September 2 – 8, 2017
News
Comment
Comment
Bob Brown
Malcolm Turnbull caves in to Tasmanian loggers
“Turnbull effectively signed the death warrant on forests in a whole brace of reserves. He also endorsed logging of 159 forest coupes already listed by Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman for clear-felling in other Tarkine forests, including in the headquarters of the Frankland River where protesters up trees have held off logging during the past year. ”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Turnbull and the greasy poll
“To appeal to the Hansonites, Turnbull and his ministers are trying to out-Pauline Pauline. To get at Labor they have hit the nuclear button on political hyperbole. Both tactics reek of political desperation but after 18 consecutive bad Newspolls – the past six diabolical – you can almost understand it. None of it is designed to inspire the nation, it has only one base purpose: survival.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Death-defying actor Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe’s dark charisma has helped him build a career on complicated, often villainous roles, but for his latest film he narrates a documentary about adventurers who climb and throw themselves off mountains. Such people push themselves to the edge, as Dafoe does. But he says he is not so brave – “I don’t even want to go in a hot-air balloon” – and admits to vertigo.
Film
‘God’s Own Country’
While Yorkshire-born director Francis Lee brings authenticity to the screen with his depiction of rural labours, he fails to find honesty in God’s Own Country’s idealised central relationship.
Portrait
‘Anaesthesia’ author Kate Cole-Adams
“In a small waiting room, I’m lying on a metal hospital trolley. I am alone. Through the swing doors into the operating theatre, where they are running an hour late, I can hear them preparing for me: muffled voices, clanging and scraping, the sound of metal. Watching the clock above the doors, I begin to think about Kate Cole-Adams. Twice we’d been together at The National Writers’ House. For two weeks I’d heard stories from her book: people waking under anaesthesia, pain and paralysis, time lost, memories that were confused or warped; or memories intact but disbelieved.”
Food
Whole roasted baby cauliflower with tahini yoghurt and toasted cumin
“What brought me to cook this for the page was stumbling across these perfect little cauliflowers in the local vegetable shop. These, roasted with a knob of butter and a good pinch of salt, were quite possibly the nicest thing I’ve eaten this winter.”
Books
Life
Health
The psychology of anti-vaccination
While anti-vaxxing myths have been universally debunked by experts, altering the psychology that fuels them is proving more challenging.
The Quiz
Quotes
MARRIAGE
“I think it would be a good thing if we get to have more specificity on that before we vote.”
The former prime minister expresses concern that religious freedoms will not be protected before a postal vote on same-sex marriage. Marriage is very important to Howard: it allowed him to move out of home at the age of 32.
COURTS
“This is an essential and accepted part of any democracy.”
The NSW District Court judge rules that it is not illegal to call Tony Abbott a “cunt”. Nor, presumably, is it untrue.
CLIMATE
“I don’t believe Hurricane Harvey is God’s punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than ‘climate change’.”
The conservative commentator responds to a storm that displaced 30,000 people and destroyed swaths of Texas. Wait until she finds out the actual mayor is black – and a Democrat.
VISA
“We’re not going to issue a visa for this particular individual.”
The immigration minister blocks a visit from anti-vaccination advocate Kent Heckenlively. The American would have had more luck if he described himself as a “Whooping cough pick-up artist”.
ART
“You can guess what many people would rather hang 58 metres over George Street… and it’s not a Cloud Arch.”
The broadcaster continues his push for the public killing of prominent women. In this instance, it is Clover Moore for the crime of supporting public sculpture.
MASSAGE
“What they were offering was not what I was seeking. I’ll make that very clear. And that’s when they started to get feisty.”
The NSW Liberal MP explains how he came to be blackmailed by two men, one of whom was apparently a minor, after ordering a massage in his hotel room in New York. Checks out.
