May 21–27, 2016

News

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten on the campaign trail this week.

Labor’s bid to make health central to election

“The Royal College of General Practitioners is preparing to inject itself into an election campaign for the first time.”

Karen Middleton In the first major policy announcement of the campaign, Labor has built a wedge on Medicare rebates – and won powerful support.

News
Tom Conroy and Kate Mulvany in a production of Jasper Jones.
One of the paintings at the centre of the trial: Blue Lavender Bay.
A woman walks along the fringe of the dried-up Varuna River, in the village of Phūlpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Comment

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

ReadCartoon image, links to full cartoon page

Editorial
Outstanding claims

Letters

Let’s figure out our foreign aid

Congratulations to Mike Seccombe for his excellent piece “Teething on the campaign trail” (May 14-20). But his claims about aid increases only to Papua New Guinea, Nauru and Cambodia do …

Following the story

I’m thankful for the article by John Martinkus (“Silenced protest”, May 14-20) regarding the suppression of rights in Papua, and I would like to remind your readers that Australia’s largely …

Read More

Books
Image for article: The Pier Falls

Mark Haddon
The Pier Falls

Image for article: The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

Dominic Smith
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

Image for article: Dead Men Don’t Order Flake

Sue Williams
Dead Men Don’t Order Flake

Life
Image for article: The Unwelcome Guest: Meditation and guilt

Health

The Unwelcome Guest: Meditation and guilt

Georgia Blain How do you find the balance between living and the ongoing treatment that brain cancer requires?

Image for article: Gothenburg’s Malm Whale

Travel

Gothenburg’s Malm Whale

Patrick Lau Sweden’s cosmopolitan and historic port city of Gothenburg is home to the world’s only preserved blue whale.

Image for article: On the fast track: Alex Hartmann, 23, sprinter

Sport

On the fast track: Alex Hartmann, 23, sprinter

Richard Cooke Alex Hartmann on the little one percenters and that “magical” sub-10-second 100 metres.

The Quiz
1. What is the stage name of singer Jessica Cornish?
2. What was the first United States city to host the Summer Olympic Games? (Bonus point for naming the year.)
3. True or false: Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson were born within three months of each other.
4. What hormone is released by the pancreas to lower blood sugar?
5. Who invented the radio?
6. Which actor links these film characters: Sonny Grotowski, Patrick Verona and Ennis Del Mar?
7. Which major tourist destination is situated on Lake Wakatipu?
8. Which of the following is not the name of a font: (a) Lumix; (b) Palatino; or (c) Garamond?
9. Does a Bactrian camel have one hump or two?
10. What is the best-known work, measuring 5.17 square kilometres, of sculptor Gutzon Borglum?

Click through for answers.

Quotes

LABOUR

“The au pairs worked during business hours (while Lucy worked) so penalty rates did not apply. Advice was that superannuation was not payable.”

Greens spokesmanRichard Di Natale’s office responds to news he paid au pairs $6 an hour and neglected to disclose ownership of a farm. The au pairs were also given food and board and a copy of his party’s drugs policy.

MEDIA

“I signed a confidentiality agreement and I intend to keep it that way.”

Paul SheehanThe Fairfax columnist confirms he has taken a redundancy package but will not say whether he was pushed. The package is thought to be worth several hundred thousand dollars – a rare example of there being money in fiction.

CRIME

“The toxicological findings raise the possibility of a cocaine-related death.”

Deb WilliamsonThe advocate assisting the coroner in the case of an unidentified torso found washed up in Botany Bay speculates on cause of death. Cocaine is one theory; missing his arms, legs and head is also a factor.

CLIMATE

“If the government really thought it was too much money, well then they should say so and just give up on the reef.”

Jon BrodieThe James Cook University researcher suggests $10 billion is needed to save the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, “just give up” is official government policy.

PROPERTY

“I’ve racked my mind about how this omission came to be.”

David FeeneyThe Labor frontbencher admits to forgetting to list a $2.3 million investment property among his register of interests. One of the negatives of this gearing arrangement is that his tenants are Greens supporters.

CAMPAIGNING

“Without sounding sexist, some people are rapt to have a man to vote for.”

Marty CorboyThe Nationals candidate for the seat of Indi rates his chances against Independent Cathy McGowan and the Liberals’ Sophie Mirabella. Quick note, champ: that does sound particularly sexist.

Open table of contents