June 19 – 25, 2021
News
Comment
Comment
Behrouz Boochani
The Murugappan family and immigration detention
“The decision to transfer one of the daughters of the Murugappan family to Perth Children’s Hospital sent shock waves across Australia and abroad. Growing public pressure forced the Australian government to release the whole family into Perth community detention.”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Scott Morrison and QAnon
“The relationship between the Australian prime minister and the country’s highest-profile devotee of the QAnon conspiracy cult became even more problematic this week for the absent Scott Morrison. The Labor opposition seized on revelations in the much anticipated Four Corners program about Tim Stewart to claim serious questions of national security are involved. The Louise Milligan report showed a number of text messages where Stewart boasted of his access to the prime minister and his ability to influence him. ”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Terri-ann White
Terri-ann White’s long career has been marked by a certain wildness, but her latest project – starting a new publishing house in the midst of a pandemic – is probably the boldest.
The Influence
Bri Lee
Writer and academic Bri Lee talks about the influence of painter Eugene von Guérard on her work and outlook.
Fiction
Affect training
“For the last class they were asked to bring along a soft toy, but Monica didn’t have one at home. Judy had told them to find something that spoke to their “selves”. At the toyshop was a brown bear in a tutu and a large fluffy dog sitting on its haunches. There were dolls that stared and stared. The only one that appealed to Monica was a round purple ball with a stitched face that looked as though it was pressed against glass. It didn’t resemble any animal she knew. It fitted neatly into her torso when she held it and its strange multicoloured ponytails brushed her face. This creature, in its weirdness, spoke to her.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Climate
“It pays for a lot of barista machines that produces the coffee that inner-city people sit and talk about the death of coal.”
The acting prime minister pushes back against the Group of Seven’s position on coalmines. Just to be clear: they’re not called “barista machines”.
Refugees
“It only encourages more to do it. And it says in big bright neon lights to those who do the right thing: ‘Suckers’.”
The former Immigration minister takes a brave stand against the Murugappan family. This is a family newspaper, so we can’t say what’s written on the neon sign attached to her.
Truth
“As a woman of faith, as a mother of baby Blake, as a person who meticulously prepared at some of the world’s hardest institutions, I never lied.”
The former press secretary for Donald Trump claims that her faith prevented her from ever lying in the role. There were definitely a million people at the rally.
Celebrations
“Yesterday was not my birthday.”
After telling the senate she turned 67 on June 16, the One Nation leader acknowledges that her birthday was in fact last month. It’s possible what she’s said about the Family Court is also untrue.
Mining
“It’s a duty that my moral compass does not allow me to avoid.”
The mining magnate fights to overturn a Western Australian law that blocks a damages claim he has for $30 billion. He chose to represent himself, which is more than he did for the voters of Fairfax.
Vaccines
“Please do not wait. There could not be a simpler, clearer message.”
The Health minister announces Pfizer will be the preferred coronavirus vaccine for anyone under the age of 60. He encouraged all people to rush the take-up of the program his government has been stalling.
