November 20 – 26, 2021
News
Comment
Comment
Saxon Mullins
Why all Australian states should have affirmative consent laws
“Under the current New South Wales law, a person commits sexual assault if they know the other person is not consenting, if they are ‘reckless’ as to whether the other person consented, or if there are no reasonable grounds for believing there was consent. According to the court, my frozen body was all the consent that was needed.”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
John Alexander turns on Scott Morrison
“Former Australian tennis great John Alexander doesn’t like the way the game of politics is being played. Winning is everything and the biggest losers are Australians. Good policy and a genuine bipartisan search for what is best for the nation, in his opinion, comes a poor last.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
The Influence
Amrita Hepi
Multidisciplinary artist Amrita Hepi pays homage to Adrian Piper’s groundbreaking short video Funk Lessons.
Fiction
Desert Motel
“I sprinkle food into the aquarium. It is a delicate job. One fish died last week, and that was unfortunate. It floated to the surface at a pathetic tilt, its disappointed mouth open. I used a coffee cup to lift it out and lay it on a table napkin borrowed from the restaurant. I had a hunt through the lost property box for a glass marble to poke through the puckered mouth of the goldfish. I knew I had seen one in there. The marble was enough to weight the dead goldfish to the floor of the tank. The other goldfish dove down to inspect it. Flashes of orange and slow gulping mouths.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Tax
“I keep forgetting you’re alive.”
The Tesla billionaire responds to a suggestion from Bernie Sanders that the very wealthy pay their “fair share” of tax. In fairness to Musk, he also loses track of whether supply chain workers are alive or not.
Protest
“It’s time for governments to step back and for Australians to take their lives back.”
The prime minister says there is “no place” for violence, before suggesting the Victorian government should get out of the way of protesters carrying nooses. As Donald Trump would say, there are very fine people on both sides.
Film
“At the time, I didn’t say anything. He said it to his wife and to the studio and the producer. So, I will be directing the fifth one.”
The actor announces he will direct the fifth Lethal Weapon film, after original director Richard Donner asked him to. The same thing happened with God and The Passion of the Christ.
Law
“While there may be public curiosity as to the private arrangements ... there is no true public interest.”
The president of the family division of the British High Court rules that the contents of Prince Philip’s will should be kept secret for 90 years. No word on how we’re supposed to find out who gets to keep Australia.
Media
“Ben Fordham’s account ... is fantasy.”
The former prime minister denies trying to influence the angle of a story about him. Fordham defended his account, saying, wonderfully, “Malcolm, you’ve been bragging about the size of your tentacles since 1991.”
Migration
“He is a family man and his children are what he has left.”
The lawyer denies disgraced former Labor MP Craig Thomson is a flight risk, following charges for allegedly facilitating a $2 million visa fraud. People say politicians lack dedication, but this will be Thomson’s second fraud trial in seven years.
