March 4 – 10, 2023
News
Comment
Comment
Julia Banks
The Coalition’s toxic gender politics
“The bells had barely rung for the first sitting weeks in parliament when Opposition Leader Peter Dutton cracked open the playbook of his predecessor Scott Morrison regarding women … Bang. There it was. Us versus you. Right versus left. A reflexive deployment of partisan weaponry, with a Morrison-style ‘people in glass houses’ flourish.”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Jim Chalmers’ super gamble
“This week Anthony Albanese trod where many thought he would never dare: he raised taxes on excessive savings held in superannuation. While he did it in a way that can wedge his political opponents in the run-up to the next election, he also handed them a big stick with which to beat him in the meantime.”
Comment
John Hewson
Super and the case for tax reform
“Australia has reached a pivotal point. There is very strong and increasing demand for government to provide a wide range of services, support and policy frameworks, coming to a head at a time when the federal budget already has a $37 billion hole and we are approaching $1 trillion in debt. This calls for a mature debate about priorities.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Punk pioneer Kathleen Hanna
For feminist punk icon Kathleen Hanna, the re-formation of Bikini Kill after 22 years is an exhilarating vindication of her early career.
The Influence
Alethea Beetson
The meta-commentary of the Scream horror franchise showed theatre-maker Alethea Beetson how to bring colonisation into a frame that’s both hilarious and vicious.
Poetry
Three poems
“(she/her) (he/him) Which edge of the bed to slip out of; sleep with roses or lie upon nails? Old soldiers acknowledge there is no romance in the never-ending human conflict. Choosing a side, rallying with blood, taking flags and occupying lands simply leads to a choke point; en moot! At the flaw of every human calamity is a warped mirror. Try the reflection with; monogamy, polygamy, polyamory… neutral… and the neutralised… ”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Media
“I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it, in hindsight.”
The News Corp chairman regrets Fox News’s coverage of claims the 2020 US election was stolen. Fortunately, voting systems were harder to hack than the phones of dead teenagers.
Cartoons
“There’s a new sheriff in town and accountability will be the order of the day.”
The presidential hopeful passes laws to give himself greater control over Disney World, Florida. He doesn’t like made-up characters, except the ones he makes up, like “threatening trans person”.
Police
“Their tactics they applied … should have been different.”
The deputy commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Force gives evidence at the inquiry into the shooting of Warlpiri teenager Kumanjayi Walker. Unfortunately, the force gives out medals for bravery but not understatement.
Politics
“As a cabinet minister I don’t get to choose the policies I agree with or don’t agree with.”
The former minister for Government Services explains that he had to defend robo-debt even when he knew it was unlawful. Another time cabinet told him to pretend he was competent and he just had to go along with it.
Sport
“It’s definitely a different approach to the men’s game.”
The president of Women Sport Australia responds to FIFA’s decision to appoint supermodel Adriana Lima as an ambassador for the Women’s World Cup. The fact it is in bad taste rather than corrupt is still a step forward for the body.
Television
“I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more.”
The comedian describes Jesus during a broadcast of The Project, for which Channel Ten later apologised. As a mark of respect, the show is watched by only 12 people and frankly whoever complained is a real Judas.
ISRAEL–HAMAS WAR
