Paddy Manning With NSW facing the possibility of a hung parliament, fear grows that the state’s gun laws – already eroded by two decades of deal-making with the Shooters party – will be further traded away.

Kieran Pender A Canberra public servant’s anonymous posts on social media led to her sacking and now to the High Court in a free speech case with far-reaching consequences for the federal government.

Mike Seccombe Scott Morrison’s words following the Christchurch massacre were sensitive and well chosen, but how can they be read as ingenuous when they follow on from almost two decades of his party deliberately cultivating disunity and fear?

Kate Hennessy For months, Indigenous activist Thomas Mayor carried the Uluru Statement from the Heart around Australia, rolling out the canvas as he told its story. With Labor and mining companies now on board, the push continues for a First Nations voice. “We have bipartisanship on the influences of the Australian public, left, right or centre. That’s the mindset we’re transferring to – fighting for the referendum to win.”

Judy Courtin The toppling of a senior Catholic cardinal for child sexual assault no doubt deserves media attention. But we cannot let the news itself suck the oxygen from other critical issues facing survivors. Namely, the uphill battle they continue to face in seeking fair redress for the abuses perpetrated against them.

Paul Bongiorno The cowardly, hate-filled attack has shaken both nations to their core, and exposed the lethal consequences of Australia’s political obsession with playing to people’s fears and prejudices. This is a dramatic shift, more potent than the demonising of the Tampa mercy ship with its cargo of 443 asylum seekers in 2001.

Richard Ackland There’s so much that can make people physically sick. Army wallah and boonies Nasty Party senator Linda Reynolds told ABC viewers she was “almost physically ill” when the medivac legislation was passed by parliament. After all, it was Muslims who were on the attack in Bali, if you follow her drift. She’ll make a fine addition to Team Schmo. Other citizens were just as ill with news from New Zealand.

There is an urgent desire to blame internet forums for Brenton Tarrant’s bent interpretation of the world. The bigger concern is that many of the thoughts expressed in his manifesto have appeared, in one form or another, on the opinion pages of most mainstream publications in this country. Tarrant is an aberration, as is all terrorism. But he is produced by a culture that has normalised hate, that is built from division, whose politics routinely exploits fear and whose press caters enthusiastically to it.

Denham Sadler Privacy fears surround Victoria’s new DNA laws, which would allow police to take samples from suspects before they are charged with any crime.

Jonathan Pearlman Italy moves to join Belt and Road Initiative. Taiwanese leader wooing independence allies. Prayuth Chan-ocha recasting his image for Thai election. The Macron Show tours France to assuage protesters.

Miriam Cosic While father and daughter Hans and Nora Heysen both became renowned Australian artists – he for bush landscapes, she for portraits and still lifes – their work had become, until recently, somewhat overlooked.

Brodie Lancaster The appeal of Dean Lewis’s debut album, A Place We Knew, is that the earnest musings on broken relationships can be moulded to anyone’s story. But what his formulaic songwriting gains in popularity, it lacks in depth and insight.

Alex McKinnon Weet-Bix and pastries with Australian South Sea Islanders – Port Jackson founding board member Aunty Shireen Malamoo.

David Moyle

Leanne Altmann The beverage director for Andrew McConnell’s restaurants recommends her favourite drinks as the weather cools.

Jill Stark Recent calls for a stricter AFL drug policy have again fomented debate around changing societal values, mental health and harm reduction. So can a perfect balance be struck between protecting players and safeguarding the integrity of the game?

Cindy MacDonald Test your general knowledge with our weekly quiz.