October 9 – 15, 2021

The premier of NSW, Dominic Perrottet, delivering the state budget as treasurer in 2019. His tenure will likely be defined by his economic zeal.

News

Image for article: Federal integrity commission could cover Christian Porter’s blind trust
Image for article: ASIC chair Joe Longo on regulating crypto and the next big moves
Image for article: What happened to the asylum seekers aboard SIEV X?
Image for article: China sends dozens of jets into Taiwan’s defence zone

Comment

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

ReadCartoon image, links to full cartoon page

Editorial
Last resort

The Nationals have always been a party of opportunists. Now they are a party of last resort. That is how Resources Minister Keith Pitt envisages the slush fund he wants in exchange for agreeing to a net-zero target.

Letters

Cloudy with a chance of landslides

It seems there’s some uncertainty in the White House about Australia’s political leadership on climate change (Mike Seccombe, “Biden adviser: ‘I don’t know whether Angus …

The burning issue of coal

John Hewson (“Target practice”, October 2-8) highlights the void at the heart of the government’s climate change policy. The Abbot–Turnbull–Morrison government has shown …

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Culture

Books

Image for article: Bodies of Light

Jennifer Down
Bodies of Light

Image for article: Love and Virtue

Diana Reid
Love and Virtue

Image for article: Philosophy for Spiders: On the Low Theory of Kathy Acker

McKenzie Wark
Philosophy for Spiders: On the Low Theory of Kathy Acker

Life

Image for article: Elizabeth David’s onion tart with green pea sauce

Food

Elizabeth David’s onion tart with green pea sauce

Image for article: Covid-proofing classrooms

Science

Covid-proofing classrooms

As Victoria and NSW plan school reopenings, experts are highlighting the risk of Covid-19 transmission to unvaccinated children posed by poor ventilation systems.

Image for article: Making a home in a cave

Life

Making a home in a cave

A former NSW Liberal politician has written her thesis about a couple who chose to live in a cave, in order to challenge the negative stereotypes of homeless people.

Sport

Searching for purpose: Brandon Jack’s dwindling passion for AFL

After debuting for the Sydney Swans as a teenager, Brandon Jack’s AFL career fails to flourish and he soon becomes bitter and unmotivated. What he needs – and discovers – is a new passion.

Brandon Jack (left) and brother Kieren Jack run laps at the SCG in 2014.

Puzzles

Quotes

Film

“It was the first time in my 70-odd years on this planet that I went out and bought a dog.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber

The composer explains that he was so upset after seeing the film adaptation of his musical Cats he went out and bought a Havanese puppy. Unfortunately, it still looks like James Corden.

Diplomacy

“If we had any foresight, the Maseratis would not have been bought…”

John PundariThe Papua New Guinean Finance minister admits the former government’s decision to spend $7.9 million on luxury cars for the 2018 APEC leaders’ summit was an error. Still, it makes the $600,000 water cannon Sydney bought when it hosted the summit seem a little lame.

Funding

“We have been very transparent in relation to the car parks program.”

Paul FletcherThe Urban Infrastructure minister defends the government’s handling of the commuter car park scheme. It’s possible he doesn’t know what “transparent” means – or he’s using it to describe the nakedness of his government’s motives.

Law

“This went beyond that – to who I am, to my beliefs.”

Peter DuttonThe Home Affairs minister describes the hurt caused to him by a social media post that described him as a rape apologist. Although politicians should not be exploiting restrictive defamation laws, it is nice to see a man who’s locked up so many innocent people trying out a judicial process.

Climate

“Please be very careful about information spread on an emotional basis, or tied to money, or egos or power-seekers.”

Gina RinehartThe iron ore magnate warns students at her old school about the perils of believing in climate change, which she said was not caused by humans. Anyone who would fight her own children so hard for money clearly has everyone’s future in mind.

Politics

“I turn 50 in November. Maybe it’s a bit of a midlife crisis.”

John BarilaroThe outgoing NSW deputy premier says seeing Andrew Constance resign helped him decide to leave politics. This is the same Andrew Constance he called a “cunt” last year and successfully chased out of the Eden–Monaro preselection.

ISRAEL–HAMAS WAR