Rick Morton Despite an early promise by the Morrison government to deliver better outcomes for Indigenous Australians, they remain no closer to being recognised in the constitution.

Bri Lee The draft proposals on consent law in NSW contain some vital reforms, but experts maintain that further action is needed to combat sexual violence.

Karen Middleton Scott Morrison has gone on the front foot, rewriting the cabinet handbook and setting the agenda for how decisions in his government will be made.

Tommy Murphy Packer & Sons looks at the extremes of Australian masculinity through the lens of its two most successful media dynasties. “It would be impossible to stage Packer & Sons, a play about three generations of Packer power, without the Murdochs. The two competing families have brawled, collaborated and defined themselves against each other. The Murdochs are the Greeks to the Packers’ Roman gods.”

Russell Marks The High Court’s decision to hear George Pell’s appeal against his conviction for five counts of sexually assaulting altar boys was met with dismay by survivors of clergy abuse and their advocates. But lawyers had expected the court would grant leave, given the way it has determined cases of historical child sexual abuse since 1994.

Marly Wells Naparngardi, Harry Jakamarra Nelson, Valerie Napaljarri Martin, Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves What has happened in Yuendumu is an outrage, an injustice, and an event that we must not allow to be swept under the rug … We are hurt. We are angry. We are suffering. We stay strong and we stay together – but we should never again have to be connected by grief like this.

Paul Bongiorno It has been a long time coming and it has taken the biggest fire front in Australia’s history to do it, but climate change denial has finally lost its political potency. The pressure is now on Scott Morrison to resolve the fierce resistance in his own government’s ranks and respond with policies that persuade voters – thousands of them victims of this week’s inferno – that the federal Liberals and Nationals get it.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs “blue book” – given to the Morrison government after the election – the threat of “populism, nationalism and authoritarianism” is only growing in the region. “We need to work hard to respond to the challenges,” the document warns, “enhancing global co-operation and limiting coercive power.” The world it describes is a troubled one. Tensions are rising. Orthodoxies are breaking down.

Jonathan Pearlman Hindu nationalism in India. Press freedoms under threat in Vanuatu. Evo Morales ousted as Bolivian president. Racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism on the rise in Italy.

Richard Ackland Some people have been unkind enough to criticise former New Zealander, man of weatherboard and iron, drought envoy and one-time deputy prime minister the Honourable Barnaby Joyce, MP, after he claimed Green voters not only caused the catastrophic fires this week but also made the ultimate sacrifice for their beliefs. Did he go too far, you ask? Not at all. In the scheme of utterances from Cockies Corner, this is sensible stuff and goes down a treat.

Michelle Law Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter shine in the third season of The Crown, which sees the royal family facing greater public criticism amid unrest in Britain.

Neha Kale Japan supernatural, the new blockbuster exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, celebrates the transient nature of existence while challenging the unseen forces that shape our lives.

Maxine Beneba Clarke

Annie Smithers

Anna Spargo-Ryan An early-morning visit from the author’s mother delivers news that could affect her life and the lives of her children.

Engel Schmidl The demand for women’s wrestling is growing, and along with it a coterie of ambitious proponents following their squared circle dreams.

Cindy MacDonald Test your general knowledge with our weekly quiz.