Rosie Batty: the private toll of public grief
“If anyone thought Batty was enjoying some kind of good life that followed her celebrity, they were wrong. ‘It’s fucking hard,’ she says. ‘It’s really fucking hard. My journey of pain and loss has no end. It’s not a period of time.’ ”
This week, Luke Batty would have turned 17. For his mother the years since his death have been marked by public esteem and an intense personal hell.
News
Read
Manus refugee services contract embroiled in dispute
Australia’s already-contentious Manus Island refugee services contract faces further complications from local landholder politics.
Read
Police powers in the Northern Territory
“ ‘Aboriginal people in the NT are subject to extraordinary levels of arrest and surveillance by police,’ says prominent Aboriginal leader Olga Havnen. ‘Aboriginal people are 14 times more likely than anyone else to be incarcerated.’ ”
In the Northern Territory, a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to domestic violence has led to claims of police overstepping their powers and questions about how far preventive measures should be taken.
Read
Victoria’s assisted dying legislation
“I’ve got two plans. There’s plan A, which is staying alive. And I’m doing everything I can do to fulfil that. But plan B is having a good death.”
Victoria’s passing of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act has offered hope for those with terminal illness. But while some refuse to support the legislation, others think it doesn’t go far enough.
Read
The lobbying power of super funds
With the growing popularity of ethical investments, superannuation funds are lobbying companies to clean up their act. But some say the funds should focus squarely on maximising profits for their members.
Read
Freed activist joins Hong Kong protests
Xi Jinping visits North Korea. Man jailed for spreading footage of mosque shootings. Freed activist joins HK protests. Charges over MH17.
Opinion
Read
James Boyce
Government services and religious freedom
“It is a peculiar fact that during the same period the number of practising Christians went into sharp decline, the church grew to be larger than it has ever been. Proportionally fewer Australians now attend worship than at any other time in history, and yet never have so many used Christian services. This is a paradox directly relevant to the ‘religious freedom’ debate. The policy agenda being promoted by emboldened activists would not only negatively affect LGBTQIA people, it would impact everyone.”
Read
Paul Bongiorno
The cost of Coalition tax cuts
“The tax cuts impasse between the government and the opposition has opened the way for a familiar play from the senate crossbench. As Scott Morrison was basking in the warmth of a holiday in Fiji, it was the Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick who was taking full advantage of a moment in the sun.”
Read
If Trivago is looking for a new face for its omnipresent ads, it need look no further than Bridget McKenzie. The Nationals deputy leader knows a thing or two about hotels, having just received Canberra’s coveted award – Most Travel Allowances of the Year – by charging taxpayers $1400 a week to stay in hotels at least three out of five nights last year. Congratulations, Senator. Your prize is one Bronwyn Bishop taxpayer-funded helicopter ride to a Sky News studio of your choice.
Letters, Poem & Editorial
Read
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Things about dying
in my home state, now, by law
those leaving us can tread gently:
usher themselves towards the light
in the dignity they see fit
and i can’t remember all of their names
they and i were strangers
but when i heard,
i thought of them
Read
Many at the time saw Australia’s response to the shooting down of MH17 as evidence of Tony Abbott’s potential statesmanship. History has shown it to be a triumph of Julie Bishop’s diplomacy. And it remains a vital reminder of the role organisations such as the United Nations can, and should, still play in our grand bargain.
Culture
Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao
Chinese dissident cartoonist Badiucao is observing the Hong Kong demonstrations, finding new heroes to join Liu Xiaobo and tank man in his art practice. “I think being brave is a kind of novelty, it’s not a common trait within everyone. Everyone has the potential, but I don’t believe we must force everyone to be brave. That is why when you see people sacrifice themselves, people like the tank man, it’s so inspiring because it’s beyond our nature. It’s something we should celebrate.”
By focusing on the human stories of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, HBO’s Chernobyl offers a portrait of ordinary heroism – and a vision of how we might deal with climate catastrophes to come.
“ ‘I think I take the long way around to find the idea, but that can be fun,’ says Sexton. Rather than planning a piece from start to finish, he works intuitively, tinkering until a composition feels right. As a result, he leaves a lot of work unfinished, and estimates that between 70 and 80 per cent of his pieces have yet to see the light of day. ‘I never sit down with an intention of making a particular sound or piece,’ he explains. ‘Which is why it’s been interesting working on the Federation Bells project – because I did have to have a view of what I was doing.’ ”
Life
Read
The best wines for winter 2019
The beverage director for Andrew McConnell’s restaurants recommends her favourite wines, and sake, for winter.
Read
Matildas live their ‘never say die’ motto
After a tumultuous few months marred by speculation and scrutiny, the Matildas’ fightback against Brazil showed a team determined to prove its critics wrong.
Books
Puzzles
1. Ash Barty’s French Open singles title was the first by an Australian in how many years? (Bonus point for naming the previous Australian woman to play a French Open singles final and in which year.)
2. Who wrote the 1902 novel The Wings of the Dove?
3. How old was singer-guitarist Jimi Hendrix when he died?
4. Waitematā Harbour is in which New Zealand city?
5. Which actress with the given names Mary Louise was born on June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey?
6. British explorer George Mallory disappeared where?
7. Children’s story character Dumbo believes holding what in his trunk grants him the power to fly?
8. Former prime minister Julia Gillard was born in which country?
9. Step Back in Time is the latest album by which artist?
10. The names of nine countries begin with ‘L’. Name six of them.
Quotes
COMEDY
“He is a joke now. And I think it’s important to keep making that joke.”
The comedian shares her thoughts on Louis C. K. While it’s sometimes frowned upon in comedy circles to retell the same jokes, there are punchlines that never get old – such as shaming a sex pest.
AMERICA
“We have to come up with a theme for the new campaign. Is it going to be ‘Make America Great Again’? Which is probably and possibly the greatest theme in the history of politics.”
The United States president launches his re-election bid at a rally in Florida. Of course, he is wrong. “The West Wing Opening Theme” is the greatest theme in the history of politics.
POLITICS
“You’re fucking kidding me, right? ... What a dick.”
The Reason Party leader issues a brief press release responding to the election of One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts. Signing up to every politician’s media alerts finally seems worthwhile.
RETIREMENT
“I was quite concerned because I thought, for the first time, my personal view of life was really out of step with what the polls were telling us was going to happen.”
The outgoing senator tells Neil Mitchell he thought Labor would win the election. Molan appears to have forgotten the time he faced a huge public backlash for sharing anti-Muslim videos on Facebook.
LAW AND ORDER
“This is what I’m saying about my empathetic nature.”
The “wellness” blogger breaks down in court when asked about an Airtasker job she did for an elderly woman. Here’s hoping she doesn’t start driving for Uber and describing her trips as “freedom rides”.
SPORT
“I’m not being racist when I say this, but …”
The Hawthorn Football Club president launches a Facebook tirade about the ethnicity of AFL security staff. Apparently saying someone can’t do their job because they look like a “new arrival” to Australia isn’t racist anymore. Who knew?
