News

What Morrison did wrong on coronavirus

“They were warned 12 weeks ago by WHO and others what was coming. They did not accumulate test kits. They did not accumulate the necessary emergency equipment … They diligently did not do anything useful.”

Mike Seccombe As the number of cases escalates, experts say the PM moved too slowly to contain the threat of Covid-19, straining our already under-resourced health system.

News

News

Defence braces for SAS murder charges

“One of the structural problems that will need to be examined is the command accountability. How much did the special forces’ command structure know, when did they know it and if they didn’t know, why not?”

Karen Middleton An inspector-general’s report, expected in the coming months, will likely recommend the prosecution of special forces soldiers over Afghan civilian killings.

News

Coercive control laws in NSW

Jess Hill While New South Wales considers drafting legislation on coercive control, Scottish laws to criminalise such behaviour have already made a significant difference in domestic abuse cases.

News

Inside Morrison’s Covid-19 war cabinet

“Since Morrison announced last week that he was rebadging COAG as a ‘national cabinet’ to respond to the virus, mixed messaging between the different levels of government has been reduced.”

Karen Middleton State, territory and federal leaders are setting aside party politics to try to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

News

Right-wing terrorism on the rise in Australia

Drew Rooke The arrest of a NSW man following a Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigation highlights the rising threat of right-wing extremism in Australia and the bias in the way the country has been classifying terrorism.

World

Idlib ceasefire benefits al-Assad

Jonathan Pearlman Covid-19 and the US presidential election. Samoan chief found guilty of human trafficking in NZ. Ceasefire in Idlib, Syria. Chance to form government in Israel.

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News

Everything you need to know about coronavirus

Rick Morton In a world currently also contaminated with false information surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, the experts are here to unravel the truth.

Opinion

Opinion

Richard Denniss
How Australia can avoid economic collapse in the wake of Covid-19

“For decades, Australians have been sold an imagined poverty. We have been told we need to ‘rein in’ government spending – that if we want to spend more on health or education, we will need to spend less on the age pension or childcare. But the reality is that if we had a bigger public sector today, we would be better prepared to weather the health and economic crises triggered by the coronavirus.”

Opinion

Paul Bongiorno
Morrison’s coronavirus awakening

“There in the prime ministerial courtyard of Parliament House, Scott Morrison finally admitted his world had crumbled. ‘Life is changing in Australia, as it is changing all around the world,’ he began his news conference midweek. ‘Life is going to continue to change as we deal with the global coronavirus.’”

Diary

Gadfly
West slide story

Richard Ackland The Pussy Grabber, Boris the Bonker, Schmo Morrison and dreamers of the alt-right all struggled to come to terms with the alarming rate at which coronavirus is spreading. Their denialism is instinctive and they only pulled out their fingers when it was too late.

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

Read

Editorial
Panic! At the Costco

Really, we should not be surprised. Panic buying isn’t an aberration – it’s the logical extension of a political system based entirely on selfishness and indifference, on the hoarding of wealth and property. It is what happens when government persuades the public that it is the problem.

Letters

Examining the numbers

The story “Trust deficit threatens Covid-19 response” (Mike Seccombe, March 14-20) contained two related issues: a decline in trust of governments and an assertion that the economy has almost doubled …

A touchy subject

It seems peculiarly apt that your front-page photograph of the prime minister (March 14-20) shows him doing exactly what the medical experts tell us to avoid. Perhaps someone should counsel him to try to keep his …

Read More

Culture

Profile

Author and activist Naomi Klein

Jonno Revanche Author and activist Naomi Klein has long been a critic of consumer culture and its focus on individualism, arguing instead that we need to band together to deal with the world’s crises. “The tricky thing is that we are able to find our best selves in these moments of crisis, of high crisis, but within our economic system, the pressures of the market bear down pretty fast.”

Culture

Covid-19 and the arts

Alison Croggon Covid-19 containment measures have led to unprecedented shutdowns in the arts sector, with small companies and independent artists in the greatest jeopardy.

Books

Intan Paramaditha
The Wandering

Aravind Adiga
Amnesty

Sophie McNeill
We Can’t Say We Didn’t Know

Life

Food

Tripe with olives and roasted tomato

David Moyle

Wine

The best wines of autumn 2020

Leanne Altmann The beverage director for Andrew McConnell’s restaurants selects her favourite wines of the season.

Sport

Organised sport out for the count

Kieran Pender As coronavirus sweeps the planet, sport has become one of its many casualties. Olympic athletes have been left in limbo, with the Tokyo Games yet to be cancelled.

Puzzles

The Cryptic

Crossword No. 293

The Quiz

1. In which year was the Falklands War fought? (Bonus point for naming the British prime minister at the time.)
2. Who captained Australia to victory in this month’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final?
3. After China, India and the United States, what is the world’s fourth most populous country?
4. Future Nostalgia is the 2020 album from which British singer?
5. In the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle, what jumped over the moon?
6. A tarot deck consists of how many cards: (a) 52; (b) 64; or (c) 78?
7. Are dizygotic twins identical or non-identical?
8. What is the first name of Joe Biden’s wife?
9. Who created the fictional detective Philip Marlowe?
10. The liqueur Glayva originated in which country?

Click through for answers.

Quotes

DISTANCE

“Avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people.”

Donald TrumpThe United States president and his 15-person coronavirus taskforce gather to advise people not to gather in groups of more than 10.

PROGRESS

“I’ve moved on to bigger and better things …”

Will ConnollyThe teenager comments on life one year on from breaking an egg on Fraser Anning, on the same day the far-right politician declares bankruptcy.

PRAGMATISM

“We are praying daily for you, knowing that we are all protected by the Blood of Jesus.”

Victory Life CentreThe house of worship, frequented by homophobic tennis champ Margaret Court, opts for spiritual immunisation to Covid-19.

JACKPOT

“It is a unique space.”

Daniel AndrewsThe Victorian premier explains why Crown casino is exempt from the national ban on non-essential gatherings of 100 persons and greater in indoor areas.

REALISATION

“We now seem to be facing the health version of global warming.”

Alan JonesThe radio shock jock likens Covid-19 to climate change, apparently finally admitting we need swift, radical and global intervention to lessen the impact of our changing climate.

SACRIFICE

“The fact that I would still be going on Saturday speaks not just to my passion for my beloved Sharks.”

Scott MorrisonThe prime minister, a diehard Cronulla Sharks fan, delays the introduction of a ban on mass gatherings until after the game. He later backtracked, leaving the Sharks with no choice but to cancel his membership.