March 29 - April 4

News

A diver on the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef dredging goes to federal court

“Everyone knows that the condition of the reef is poor and declining. To add this is just crazy.”

Stuart Rintoul and Karen Harbutt Dredging of the Barrier Reef is set to see the environment minister fronting court to defend the world’s largest coal port.

News
Damed if you do: Prime Minister Tony Abbott with Governor-General Quentin Bryce, who will be made the first dame under the revived honours system.
Emotion boils over as a relative of passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 demands answers about the flight’s fate during a protest outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing this week.
Former Kopassus general Prabowo Subianto attends a mass rally in a Jakarta football stadium last Sunday.

Comment

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

ReadCartoon image, links to full cartoon page

Editorial
Reworked Racial Discrimination Act takes away the meaning

Letters

Environment cops a caning

Your article (Nick Feik, “Mean green government”, March 22-28) brought to my mind the parallels with the disastrous release of cane toads in 1935. In this instance, science and long-term …

Divide in defamation business

There is little point in suing for defamation (Marcia Langton, “Keeping Bolt in business”, March 22-28)if one has not suffered any significant financial loss as a result of being defamed. …

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Food
Read
Image for article: Roast chicken with fennel gratin

Food

Roast chicken with fennel gratin

Andrew McConnell The simple truths behind the best roast chicken.

Books
Image for article: Boyhood Island

Karl Ove Knausgaard
Boyhood Island

Image for article: Leaving the Sea

Ben Marcus
Leaving the Sea

Image for article: The Man Who Couldn’t Stop

David Adam
The Man Who Couldn’t Stop

Life
Image for article: Penelope Loorham and Douglas McMeekin’s South Melbourne home

Interiors

Penelope Loorham and Douglas McMeekin’s South Melbourne home

Lucy Feagins A designer’s eye and a clever layout take classic furniture to the next level.

2XU's high-performance sportswear

Fashion

Australian sportswear brand 2XU attracts foreign interest

Patty Huntington Sportswear brand 2XU’s embrace by the LVMH luxury empire shows Australian design is racing around the world.

Image for article: Forward thinking: Ben Te'o, 27, rugby league player

Sport

Forward thinking: Ben Te’o, 27, rugby league player

Richard Cooke After a difficult year, rugby league player Ben Te'o is being tipped as a possible future Rabbitohs captain.

The Quiz
1. Anosmia refers to the loss of which sense?
2. Australian al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste is imprisoned in which country?
3. Which artist’s paintings include The Dancing Class (1870) and Portraits at the Stock Exchange (1879)?
4. Which German field marshal was popularly known as the Desert Fox?
5. In a standard deck of cards the one-eyed jacks belong to which suits?
6. Argentine footballer Lionel Messi plays for which European club?
7. Who won this year’s best actor Oscar? (Bonus points for naming any of the other nominees).
8. Which country topped the gold medal table at the Sochi Winter Olympics?
9. Which of these musical instruments does not belong to the woodwind family: (a) flute; (b) oboe; (c) bassoon; or (d) cornet?
10. John Borghetti is CEO of which Australian company?

Click through for answers.

Quotes

HARMONY

‘‘People do have a right to be bigots you know.’’

George BrandisThe attorney-general explains exactly whose rights will be protected under proposed changes to sections 18C and D of the Racial Discrimination Act.

ROOFS

‘‘The secretary and the minister compared notes on their personal experience in installing batts! ‘not that hard’.’’

Martin HoffmanAn email from the Department of Premier and Cabinet staffer recalls the environment minister Peter Garrett’s view on the difficulties of the pink batts program, now the subject of a royal commission.

DYNASTIES

‘‘I’m looking forward to working more closely than ever with my father.”

Lachlan MurdochThe prodigal son assumes the positions of non-executive co-chairman of his father’s companies, News Corp and 21st Century Fox. Speculation followed of a succession plan in the empire, but a spokesperson swiftly denied 83-year-old Rupert Murdoch was going anywhere.

LANGUAGE

‘‘We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner.’’

Gwyneth PaltrowThe actress uses her lifestyle newsletter goop to announce she and musician Chris Martin have decided to “consciously uncouple”.

HIGHER POWERS

‘‘Cardinal, Corrs weren’t your moral advisers, were they?’’

Gail Furness SCCounsel assisting the child abuse royal commission tries to understand George Pell’s assertion that lawyers Corrs Chambers Westgarth told him he was “not violating my obligation to truthfulness” when he pursued through four days of cross-examination a victim of abuse whose claim was already upheld.

BOOKKEEPING

“Obviously we need to put a stake through the heart.”

Tom ParryThe Sydney Water chairman tells then NSW premier Kristina Keneally how to deal with an allegedly forged cabinet minute supporting a proposal from the Obeid-linked Australian Water Holdings.

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