September 2 – 8, 2023
News
Comment
Comment
Madeline Gleeson
How Australia shaped Britain’s refugee policy
“When British prime minister Rishi Sunak held a press conference in March this year from a podium emblazoned with ‘Stop the boats’, Australian audiences could have been forgiven for thinking we had regressed a decade to Tony Abbott’s 2013 federal election campaign.”
Comment
John Hewson
Make the polluters pay
“Most governments don’t think, plan and manage with a view to the longer term – but Treasurer Jim Chalmers has claimed the latest intergenerational report is the basis for action. These reports, typically published every five years to provide an outlook on the next few decades of economic challenges, are pointless if their conclusions aren’t reflected in annual budgets and other policy initiatives.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Actor Jason Schwartzman
Since his breakout role in Wes Anderson’s 1998 film Rushmore, Jason Schwartzman has embodied eccentric loners. In Asteroid City, his familiar persona is given its greatest emotional weight.
The Influence
Trent Parke on the music of Max Richter
Max Richter’s haunting and expansive compositions became the soundtrack for Magnum photographer Trent Parke’s latest work, Monument.
Fiction
Last days
“A flicker caught her eye and, heavy lidded, she gazed at the twilight shadows dancing on the bedroom wall like a portal to a more ethereal world. Time had become morphine-paced. Perhaps it would be best not to tell Daniel, she thought sleepily. But what if he came across some tiny piece of incriminating evidence and she wouldn’t be there to explain it? Daniel must have been in while she dozed. The bedside lamp was on. He had been so loving these last months. Her mind floated, landed. Was honesty really the best policy? ”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Politics
“The prime minister right from the start has, I think, tried to rig this thing in not providing the detail, just getting it through on the vibe.”
The opposition leader accuses Anthony Albanese of “rigging” the referendum. Sometimes it’s hard to know if he’s quoting The Castle or if he’s just dug a hole.
Family
“They’re doing to my son something he doesn’t deserve.”
The mother of Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales locks herself in a church and goes on hunger strike. Presumably, this is where he learnt about boundaries.
Medicine
“Neurosurgeons regularly deal with infections in the brain, but this was a once-in-a-career finding.”
The infectious diseases physician explains how a live worm was found in an Australian woman’s brain. Other “No” voters are encouraged to get tested.
Law
“Donning a cloak of victimisation may play well on a public stage to certain audiences…”
The US district court judge clears the way for Rudy Giuliani to be held liable for defaming poll workers. It’s not so much the cloak as the hair dye that’s intriguing, though.
Retirement
“I would encourage ‘No’ voters to maintain the rage.”
The former prime minister offers his thoughts on the Voice. For a lot of the Quadrant readers he’s addressing, rage is all they can maintain.
Race
“I have exhausted my trust in the organisation.”
The broadcaster says the ABC does not do enough to defend and support First Nations staff and people of colour. Last week, Grant announced he had resigned from the network.
ISRAEL–HAMAS WAR
