November 4 – 10, 2023
News
Comment
Comment
Monique Ryan
Assange is a test of US friendship
“Australia has a long and proud tradition of journalists upholding truth ... We need that sort of journalism. At a time of increasing disinformation and decreasing trust in government, if we don’t protect journalists, they can’t tell us what we need to know.”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Peter Dutton’s play at weaponising Israel–Hamas war
“Peter Dutton’s weaponisation of this human disaster is a cynical caricature of the government’s response. From day one Albanese and his foreign minister, Penny Wong, have not resiled from condemning the barbarity of the Hamas slaughter of 1400 Israelis.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Writer Michele Lee
Hmong–Australian writer Michele Lee’s new play, which explores death, ghosts and memory, began with a regular phone call to her parents.
The Influence
Stephen Nicolazzo on Madonna’s Girlie Show
For Stephen Nicolazzo, founder of Little Ones Theatre and now artistic director of Brink Productions, Madonna is the reason he makes theatre.
Fiction
Red Mercedes
“I pick up the drink when it arrives and I don’t say thank you. There’s something about this guy I don’t like. Maybe it’s his aftershave, or because I think I can hear him breathing through his nose. Whatever it is, I find it irritating. I look over the bar into the pool room where two dickheads in their football colours are chalking their cues. He’s still there at my elbow saying nothing.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Police
“I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest …”
The homicide detective speaks after Erin Patterson’s arrest over the alleged poisoning of her in-laws and a friend. Patterson, who was later charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder, has strenuously denied wrongdoing.
Speaking
“I’m going to treat you cunts like you treated me! And for me to talk like this tells you how angry I am.”
The “No” campaigner sends an angry text message to a partner at KPMG after the consultancy refused his $10,000 speaking fee. The strange part is that being paid too much for meaningless advice is the firm’s entire business model.
Sport
“What I saw appears to have not happened and my memory has failed me.”
The New South Wales Police Force sergeant apologises for giving false evidence in a case against rugby league players he said he saw fighting in a nightclub. This is why we have video referees.
Trade
“It was China who stopped it because they didn’t like the fact that we stood up to them.”
The former prime minister explains the breakdown in relations with China during his term. If you can have only one skill, that skill might as well be self-delusion.
Science
“I think it is worth stating that the anthropogenic global warming thesis, at least in its more extreme forms, is both ahistorical and utterly implausible.”
The former prime minister addresses a conservative conference in London. The list of thoughts he believes are “worth stating” is much longer than it should be.
Health
“Each of the waves we’ve had this year have been less and less severe.”
The chief medical officer announces a new “business as usual” response to Covid-19. This is what now constitutes good news.
ISRAEL–HAMAS WAR
