February 22 – 28, 2020
News
Comment
Comment
Luke Macaronas
St Kevin’s College, abuse and the language of pain
“An ugly wound has been opened at the heart of St Kevin’s College this week, after revelations in a Four Corners report about the school’s failures to respond to complaints of a culture of secrecy, toxic masculinity and sexual abuse. As the dust settles, many in the school community, including me, are coming to terms with the extent of reform that is needed. This uncertainty comes at a crucial moment, not only for the school, but also for the country as a whole, to confront a deep-seated culture of secrecy and shame.”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
Scott Morrison’s slow burn
“Scott Morrison must regret that he did not use the enormous authority of his shock election win last year to impose a credible climate and energy policy on his fractious Coalition government. This failure of leadership has now painted him into a very tight corner. And the ground rules he’s set out will make it virtually impossible for him to do anything.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Actress Cate Blanchett
As a co-creator of the new ABC series Stateless, Cate Blanchett hopes to challenge Australian attitudes towards asylum seekers, particularly as the climate crisis threatens to displace many more people. “The rhetoric of protection and the language has separated Australians from their humanity, and encouraged the public through a lack of transparency in information to tolerate or ignore human rights abuses that are going on offshore.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
CRIME
“He just hit on him. There was no sex. How terrible was giving a character reference, really?”
The News Corp columnist defends a school principal for giving a character reference to a teacher convicted of grooming a child. The principal later resigned; Andrew Bolt did not.
POLITICS
“I’m asking you to trust me.”
The independent senator scolds the Coalition for not winning the trust of Australians, and asks Australians to trust her over the secret deal she did with them on medevac.
WAGES
“We are working at pace with a team of external experts to finalise our review.”
The Coles chief executive responds to news the company underpaid store managers by about $20 million. Most overtime and some penalty rates were run through the checkout as brown onions.
LAW
“Over 10 years she’s responsible for the Australian public losing two million kilos in weight. Now, that’s powerful.”
The barrister representing fitness guru Michelle Bridges argues for leniency after she was caught drink-driving with her five-year-old son in the car. In this instance The No Excuses Cookbook included a glass of wine with dinner, four vodka sodas, and a mouthwash five minutes before she was pulled over.
AMERICA
“I’m not asking for martyrdom. I knew – I think I knew – what I was getting into.”
The former United States national security advisor explains why he joined the US president’s inner circle. It’s possible he doesn’t know what martyrdom involves – or worse, he does.
MUSIC
“It’s one thing to punch a guy. It’s another thing to take his stuff and hit him with it.”
The busker describes being hit in the face with his own ukulele while performing in Adelaide. He was dressed as a pencil at the time, if that’s relevant.
