solid: Benn Robinson, 30, rugby player
Waratahs and Wallabies prop Benn Robinson on maintaining the passion.
Books
The Quiz
1. Who drafted the United States Declaration of Independence?
2. Which television series centres around the character Don Draper?
3. Goodluck Jonathan was president of which country from 2010 to 2015?
4. The Starry Night is a famous work by which artist? (Bonus points for naming the artist’s country of birth and the century in which the work was painted.)
5. The leaves of Camellia sinensis are used to produce what?
6. What is the chemical number for lithium?
7. Was the Australian correctional facility formerly known as Mulawa a centre for male or female inmates?
8. Calypso was the vessel of which acclaimed researcher?
9. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in which present-day country?
10. Name the 2015 trans-Tasman netball championship premiers?
Quotes
RACE
“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
The presidential hopeful begins a racial slur against Mexicans. The comments lost Trump his contract with NBC but got him a second audition for Top Gear.
CONFECTIONERY
“Few will mourn the passing of the green frog. The real confectionery question is, why on earth do people like Cherry Ripes?”
The NSW premier responds to news Nestlé will discontinue various confectionery lines because of poor sales. Because there’s nothing like discussing lollies to distract from the fact you look about 14.
JOURNALISM
“A poster which read ‘Hockey: donations and access. Herald investigation’ may, for example, have been appropriate.”
The federal court justice offers some journalistic advice while awarding Joe Hockey $200,000 in damages for a Fairfax story that hurt his feelings. As if there were not enough law dropouts in the newsrooms of Australia.
EQUALITY
“Once you start unpicking the definition of marriage, there will be other consequences.”
The senator warns of the Jumanji-like effects of same-sex marriage. Elsewhere, he suggested Australia look at “how many Asian countries have redefined marriage” and take our human rights cues from there.
RELATIONS
“The level of co-operation between Australia and Indonesia ... is at an all-time high.”
The foreign minister responds to comments from former Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa about the “critical juncture” in the relationship between the countries. It’s a very loose definition of “all-time” and “high” and “executions” and “push-backs” and “Indonesian sovereignty”.
FAMILY
“I would ask them to stop using the Hudson name. They are no longer a part of my life.”
The singer encourages the children he had with Goldie Hawn, Kate and Oliver, to stop using his name – a name so proud and storied it appears in the credits to three episodes of Doogie Howser, M.D.
