April 15 – 21, 2023
News
Comment
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Julian Leeser’s principled stand
“The resigning shadow minister for Indigenous Australians and shadow attorney-general, Julian Leeser, did something very rare in Australian politics this week: he quit the frontbench not to launch a challenge against the party leader but rather to undermine him on a point of deeply held principle.”
Comment
John Hewson
Dutton is leading in the wrong direction
“This growing willingness to write off the Liberal Party is a sign of something dangerous. It’s fair to dismiss the party as out of touch after resounding defeats in the federal election and more recently in the Aston byelection. But these failures, and the apparent inability to learn from them, are deeply unsettling.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Theatre director Adena Jacobs
For theatre director Adena Jacobs, pushing the boundaries has always been key to her art. Now pregnant and with a burgeoning career in Europe, she ponders the ‘wildness’ of creating life, the complexities of a queer family and the value of ancient stories.
The Influence
Simon Laherty on Britney Spears
Britney Spears’ lifelong struggle for respect and autonomy strikes a deep chord for Back to Back Theatre ensemble member Simon Laherty.
Fiction
Prime time
“Steph was lying on a hospital bed then or later – a gurney, was it? – like someone in a movie. A male nurse, Russian he said, tried and failed three times to insert a catheter into her left arm. She said she thought a catheter was something you stuck up your urethra in order to pee, and for some reason he found this funny. She was shaking then – rattle, rattle, rattle went the teeth in her head as if she were a skeleton in a cartoon. She recognised her skeleton then, or she understood it somehow, in the same way she had not recognised the finger the surgeon said was hers.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Legacy
“In a lot of ways, we saw this as being Victoria’s funeral.”
The broadcaster defends his production company after it was revealed the state spent $1.6 million on Shane Warne’s funeral. In fairness, Warne could spend that much on phone credit and pies in a single weekend.
Politics
“I think it is proper that people including the prime minister should apologise to Julian Leeser.”
The opposition leader suggests Anthony Albanese should apologise to the shadow attorney-general, who quit the frontbench over Dutton’s position on the Voice. Apologies are obviously confusing for Dutton: if he’s not walking out on them, he’s asking the wrong people to give them.
Leaders
“President Xi is a brilliant man ... the look, the brain, the whole thing.”
The former United States president shares his thoughts on China’s leader. This is the first time Xi has been complimented on his “look” by anyone other than Christopher Robin.
Economics
“We don’t need a treasurer that hides behind the Reserve Bank on these issues.”
The shadow treasurer says Jim Chalmers needs to show “fiscal constraint” in the forthcoming budget. Speaking of hiding behind, what happened to those accounts in the Cayman Islands?
Business
“I’m writing to let you know that we have made the difficult decision … MilkRun will cease trading this Friday.”
The founder of ultra-fast delivery service MilkRun explains that the company is shutting, citing poor economic conditions. It turns out you can’t order six eggs and a pack of chewing gum and expect it to arrive in 10 minutes.
Art
“Painting was our father’s life, and he was painting right up to the last.”
The children of artist John Olsen announce his death. He was 95.
