May 27 – June 2, 2023
News
Comment
Comment
Daniel James
Stan Grant and the anti-Voice trolls
“Late last week the seemingly impossible happened. Stan Grant, a veteran Wiradjuri journalist, with a 40-year career spanning commercial news outlets at home and abroad before his arrival at the ABC, announced he was taking a break. During his time at the national broadcaster, Grant had quickly become much sought after for his expertise on local and international affairs, and this year was chosen to host the network’s flagship show, Q+A.”
Comment
John Hewson
Afterpay and our addiction to debt
“There is a legitimate concern that Australians have become addicted to debt. I grew up in a household where my father would do anything to avoid incurring debt. Any number of scabby shortcuts leap to mind – we always repaired our own shoes, specialised in leftovers and there was an unfortunate period when Dad insisted on cutting our hair.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
The Influence
Shelley Lasica
Accomplished choreographer Shelley Lasica’s fascination with temporality has been nourished by the Nicolas Roeg film Bad Timing, with its loops, missed communications and lost possibilities.
Fiction
Platinum Reserve
“I keep thinking about it. There’s one guard, Cody, who lived here till his mum took him in when her pokies thing got sorted. He knows what it’s like, lets a few things go. One day, when the other guards were off dealing with a meltdown, he let Toby run on the grass for a few seconds. Toby still talks about it. I reckon for a quiet game, Cody would hide us in a cupboard, sneak us out late in the second quarter, when the ushers care less about where anyone’s sitting. The idea makes me think of when we were kids, how they’d let you into the cricket free during the last hour – till then, we’d peek through the chain-link fence and cheer when we saw the ball rolling on the sliver of grass between the stands. It was like seeing how the whole world works after being gummed up in the pages of a book written by some dumb-arse who had never gone to school. ”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Power
“The government’s proposed changes to our constitution will change this permanently, creating different rights ... over others based solely on race.”
The former prime minister warns the Voice will take away power on the basis of race. Which is actually a pretty good description of his preselection battle in Cook.
Media
“We used to laugh together.”
The radio host laments falling out with Anthony Albanese over a column she wrote. At the risk of defamation proceedings, maybe she should try saying his surname in a funny accent.
America
“This guy is all hat and no cattle.”
The Republican strategist criticises Ron DeSantis after the Florida governor announced he would seek the Republican nomination. The real dig was that he lacked Donald Trump’s “natural verbal and political grace”.
Diplomacy
“Prime Minister Modi is certainly popular, not with everyone.”
The prime minister reflects on his meeting with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. “Not everyone” presumably includes the 220 million Indian Muslims Modi has systematically oppressed since coming to power.
Inquests
“I have concluded that Melissa Caddick is deceased.”
The New South Wales deputy state coroner gives her findings into the disappearance of Melissa Caddick. The conwoman stole $23 million from friends and family and so far has returned only her foot.
Deaths
“Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable.”
The former United States president mourns the death of singer Tina Turner. She was 83.
