March 25 – 31, 2017
News
Comment
Comment
Bob Brown
In defence of civil disobedience
“Where the bounds of acceptable civil disobedience in a democracy lie is a debate that will be with us so long as times change and society transforms. Implying, as The Australian does, that civil disobedience against bad laws has no place at all takes our country closer to autocracy than most citizens would want to go. ”
Comment
Paul Bongiorno
The Racial Discrimination Act’s section 18c charade
“On Wednesday, Labor tried to have the bills debated in the house of representatives. Bill Shorten said the government’s choice of the senate was nothing more than a cynical attempt by the prime minister ‘to be able to make the claim to the extreme elements in his party room that his government is taking action … while hoping MPs in the chamber can avoid having to vote on the issue’. The champions of free speech in the government immediately gagged the debate. So the plan to ‘strengthen the protection of free speech’, as Turnbull claimed, was dead on arrival. But the charade had to be played out, and not without damage in the broader electorate.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Writer Jessica Friedmann on postnatal depression and motherhood
Following her experience of postnatal depression, writer Jessica Friedmann hopes to provoke discussion of parenthood beyond the clichés of gushing Instagram accounts or nappy-change horror stories.
Visual Art
Visions of Utopia and Superposition of three types
Two exhibitions of utopian abstraction enable comparison of pure ideological approaches with something gentler. The latter is more satisfying.
Portrait
Writer and activist Jeff Sparrow
“When we meet for our ackee fry-up, he’s just returned from a trip to the United States, researching for his recently published biography of Paul Robeson. He talks of the tragic unease of researching an African-American icon in Charleston around the time of the shooting massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a hate-crime in which nine African Americans were murdered. ”
Food
Beef tartare, tarragon mayonnaise and fried anchovy
Steak tartare is a very important part of the classic French bistro. Often horse is used. Personally, I prefer the beef. I’ve eaten quite a few versions, using various cuts of meat. I’ve seen it with an aged piece of beef, but I prefer to use fresh cuts. The tenderness is not an issue because you’re dicing the meat anyway, and you add so many flavours that the ageing becomes kind of redundant.
Books
Life
Travel
The Museum of Jurassic Technology
LA’s Museum of Jurassic Technology presents a disorienting collection of true, plausible and unlikely artefacts, enjoyably posing more questions than answers.
The Quiz
Quotes
RACISM
“I am also pleased that the government will rein in the Australian Human Rights Commission which has morphed into self-appointed thought police.”
The Liberal senator celebrates proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act. Of all that’s wrong with Abetz and others on this issue, here’s one point: the “thought police” are appointed by government.
ALLOWANCES
“I get a travel allowance, others get penalty rates – it’s part of the package.”
The minister for small business defends a lurk in which he paid his wife $50,000 of public money so he could stay in her apartment while parliament sits. Which is just like penalty rates, if you think of Canberra as a long weekend.
LOVE
“Being attacked by animals doesn’t really do it for me.”
The British backpacker rebukes Lee De Paauw, who was mauled by a crocodile after jumping into a river to impress her. Romance is dead in Innisfail.
SPORT
“You won’t believe me ... he was playing with his dog.”
The Collingwood coach explains how midfielder Jordan De Goey broke his hand. Buckley was right: people didn’t believe him. Being a footballer, De Goey broke it in a bar fight in St Kilda.
DETENTION
“There is an infinite scream inside of me, and I can’t hold it in anymore.”
The partner of Omid Masoumali reflects on the year since he self-immolated on Nauru. There is no joke for this item.
WELFARE
“There were times when I would sit in a corner and cry because I felt so ashamed.”
The Tasmanian senator argues against cuts to welfare, drawing on her own experience of life on a disability pension. There is no joke for this item either.
