News

‘I’m the tip of the iceberg…’

“The Saturday Paper has been contacted by others indicating they, too, have had serious practical problems with the NDIS system – obstructive or poorly trained plan managers and co-ordinators, out-of-pocket costs, long delays and unresponsive agency representatives. ”

Karen Middleton Charleene Mundine has battled for months trying to find out how thousands of dollars disappeared from her children’s NDIS account.

News

News

Keating exposes China divide

Vicky Xiuzhong Xu While the former prime minister dismisses hawkish fears, the reaction to his speech highlights the need for a coherent policy on Xi Jinping’s China.

News

Saving Julian Assange

Rick Morton A band of strange political bedfellows have united for a common cause – to fight for the return of Julian Assange to Australia.

News

Peter Ridd and the climate sceptics

“Ridd dismisses coral bleaching as a defence mechanism that is of little concern.”

Max Opray Dismissed by James Cook University, climate sceptic Peter Ridd sued for unfair dismissal and won. Now, he’s touring the globe, and being feted for insisting the Great Barrier Reef is fine and the science behind claims to the contrary is broken.

News

The transition to renewable energy

“It is increasingly difficult for renewables generators to get their power to consumers, says Clean Energy Council chief executive Kane Thornton, because investment has slowed.”

Mike Seccombe Despite the successes of Australia’s renewable energy sector, the federal government is stalling on further development of this industry, instead maintaining its dogged commitment to coal-fired power.

World

British election candidates draw laughs

Jonathan Pearlman US change on West Bank. Samoa’s measles epidemic. The New York Times publishes leaked China documents. First debate of British election.

Opinion

Opinion

Jeff Sparrow
Under fire from the new fascism

“We need to talk about fascism, particularly here in Australia. We need, as Australians, to talk about it because the perpetrator of the Christchurch massacre grew up in this country – and the crimes he is being prosecuted for in New Zealand, killing 51 Muslims and injuring 49 others, continue to resonate around the world.”

Opinion

Paul Bongiorno
Dogged by dollar dilemmas

“While politicians, experts and commentators debate the threats and opportunities China poses for Australia, our own government’s behaviour has also come into the frame. In focus: the Department of Human Services’ bullying of at least one million Australians over debts that they, in many cases, did not owe.”

Diary

Gadfly
Piers-reviewed climate science

Richard Ackland Bushfire and reproductive rights expert Barnaby Joyce, MP, may be onto something with his idea that the sun’s magnetic field is the devil behind the terrible conflagrations sweeping the nation. Citizens who labour under the belief that CO2 is the cause of our problems have clearly not read up on solar magnetic theory. One of the principal proponents of this theory is an Englishman named Piers Corbyn. Yes, the older brother of British election hopeful Jeremy Corbyn.

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

Read

Editorial
Murdoch manifesto

“There are no climate change deniers around here,” says Rupert Murdoch. “I can assure you.” Except at The Australian: “Yes we have an early fire season, because we are in a drought, a bad drought, in some areas it is the worst since the Federation drought. There’s your clue, we had as bad or worse in the 1890s and 1900s.”

Letters

The hot topic

I find it tragic and shameful that it has taken the loss of lives, property and thousands of square kilometres of forests, including irreplaceable rainforest ecosystems, to make our political leaders realise that climate …

Smoking out the truth

Welcome to a first-time winner from cartoonist Jon Kudelka (November 16-22); may there be many more. Just one question: Michael Leunig recently suffered the slings and arrows of outraged readers elsewhere …

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Culture

Profile

Actor Damon Herriman

Steve Dow A screen actor since he was 10 years old, Damon Herriman is all too aware of the precarities in his line of work. He speaks to Steve Dow about the ups and downs of his career and his new film, Judy and Punch. “It has a dark fairytale vibe. You can watch Judy and Punch as an allegory or a feminist revenge tale, or you could watch it as a really entertaining fairytale fable, or both.”

Art

Cornelia Parker

Andy Butler The Museum of Contemporary Art’s Cornelia Parker is a testament to the British artist’s vital work, as she contends with the violence and volatility of our times.

Life

Food

Broccoli stems in broccoli sauce

David Moyle

Life

Coved-shaped waves (part two)

Anna Spargo-Ryan With the discovery that she and her family are predisposed to a rare and deadly heart condition, the author knows what to do – get on to Google and terrify herself.

Sport

Pay equity for elite athletes

Kate O’Halloran While the recent Matildas pay deal is a welcome boost for gender equality in sport, women athletes – Ash Barty aside – still have a long way to go to reach equal pay with their male counterparts.

Books

Elizabeth Strout
Olive, Again

Bri Lee
Beauty

Rebecca M. Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis
Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography

Puzzles

The Cryptic

Crossword No. 280

The Quiz

1. The Norse goddess Freyja travelled in a chariot pulled by what?
2. Who did the All Blacks defeat to finish third in the 2019 Rugby World Cup?
3. Who is set to play Catwoman in the upcoming film The Batman? (Bonus point for naming who plays the titular character.)
4. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is president of which country?
5. What is the square root of 121?
6. Basant Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrating the onset of which season?
7. What is the name of Dora the Explorer’s monkey companion?
8. Yo-Yo Ma is a virtuoso of which instrument?
9. James Warburton is the chief executive of which media company?
10. Folate is which B vitamin?

Quotes

FAREWELL

“It’s time to move on with other aspects of my life and let others pick up the cudgels.”

Cory BernardiThe Liberal absconder lays down his – hopefully metaphorical – nail-studded club for the last time, announcing his retirement from politics.

NEIGHBOURS

“It’s hard for Australia to be a meaningful strategic partner to a country that thinks it can bully its neighbours on the basis of confected territorial claims.”

Tony AbbottThe former prime minister says China’s actions render the rising superpower a bad neighbour and ally. Nearby, Timor-Leste rolls its eyes.

LAW AND ORDER

“It doesn’t make me happy.”

Mick FullerThe New South Wales police commissioner is asked how he feels about the unlawful strip search of a 16-year-old girl at Splendour in the Grass. Good to clarify.

BUSHFIRES

“I don’t think that stands up to any credible scientific evidence at all.”

Scott MorrisonThe prime minister rejects any suggestion that Australia taking action on climate change could have affected the fire season. His new-found respect for science may be surprising but is without doubt entirely genuine.

ROYALTY

“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.”

Prince AndrewThe royal steps back from official duties after a trainwreck interview. Of all the ill judgements he stands accused of, remaining friends with a convicted paedophile is relatively mild.

BROWBEATING

“Bullying and thuggery must be stamped out in accordance with public expectations.”

Pauline HansonThe One Nation leader says she will back the government’s union-busting bill. Bullying immigrants is apparently entirely in step with the public’s expectations.