September 9 – 15, 2023
News
Comment
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
The flailing kangaroo
“Somehow Anthony Albanese is being blamed for the catastrophic failure of governance by the Qantas board and its long-time chief executive. The behaviour of Qantas since Alan Joyce became boss almost 15 years ago is marked by arrogance and anti-competitive bullying.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Artist William Kentridge
Before the Australian premiere of his latest work, Sibyl, at the Sydney Opera House, animator, director and visual artist William Kentridge reveals that the moment when a work begins to catch fire is always mysterious.
The Influence
Stanley Dodds on Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie
For musician and conductor Stanley Dodds, Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie is one of the most joyous works of music ever written.
Fiction
Obstruction
“She was not moving. This tram, the one half full of sickly pale commuters in the dying afternoon light, hadn’t moved for a few minutes. Everyone else had already registered it, the stillness, the flatness. Heads turned, people looked up from their phones irritably. They weren’t at a stop or lights, just halted in the middle of the road.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Promises
“We went to the last election, and a number of elections before that, with that as our official policy.”
The opposition leader promises a second referendum on constitutional recognition, without a Voice. He went to the last election with eyebrows, too, and frankly you can’t trust anything he says.
Inflation
“With the benefit of hindsight, my view is that we did do too much.”
The outgoing governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia offers an assessment of his time in power. It’s like the old saying goes: no one dies wishing they’d spent more time raising interest rates.
Radio
“I have apologised to Corey for what I said and would not like to make public comment at the risk of causing him further hurt.”
The former senator apologises for describing Kamilaroi science educator Corey Tutt as a “fuckwit” while her mic was still live after a radio interview. Once a Howard-era immigration minister, always a Howard-era immigration minister.
Media
“The Murdochs were always nice, they never got in my way at all … But there were, you know, small-mind – it’s a company run by fearful women.”
The conservative broadcaster describes his time working at Fox News. Perhaps the women were fearful, but only because Roger Ailes worked there.
Cartoons
“These cartoonists are fairly tame and not seriously controversial in their work – such is the subdued nature of contemporary cartooning.”
The cartoonist criticises peers for boycotting the Walkley Awards. They should do something really radical, like drawing a man with a teapot on his head or criticising working mothers.
Climate
“It is completely and utterly untenable.”
The former deputy prime minister says the cost of reaching net zero is unreasonable. He’d prefer a world in which everyone was the same colour as him.
ISRAEL–HAMAS WAR
