February 5 — 11, 2022
News
Comment
Comment
Stephen Charles
The case for a national integrity commission
“We know that before the last election nearly a billion dollars of taxpayers’ money was used for pork-barrelling, to improve the government’s electoral prospects rather than in the community’s interests. That is political corruption as Transparency International defines it, and the remaining question is: How much more money was actually spent in the same dishonest way in other grant schemes? Without a national integrity commission, we simply cannot tell.”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Scott Morrison faces the tumbrel
“Make no mistake: the tumbrel is rolling for the Morrison government and the political guillotine is looming as its inescapable fate. Responding to a devastating Newspoll at the beginning of the week, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg reminded us that ‘many political obituaries were written ahead of the 2019 election and many false prophecies were made by those in the media’. He also said Scott Morrison was the best person to lead the Coalition to the election.”
Comment
John Hewson
Why federation reform should be an urgent priority
“Before the pandemic, at most of my speeches to business and civil society groups, a question or comment was almost always made about why we don’t abolish state governments. The reasons were many and varied but all around a theme: a basic concern was that Australia is overgoverned; concern about the counterproductive consequences of the governance structures, in terms of blame and competition, or competitive federalism; that there are too many politicians; and that government is too expensive.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
The Influence
Stephen Page
For Bangarra’s former artistic director Stephen Page, his brother’s song ‘Young Man’, written in Yugambeh language, is a gift to the future.
Fiction
Iceberg
“My first job in the new country is in a restaurant in the rich suburb. The customers sit outside under white shade sails. Down the tree-lined streets the hill dips into crystal waters. In the mornings, I wheel a trolley to the basement car park and collect dusty bottles of organic juice or cola from a cage. Before I go I check the trolley, but somehow a wheel always breaks on the steep driveway back. Either that or I forget the key to the cage, or I have to go back for my notebook. When I return, one boss yells, ‘What’s taking so long?’ and ‘Where’s the cart?’”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Radio
“It was wet so the whole car was going sideways … and I didn’t care if I died.”
The shock jock says he was so angry he almost crashed his car after storming out of the radio studio because he didn’t think his show should cover the Scott Morrison text messages. One thing you can say about “horrible, horrible” men: they stick together.
Faith
“The college, through the freedoms afforded to it by law, has outlined our common beliefs and practices.”
The principal pastor at Brisbane’s Citipointe Christian College explains a legally binding enrolment contract sent out to students that has since been withdrawn after a backlash. Those common beliefs are that trans people don’t exist and “homosexual acts” are an offence to God.
Commentary
“I can just think it.”
The commentator says he stands by his view of Grace Tame but possibly didn’t need to publish it in The Australian. Strange how he makes humility sound like The Secret.
Groceries
“My eldest son likes almond milk. I don’t know how you get milk from almonds.”
The Employment minister explains why Scott Morrison doesn’t understand the cost of living: there are just too many types of milk. Robert himself is still working out the human cost of robo-debt.
Politics
“The things we’re doing before don’t work the same way under the Omicron virus.”
The prime minister tells Perth radio that the Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, was right to delay opening the state’s border. Unfortunately for Morrison, popularity and its variants are not contagious.
Defamation
“You’re just making this up, aren’t you? You’re lying.”
The lawyer for Ben Roberts-Smith rejects evidence from a serving SAS member that his client killed one prisoner and ordered a junior soldier to kill another. The trial continues.
