“When it was suggested on the Nine Network’s Today show that he was ‘under the pump’, the prime minister responded: ‘I’m a good man in a crisis.’ ”
As the dual citizenship crisis expands and fuels leadership tensions, Malcolm Turnbull struggles to plot a policy course to Christmas.
News
Read
“I think we are where a big part of the Australian community is at. I’ve always maintained that when you drill down on specific issues, people are on the progressive side.”
The Greens believe they have put a difficult year behind them, and are seeing their ‘Cassandra’ foresight picked up by other parties.
Read
Navigating News and modern media
While social media has transformed some newsrooms, the behaviour of an abusive colleague at The Australian shows old-school cultures haven’t disappeared.
Read
“Public lobbying is ‘essential’ for the creation of cycling cities. In short, governments don’t make cycling cities – people do. ”
Cities with high rates of commuter cycling have histories of public action in favour of planning and infrastructure. In Australia there has been more active opposition.
Read
Mixed environmental messages in Queensland
In the run-up to the Queensland election, the major parties are attempting to play both sides of the Adani mine–Great Barrier Reef debate.
Read
Princes in the tower: Saudi house arrests
Trump tours Asia as tax bill hits at home. British sex scandal could derail Brexit.
Opinion
Read
Bill Wilkie
The precedent against Adani
“Like the story of the Daintree, the Adani campaign is about people standing up for what they believe in – taking courageous action to protect our future and the natural environment upon which it depends. As Adani promises to start work on the mine, we should remember that this is an issue that affects us all and step forward to offer our support.”
Read
Paul Bongiorno
Manus Island, dual citizenship and the postal result
“It’s likely Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t want to cross Immigration Minister Peter Dutton. The creation of the new Home Affairs ministry, against the objections of erstwhile allies in cabinet such as Julie Bishop and George Brandis, is as good an indication as any of Dutton’s clout and Turnbull’s craven need to appease him. ”
Read
Gadfly repaired to Sydney’s Macquarie Street for a mystery event hosted by Macquarie University. The invitation said the occasion is to “pay tribute to the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG”. It was to have been held at the Federal Law Courts until the sprinkler system caused havoc to the halls of justice, so it was transferred across the road to the Mint, which was fitting, given we were about to get information on “gifting opportunities”.
Letters, Poem & Editorial
Read
Editorial
The truth about Manus
The crisis on Manus Island is not about drownings at sea. It is about Pauline Hanson and the margin by which Peter Dutton holds the seat of Dickson. It is about the 1505 people who represent Dutton’s tenuous grip on power. Dutton cannot allow the situation on Manus to be resolved, because to do so would be to undermine the crude image of authority he derives from it.
Culture
Yorgos Lanthimos on the alienation of realism
Yorgos Lanthimos teams mundane musings and deadpan delivery to create humour and horror. The Greek filmmaker talks about what inspires his twisted metaphors, and who they are for. “We would never make a film to give a solution or preach something or teach something. It’s just human beings, you know, being in this world and trying to make sense of it and exploring various sides of it and going, ‘Huh, what do you think about that?’ ”
Where once the contrary but charming banter of David and Margaret was an authoritative guide to modern cinema, the ABC has replaced it with uninsightful postmodernism and lame jokes.
“Ron Peno’s name evokes a particular cultural moment in Australian rock’n’roll history: Clairol Blue Black hair dye, scummy carpets in inner-suburban pubs, a ragged onstage intensity. Sydney venues such as the Lansdowne, the Trade Union Club, the Piccadilly Hotel. He’s arguably best known as the former frontman of Died Pretty, a band whose erratic but brilliant live performances cemented their place in the Australian indie canon.”
Food
Read
“When you wish to roll the pastry tart, lightly butter the form. Remove the pastry from the fridge, shape into a four-centimetre roll and slice into one-centimetre thick disks. Place the disks in a fish-scale pattern in the base of the tart form. Using your fingers, push the pastry down to create a smooth surface and up the sides to fill the tart shell. Alternatively, you could roll the pastry out to a three-millimetre-thick sheet and line the tart form with this.”
Life
Read
On a holiday to the Philippines, the author finds herself drawn to visit a memorial to wartime dead – here, the Manila American Cemetery – for reasons personal and universal.
Read
Stepping back from the traditional model of ever-expanding business has allowed Melbourne designer Ingrid Verner to create a boutique label that is a labour of love.
Read
Tough as… Deanna Blegg, 48, endurance athlete
How AIDS survivor Deanna Blegg became one of the World’s Toughest Mudders, and then had to fight her way back to peak fitness after a battle with breast cancer.
Books
The Quiz
1. Which planet takes 88 Earth days to complete one orbit of the sun?
2. Semolina is made from which grain?
3. Which Eagles album is being re-released this month as a 40th-anniversary deluxe edition? (Bonus points for naming the Eagles’ four founding members.)
4. The hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to where?
5. In which city will the 2022 Winter Olympics be held?
6. In The Brady Bunch, what is the name of the youngest sibling?
7. In which country is the island of Krk?
8. How old was artist Vincent van Gogh when he died: (a) 27; (b) 37; (c) 47 or (d) 57?
9. What starting with ‘d’ is a form of glucose derived from starches?
10. What is the currency of the United Arab Emirates?
Quotes
STUNTS I
“People of Australia will make up their own mind about Mr Bean. I call him Mr Bean because that’s exactly what he looks like – Mr Bean.”
The One Nation leader tacitly licenses the racist and Islamophobic abuse directed at Sam Dastyari by a group of rednecks. Or as she calls them, voters.
IDENTITY
“If Lidia Thorpe chose not to identify as Aboriginal, what would be left of this argument to vote for her?”
The columnist continues his obsession with the darkness of First Australians, commenting on the Greens candidate for Northcote. It’s almost as if he misses the Federal Court.
STUNTS II
“Channel Nine bought that bottle of champagne and asked me to do it – and a cheap bottle of champagne, I must say.”
The One Nation leader describes christening her bigot bus as part of the Queensland election. In fairness to Channel Nine, there isn’t a bottle of chuck on the market as cheap as her politics.
POLITICS
“Don’t let anyone tell you a transgender person can’t win, because we just did.”
The former journalist wins the Democratic primary in Virginia. She faced transphobic Republican Bob Marshall, who has run against gays, bathrooms and women seeking abortions without invasive ultrasounds. Roem ran against increased traffic.
STUNTS III
“Oh, come on. It was a loose hose, okay? I picked it up. I knew there was something wrong.”
The One Nation leader explains how her “Battler Bus” came to be broken down and hissing at a petrol station in central Queensland. Interestingly, the same line works to describe Malcolm Roberts.
CELEBRITY
“Someone is apparently trying to sell naked photos of me to my fans. Save your money, here it is for free. Everyday is Christmas!”
The musician posted a nude photograph of herself online after her privacy was violated by paparazzi. Sometimes, the world is gross.
