May 22 – 28, 2021
News
Comment
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Jumping on the campaign trail
“A government doesn’t spend $100 billion in a budget addressing every political problem, either of its own making or imposed on it, and leave anything to chance. Scott Morrison certainly didn’t this week. No sooner had parliament adjourned than he hot-footed it to Queensland – the state that did the most to save his government and without doubt holds the keys to the Lodge at the next poll. ”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso
For the past three decades, artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso has blurred the line between the natural world and human artifice, demanding that we look more closely at nature.
In Progress
Tony Albert
Acclaimed Indigenous artist Tony Albert finally has his collections of kitsch objects – which he calls Aboriginalia – all in one place, but his current fascination is with fabrics.
Fiction
An internal sea
“His name was Edward, and he liked to be called Edward, not Eddie or Ed or some other diminutive that would make him more familiar. I had always thought the name Edward was rather beautiful, and it suited him. He had full, curly hair – dark brown, flamed with orange. His eyelashes were long, his eyes big. They sat wet in their sockets, betraying him.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Priorities
“It’s an 11th order issue.”
The Labor MP describes where he ranks climate change. Issues ordered 1 through 10 are all retaining his Hunter Valley seat in the heart of coal country.
Compassion
We’re relying, I think, too much on individual public servants’ judgement and also their natural empathy.”
The minister defends a controversial proposal to introduce independent assessments to the NDIS. If the independent assessors also prove too empathetic, the government can always outsource the job to robots.
America
“That corrupt motherfucker.”
The former United States president reacts to news that Donald Trump was speaking with Vladimir Putin without aides on the call, according to a new book by journalist Edward-Isaac Dovere. Upon reflection, it’s a fairly generous description of the 45th president.
Persecution
“It’ll eventually get to where straight white men are not allowed to talk...”
The host, whose daily podcast is downloaded about 200 million times a month, and who just signed a $US100 million contract with Spotify, decries the silencing of straight white men by woke culture.
Tradition
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re visiting a ship, an army base or an air force base, this just doesn’t happen.”
The executive director of the Australian Defence Association expresses his surprise that Scott Morrison received a red-carpet welcome to an Australian military base. He should see the greeting the prime minister gets at a Hillsong church.
Austerity
“It would have been a really good photo opportunity. You know, kind of like Boris and his NHS friends…”
The New Zealand-born nurse explains why she declined to take part in a “clap for carers” event at Downing Street. McGee, who cared for the British prime minister when he was in intensive care with Covid-19, has resigned in protest at his government’s proposed 1 per cent pay rise for nurses.
