Sport Australia takes $10m from schools
“Australian schools missed out on federal government funding earmarked for school sporting grants because Sport Australia used it for administration, technology, marketing and other associated programs.”
The controversial government agency has been pushed into deficit after the minister ordered it to restore school funds it spent on other projects.
News
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After fires, loggers move into Toolangi forest
Locked into supply contracts with the producer of Reflex paper, the Andrews government continues to prop up the logging industry in the state’s last remaining forests.
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Life after the Christchurch shootings
As the first anniversary of mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch approaches, survivors and other members of the city’s Muslim community face isolation and economic hardship.
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NSW politicians call for access to abortions in Wagga
“To think that doctors are failing in their duty of care to provide simple access to healthcare, it’s shameful. It’s 2020.”
In the wake of revelations that doctors in Wagga Wagga are refusing to perform abortions, the New South Wales government faces pressure to investigate access to reproductive healthcare across the state.
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As Scott Morrison announces emergency COVID-19 measures and medical experts ‘war game’ worst-case scenarios, a looming recession may prove the greatest threat to Australia.
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Biden surges to lead on Super Tuesday
Joe Biden takes the lead in Democratic race. Indonesia confirms first coronavirus cases. Mahatir Mohamad forced out. Benjamin Netanyahu again falls short in third Israeli elections.
Opinion
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Rick Morton
A fraction too much fiction
“The truth, in Scott Morrison’s world, is like light. With the right forces, it can be fractured or bent out of shape. Sometimes it changes of its own accord, as the sun charts a course across the sky. As Immigration minister, he invented the notion of ‘on-water matters’ – which would not be commented on – and changed forever how politicians share information.”
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Paul Bongiorno
Scott Morrison’s misleading hedges
“It is getting harder by the week to believe a word uttered by the prime minister of Australia. And no one has done more to undermine Scott Morrison’s credibility than the man himself. This harsh judgement is shared not only by his political opponents in the Labor Party but also by all but one of the six crossbenchers in the house of representatives.”
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Field agents from Wingello in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales bring reports that Schmo turned up in town on a post-bushfire inspection. Only the Rural Fire Service seemed to be aware of his arrival; hence there were no brass bands and drum majorettes to welcome him in the main street. To cheer everyone up the PM brought Grassgate Gussy Taylor with him, yet residents were kept in the dark about their local member’s movements.
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
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Editorial
Waiting for bad news
The government will next week announce the details of a stimulus package it hopes can blunt the effects of COVID-19 on the Australian economy. But long before the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Wuhan, the Australian economy was giving off warning signs. And, for months, the government ignored these gasps and sputters.
Culture
As one of the world’s leading astrophysicists, Professor Jo Dunkley has researched both the mass of the tiniest particle and the size of the universe. Here, she speaks about the thrill of discovery and the untold stories of women in science. “I started off being intent on just writing about the science, but then I realised the stories of the scientists would be just as interesting. Now I’m fascinated about all the people that must be out there who have never been credited.”
Miranda Nation’s directorial debut, Undertow, begins with power, promise and tension, but it ends up drowning in its own contradictory styles.
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Omar Sakr
[Y]our people [Y]our problems
I have never had a country
willing to claim me as its own.
Sit with me as I sit with that.
Hold my hand. Our knees can touch
across the loneliness, which, at least
and at last, wants nothing of us.
Life
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Ubud may be the holy grail for bourgeois-bohemians, but it serves up an incongruent tangle of traditional culture and wellness worship.
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For female athletes competing in less prominent sports, the opportunity to parlay social media popularity into sponsorship dollars can be a real game changer.
Books
Puzzles
1. Only three countries are landlocked by a single country. Name one. (Bonus points for naming the other two.)
2. In which year was the Australian Broadcasting Corporation founded: (a) 1929; (b) 1939; or (c) 1949?
3. Who preceded Jacinda Ardern as prime minister of New Zealand?
4. Before 2020, Renée Zellweger had won one Oscar. For which film?
5. What nationality was composer Franz Liszt?
6. The Italian phrase “la dolce vita” translates to “the sweet what”?
7. The scapula is commonly known as the what?
8. Name the boxer who last month became WBC heavyweight champion.
9. Was Constantine the Great a Greek or Roman emperor?
10. March 7 marks the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s first post on which social media site?
Quotes
SUPER TUESDAY
“This is my wife.”
The Democratic nominee looks at his sister, holds her hand and identifies her as his wife. An honest mistake, or a bold play for the Midwestern vote?
SEMANTICS
“I think that you do understand that your comments, particularly when you refer to them solely as ‘right wing’, has the potential to offend a lot of Australians.”
The Liberal senator tells ASIO its recent warning about the rise of far-right terrorism may alienate some within our community. They prefer “bigot curious”.
SILVER LINING
“In the light of the current toilet paper crisis. We have responded. Book a stay at the Brighton Savoy and receive a free roll of toilet paper.”
The Melbourne hotel finds a marketing opportunity amid Australia’s coronavirus panic. There’s an upside to everything, except the prospect of being trapped in a suburban hotel with a single roll of toilet paper.
INVITATIONS
“On that occasion, we put forward a number of names – that included Brian.”
The prime minister finally admits Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston was put on a guest list for his White House state dinner. Let he who has never invited a man under investigation for his handling of child sexual abuse allegations cast the first stone.
CREDENTIALS
“She’s a hell of a doctor.”
The actress and TV host suggests Jill Biden should be America’s next surgeon general. Biden is actually a teacher, not a doctor, which would still make her the most overqualified person in the current United States administration.
CESSATION
“We don’t have to supply it for everybody else in Australia who’s telling us that they don’t want it.”
The News Corp executive explains his rationale for shutting down the newswire service AAP after 85 years in operation. The same doesn’t go for The Australian at airport gates.
