How the ‘No’ case is abusing the ABC
As the debate on same-sex marriage continues, the ‘No’ case is exploiting the ABC’s charter and complaints process to gain prominence for ugly views.
News
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Proving political collusion in water buybacks
“In reality, the meetings gave these ‘key stakeholders’ the inside running on negotiations with the Commonwealth about water resource regulation and offered the chance to influence them. ”
Following revelations about inappropriate dealings with irrigators, the first of six inquiries finds a regulator captured by vested interests.
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Curbing the illicit tobacco trade
A senate inquiry into illicit tobacco is hearing evidence of huge losses in tax revenue, hidden smoking rate increases and higher criminal profits than in the drugs trade.
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Syrian marching band helps refugees
“This is restoring their dignity. It shows that we can be proud of something that is very traditional from our country.”
A marching band in Melbourne comprising young refugees from Syria is helping its members adjust to their new home, while providing a connection with their community.
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Clover Moore on the responsibilities of her council
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore on standing up to state and federal governments and how to make access to housing fair.
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Far-right surge may spell end for Merkel
Jacinda Ardern gets Labour closer in NZ. Kurds seeking state. Aung San Suu Kyi evasive on Rohingya.
Opinion
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Kelly Glanney
Correcting the debate on gender identity
“Look beyond academia’s well-intended fixation with linguistics and inclusivity and you’ll find huge body of historical and empirical evidence clearly demonstrates gender variance, non-binary gender identity and gender expression have been an intrinsic part of natural human diversity for millennia.”
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Paul Bongiorno
Abbott’s all-out assault over energy
“The tragedy for the nation is that Abbott is not framing his arguments in terms of ending the energy wars. Rather, he wants to inflame them. His only focus: the next election and drawing a sharp distinction between an affordable and reliable energy target against Labor’s dearer clean energy target. Forget warnings from Finkel, the Australian Energy Market Operator and others that without a long-term policy on emissions, electricity will cost more rather than less.”
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Gadfly
Proud Mary kept her Rollers
Gadfly leaps out of bed every day embracing the credo of Lady “Mary” Fairfax: “Touch every life with good.” Sadly, the old clothes merchant from Broken Hill won’t be leaping out of bed anymore but the good she inflicted on the mighty Fairfax media stable was touching indeed.
An insider’s outside view
Returning for a second season
The Lucky Country is an insider’s outside view of Australia’s most important political and economic debates. Hosted by The Australia Institute’s Chief Economist Richard Denniss, The Lucky Country is a weekly podcast from Schwartz Media which applies common sense to complex issues.
Find The Lucky Country on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
Letters & Editorial
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Editorial
The ‘No surprises here’ case
In Tony Abbott’s mind, he is the vanquished leader of a silent majority. In reality, he is a fringe figure who has spent his life clinging to the leftovers of debates other people have won.
Culture
Indigenous photographer Mervyn Bishop
As Australia’s first Aboriginal press photographer, Mervyn Bishop created history, helping to take control of how Indigenous people were portrayed in images. Five decades later, his passion for observing the human side of daily life has not diminished.
Rover Thomas at Sydney Contemporary
At Sydney Contemporary, the commercial realities of the art fair dissolve as he apprehends the elemental power of Rover (Julama) Thomas’s works.
Artistic director Darren O’Donnell
“Dissatisfaction, O’Donnell says, is the factory of his professional abundance. Dissatisfaction with the limits of being an actor; then a writer and director; then with conventional theatre altogether, how the audience is all sitting in the dark and the actors are all in the light and there’s no communication between them. ”
Food
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“To anyone who will listen, I am often heard banging on about the importance of mastering basic techniques. Often we will come across a recipe that will interest us but may be scant on instructions, or even a picture of something delicious on a picture-only social media site. It is here that the understanding of basic techniques enables us to apply our knowledge of these techniques and cook something beautiful without too much stress. ”
Life
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A ‘sense of duty’ took the author to the Bigsound music festival, but it was the talent of up-and-coming artists that truly ignited his passion.
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Australian researchers have made a significant breakthrough in the long-lasting treatment of peanut allergy.
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All the right moves: Emma, 28, professional wrestler
Melbourne’s Tenille Dashwood on being drawn in by wrestling’s theatrics and big characters, and turning herself into the WWE Superstar Emma.
Books
The Quiz
1. What is the Spanish and Portuguese word for naval fleet?
2. In what year was the first nuclear weapon detonated at White Sands, New Mexico?
3. According to the proverb, cleanliness is next to what?
4. Who hosts the ABC’s Insiders program?
5. Which layer of the Earth’s atmosphere begins at the planet’s surface?
6. The Netflix series Anne with an E is based on which novel? (Bonus point for naming the author.)
7. What is a male rat called?
8. Which two 2017 series each won five Emmy Awards this week?
9. True or false: hurricanes and cyclones are the same weather phenomenon?
10. Which tennis player won the women’s singles gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics?
Quotes
DISCOURSE
“We’ve got to be alive to the fact that sometimes, unconsciously, we ourselves might be bullies.”
The former prime minister accepts that sometimes he may accidentally victimise vulnerable people. Presumably, the rest of the time it’s deliberate.
GENDER
“Oh, this is fucked.”
The federal member for the Queensland seat of Petrie acknowledges a reporter asking the prime minister about gender equality among politicians. Before entering parliament Howarth described himself as a small businessman and he is.
RACE
“I don’t know a single person who had ever heard of Dr G Yunupingu. Why is the ABC obsessed with farewelling this guy who passed away in July?”
The former opposition leader adds racist insecurity to his list of social maladies. A quarter of a million people died in the Boxing Day tsunami and he didn’t think that was worth mentioning, either.
POLITICS
“I honestly think he has a great body. He is very fit. But I do think that politicians should stay fully clad at all times.”
The prime minister criticises Tony Abbott for wearing sluggos. It’s a sad state of affairs when this is the only thing you would do differently to your predecessor.
CITIZENSHIP
“I was 19 and more keen on football than on filling out forms.”
The One Nation senator reflects on filling out documents for his Australian citizenship. He’s now 62, and more interested in conspiracy theories than science.
WORK
“If I turn up to a party and a child who is in love with Queen Elsa is gay, that’s okay, I will love them just as much as I love any other kid.”
The nanny who lost her job as a children’s entertainer after sharing her support for the “No” case explains that she is not homophobic. She’s just Christian.
