January 23 – 29, 2021
News
Comment
Comment
Claire G. Coleman
How political fear erodes Indigenous rights
“Most Australian politicians, particularly those in the two major parties, lack the political will to do what the majority support. Instead, they pander to conservative ideologies, driven by the morbid fear of criticism from a small but vocal minority. Australian politics is, for the most part, power without passion. And nowhere is this more stark than in Aboriginal affairs.”
Comment
Richard Cooke
The Facebook Uncle Caucus in the Coalition
“As Joe Biden prepared to take office as the 46th president of the United States, promising to ‘restore the soul of America’, his mission statement found an echo in Australia. The language was less portentous, and the crowd more mundane. But in a speech to the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese found a local variation on the theme. According to Albanese, Trumpism had tarnished not only the former US administration, but the current Commonwealth government as well.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
In Progress
Antony Hamilton
Running a dance company under lockdown presents unique challenges, but that hasn’t stopped Chunky Move’s Antony Hamilton.
Fiction
The jacket
“I usually bought warm, sturdy jackets that I imagined railroad workers would’ve worn in the ’40s. The new jacket wasn’t sturdy and it wasn’t warm. It was made out of pale blue, faux-crocodile print vinyl. It was so blue that you could sort of still see the blue of it when you closed your eyes. I couldn’t conceive of any occasion when it would be appropriate to wear it, even in normal times – unless I was somehow transported to whatever German bar Lou Reed and David Bowie were hanging out in 1976, or to Grace Jones’s birthday party at Studio 54. ‘Hello!’ the jacket said when I took it out of the crackly plastic. ‘Hello,’ I said, putting it straight on a hanger.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
January 26
“You know, when those 12 ships turned up in Sydney all those years ago, it wasn’t a particularly flash day for the people on those vessels either.”
The prime minister explains why Australia’s national day is marked on January 26, reaffirming his commitment to honouring the country’s history by adding an extra ship to the First Fleet.
Celebration
“We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace.”
The poet recites her poem “The Hill We Climb” at Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony. Donald Trump also expressed a desire to feature poetry at his inauguration but was thankfully convinced that reciting the lyrics to Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” did not count.
Couples
“We are in a happy relationship and have been open about it.”
The former Sport minister responds to questions about her relationship with veteran News Corp journalist Simon Benson after the pair were photographed together at the Wodonga Bunnings. Neither wore a mask, in contravention of Victoria’s Covid-19 rules, proving they are perfect for one another.
Planning
“A strong warning to promoters here: Do not promote an event until you have everything in place.”
The New Zealand prime minister responds to news The Wiggles may have to cancel their tour after the promoter failed to organise quarantine places for the children’s entertainers. If only someone had offered this sage advice to the organisers of Fyre Festival.
Humanity
“Today the federal government finally is listening to reason.”
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre director praises bridging visas granted to 26 medevac refugees held in hotel detention for more than a year. But fear not, tomorrow the government will surely return to listening only to Sky News after dark.
Reform
“They don’t have to change all of them, but they’ve got to change the major parts of them so that we at least have a shot at winning.”
The Republican chair of Gwinnett County’s elections board calls for legal changes to improve her party’s poll chances. The Biden team’s commitment to transparency has inspired even the GOP to be honest about attempts at voter suppression.
