September 30 – October 6, 2023
News
Comment
Comment
Greg Mullins
Climate change and the fire season ahead
“Recently, I tried to help organise hazard reduction burns in my fire-prone local area. For months it was too wet to burn, due to three years of rain. When it finally seemed as if it was dry enough last week, it was too hot, windy and dangerous. That was the same week Sydney experienced the hottest three consecutive days ever recorded in September.”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
The legacies of Daniel Andrews and Mike Pezzullo
“The departure of one powerful man and the sidelining of another has accentuated the profound influence both have had in shaping the direction of the nation. Their legacies are now both a challenge and an opportunity for Anthony Albanese to learn from and refine.”
Comment
John Hewson
Why full employment is an empty phrase
“The employment white paper released by the Albanese government this week is a vast improvement in professionalism and substance on the previous government’s three-word slogan – ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ – which offered precious little detail about which jobs and how they would be delivered.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Director Ivo van Hove
Director Ivo van Hove is a titan of contemporary theatre, winning both critical and popular acclaim with works that bring classic texts into vivid contemporary focus.
The Influence
Artist Josipa Draisma on Me and Daphne
When multidisciplinary artist Josipa Draisma was researching the history of migrant women working in Australian factories, she came across Martha Ansara’s 1977 film Me and Daphne – and found her grandmother.
Fiction
Black dad
“My dad worked in central São Paulo for a long time before landing a payment plan for the boxy white Gol that took us to and from Guarujá. My dad used to take the bus into the city, down as far as Avenida Cupecê to catch the first one of the day, ‘do you remember the dictatorship, dad?’, ‘yes, in those days they’d ask for your work permit before they beat you up’. I used to ask about fighting the generals and all he’d say was how his ears used to get so cold. I used to ask about the rallies and the secrets but he’d talk about how his hands would be freezing and hurting and how his fingertips used to go numb, ‘at the rallies?‘, ‘no, on the way to work’. The cold, his ears so terribly cold because he couldn’t wear a hat, ‘you couldn’t wear one because you were a communist?’, ‘no, it wasn’t that’.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Politics
“When it’s time, it’s time.”
The Victorian premier announces his resignation. He hasn’t stepped down this dramatically since he broke six ribs in Sorrento.
Courts
“Just a couple of cops/murderers and war criminals Havin a lovely afternoon in the sun”.
An Instagram account that appears to belong to former police officer Zachary Rolfe posts a comment under a picture of himself with Ben Roberts-Smith. In fairness, he isn’t saying anything a failed defamation trial didn’t already.
Polling
“So poll murder-suicide confirmed. No electoral benefit in being a ‘no’ wrecker, worse it’s just sure death.”
The “Yes” strategist responds to the fact the “No” campaign has not led to an uptick in Peter Dutton’s popularity. Voters might be racist, but they’re not stupid.
Mining
“This is bigger than me. It’s about my people and our history.”
The Mardudhunera woman celebrates after a court blocks Woodside’s plans for seismic blasting in the Scarborough offshore gas field. It’s almost as if the judge forgot who runs Western Australia.
Business
“From the top down, we will learn from these findings, rebuild and re-earn the trust of our stakeholders.”
The chief executive of PwC Australia responds to a report into the culture of the disgraced company. He has the pretend surprise of a man who buys his own Christmas presents.
Politics
“You’re ducking these things … We’re gonna call you Donald Duck.”
The Republican presidential hopeful mocks Donald Trump for missing a debate. It’s not particularly clever, but that’s kind of the point of Chris Christie.
ISRAEL–HAMAS WAR
