News

‘This is just about politics’: Scott Morrison redraws the pandemic

Geoff Kitney The prime minister believed the reopening of NSW would mark a swing in positive sentiment. He is now rushing to cover testing failures and redefine close contacts and hospital admissions.

News

News

Who burnt the doors of Old Parliament House?

Toni Hassan One man has been charged over the burning of Old Parliament House’s doors – but it is still not clear whether the protest was for Indigenous sovereignty or directed by right-wing groups.

News

How the climate crisis and masculinity intersect

Max Opray The response to climate change is increasingly gendered, with inaction tied to a phenomenon called ‘petro-masculinity’.

World

Hong Kong’s Citizen News closes to protect staff

Jonathan Pearlman Five nuclear powers in pledge to prevent their use. Indonesia bans coal exports for January. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is convicted of fraud.

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Opinion

Opinion

Mehdi Ali
‘I grew up in this cage’: Life inside the Park Hotel

“The darkest months in detention are always December and January. In these months, from the windows of our rooms at the Park Hotel, we see people celebrating with their loved ones another year that we’re away from ours. ”

Opinion

Chris Wallace
Morrison and Perrottet’s laissez-faire pact

“If you think a day is a long time in politics, try a week. This one started with Scott Morrison showing off his massive barramundi. It finished with Australia’s uncontrolled Omicron outbreak likely finishing off his government’s chance of re-election. ”

Opinion

John Hewson
How Scott Morrison failed on RATs

“Scott Morrison has gone to great lengths to give his overall Covid-19 response an air of respectability by claiming to be acting on the basis of the science – ignoring his political manipulation of that advice and suggesting this is done with the overarching support of the national cabinet. ”

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

Read

Editorial
Because I said

Scott Morrison’s smile is like a measuring tape. It lengthens as he decides what it is he can get away with. The calibration is sometimes off but this does not affect his confidence. Before he speaks, he sucks air hard through his nose: one last assessment, as if to smell the credulity of the room.

Letters

A pessimistic outlook

Rick Morton’s piece on Covid-19 vaccines (“Part two: How Covid-19 began an ‘mRNA revolution’ ”, December 18, 2021–January 7, 2022) asked if governments would “continue …

Menzies is not the gold standard

John Hewson (“A rat with a gold tooth”, December 18, 2021–January 7, 2022) writes as though Robert Menzies was a great prime minister. My memory of his overlong period in that …

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Culture

Life

Food

Grilled quail with dried tomato and betel leaves

David Moyle

Fiction

12 Subsidised Medicare Sessions

“Yes, well, the Christmas tree incident has rather introduced a tension of sorts into the family, but I think when we objectively look at the evidence leading up to it, it is clear that Daniel provoked me. Why give me socks with strawberries on them when you know I am deathly allergic to strawberries? Why chuckle as I’m opening it? ”

Sinéad Stubbins

Sport

Sports films to keep the summer alive

Martin McKenzie-Murray

In no particular order, here are five sports films to watch this summer.

Puzzles

The Cryptic

Crossword No. 381

The Quiz

1. The Imposters are the touring band of which British singer?
2. Journalist Maria Ressa was co-recipient of the 2021 Nobel peace prize for her fight for freedom of expression in which country?
3. Colour blindness usually involves the inability to distinguish between shades of red and what other colour?
4. Which first lady of the United States is credited with the quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”?
5. What is the world’s largest landlocked country? (Bonus point for naming the country with the longest coastline.)
6. Who preceded Christian Porter as Australia’s attorney-general?
7. Who is currently the advertising face of Chanel No 5 perfume?
8. According to the children’s rhyme, when Lucy Locket lost her pocket, who found it?
9. Last month Magnus Carlsen retained the world championship he’s held for eight years in which sport?
10. Who is set to direct the upcoming fifth instalment of the Lethal Weapon film franchise?

Click through for answers.

Quotes

TENNIS

“Tonight they can throw him in a dungeon, tomorrow they can put him in chains.”

Srdjan DjokovicThe father of Novak Djokovic responds to news his son’s visa to Australia had been cancelled. He likened the unvaccinated tennis player to Spartacus, possibly for his willingness to lead a virus outbreak.

VACCINATION

“We will continue to do this, to the end. This is the strategy.”

Emmanuel MacronThe French president announces that he intends to pass laws that will help in “pissing off” the unvaccinated. If there’s one thing anti-vaxxers hate to be, it’s irritated.

LAW

“It is clear to Ms Maxwell that based on this record alone a new trial is required.”

Jeffrey PagliucaA lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell petitions to have her conviction overturned after it was revealed one of the jurors who sat on her trial was a victim of child sexual abuse. Either way, she seems very guilty.

TESTING

“Well, I’d have to check with Jen, because she’s the one that goes and gets them.”

Scott MorrisonThe prime minister responds to a journalist asking how many rapid antigen tests he has had to buy himself. Spoiler: Jen didn’t get enough.

FAITH

“Sometimes they have one, and that’s it; but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children.”

Pope FrancisThe head of the Catholic Church complains of the selfishness of people who have pets instead of children. He is, of course, famously celibate.

DEMOCRACY

“This is the Democrats’ Great Cover-Up Committee and the media is complicit.”

Donald TrumpThe former US president cancels a press conference scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the January 6 uprising. Presumably the car park at Four Seasons Total Landscaping was already booked.