October 11 – 17, 2025
News
Comment
Comment
Tim Moore
Stacked boards driving ‘rotten’ university sector
“The chair of the recent Senate inquiry into the quality of governance at Australia’s universities, Tony Sheldon, can describe the situation in a single word: rotten. While not employing the same colourful language, the Senate’s interim report, recently released, is no less damning.”
Comment
Chris Wallace
Happy birthday, Liberal Party of Australia
“Of several possible birthday options, the Liberals observe October 13, 1944, the date on which a conference of anti-Labor parties called by founder Robert Menzies began in a Masonic hall near Parliament House in Canberra. Menzies would likely be rolling his eyes at the party’s antics this week.”
Comment
Stan Grant
The brain in a box
“What is the most significant news story of the past couple of weeks? Trump’s Gaza deal? The attack on a British synagogue? Closer to home, is it Andrew Hastie’s political manoeuvrings? … Certainly, those stories have made the headlines. Tucked away in one newspaper, though, was a story that may define the future of humanity. This story will eventually touch every one of us, wherever we live, whatever our faith or culture.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Screenwriter and director Tony Ayres
His outsider upbringing means Tony Ayres, the brains behind television series such as The Slap, Nowhere Boys and an upcoming drama based on Erin Patterson, is drawn to complex characters.
Music
The One Battle After Another soundtrack
Paul Thomas Anderson’s gripping One Battle After Another positions music as a force against fascism.
Fiction
The Terrible
“On a spring afternoon in 2018, the man leaves Tretyakovskaya station in Moscow unable to remember why he’d come. His backpack, light on his shoulders, contains Dostoevsky’s The Double and a change of clothes. He hadn’t planned a long stay. He has no official business, no friends to visit.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Communication
“The notifications are important.”
The deputy secretary of communications responds after Optus sends two emails to the wrong email address, advising of its triple-O outage. At least 600 calls failed and three people died before the email was found.
Education
“We regret the impact this had on some students.”
The deputy vice-chancellor at the Australian Catholic University acknowledges that an AI tool wrongly accused students of using AI to cheat on assignments. There is probably a lesson in this.
Politics
“It needs to stop, we look like a clown show.”
The Coalition backbencher criticises colleagues for lack of discipline. As a man dressed as a hot dog would say: “We’re all trying to find the guy who did this…”
Comedy
“It’s a complicated issue, but I felt like it’s something that’s pushing things in the right direction, I hope.”
The comic responds to criticism after playing a festival in Saudi Arabia. He probably shouldn’t be talking about pushing things in any direction.
Music
“That’s a shockingly offensive thing to say.”
The pop star responds to suggestions she will stop making music after her marriage to Travis Kelce. After listening to “Wood” it’s fair to say he’s not a positive influence on her craft.
Science
“There are upsides and downsides. I’m quite old now. Handling all the nonsense that’s going to happen is going to be hard work.”
The 88-year-old chemistry professor, who has worked at the University of Melbourne since 1966, reflects on winning a Nobel Prize. The problem with excellence is all the paperwork.
