January 30 – February 5, 2021
News
Comment
Comment
Ellen Smith
Challenging the casualisation of academia
“Last year, as the tertiary education sector reeled from the impacts of Covid-19, the University of Melbourne quietly agreed to pay millions in unpaid wages to casual teaching staff. Despite the size of the payout, the case received little attention … And, to the detriment of casuals in other universities around Australia, it did not set a legal precedent.”
Comment
Rachel Withers
Has Albanese lost Labor’s love?
“The more certain a 2021 election becomes, the less certain the leadership of the Labor Party appears. Though the next poll may be any time from August 2021 to May 2022, there’s a distinct election-year feeling in the air – and an open-season vibe in the opposition.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
In Progress
Liza Lim
Composer Liza Lim is old-school – she still handwrites her scores, as the tactile act of notation flows into her music-making.
Poetry
Three poems
“You laugh at my speech./ Even my name is wrong. / My tongue will not bend. / I cannot read these titles; / I do not speak these words. / I wake myself in the dark, talking. / I stand in the garden, facing the sea. / The north wind tugs at the wet fabric / in my hands. I peg it firmly: / the shirt is a trapped, white flag.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Eloquence
“This rigidly enforced conformity, aided and abetted by so-called social media, is a straitjacket on sensibilities.”
The News Corp executive chairman slams “woke orthodoxy” in his acceptance speech for the Australia Day Foundation’s lifetime achievement award. A fairly milquetoast call for free speech, but a strong argument for banning alliteration.
Standards
“As the editorial advice states, other terms can be used when they are appropriate in certain contexts.”
The national broadcaster removes the term “Invasion Day” from a headline for an article that listed events happening on January 26, which apparently was not the appropriate context, even though that’s the name of the day.
Politics
“After sacrificing so much during the pandemic, Australians deserve better. They deserve real leadership, not false promises.”
The Labor MP pens an op-ed outlining her vision for the country. Some say it’s the launch of a leadership challenge, but she actually just wanted to see if she could write 800 words on Australia’s future without mentioning climate change.
Conspiracy
“The questions I posed in my article were in my professional capacity – not as a candidate.”
The Liberal candidate for the West Australian seat of Baldivis stands down after a 2019 article surfaced in which she wrote about the “undeniable correlation” between China’s 5G towers and the first case of Covid-19. Craig Kelly, meanwhile, is still in parliament.
Religion
“We need to give them every opportunity to turn to the Dark Lord.”
The leader of the Noosa Temple of Satan celebrates a pentagram being added to the religious symbols at Sunshine Coast University Hospital’s multi-faith centre. Finally, some progress while the government drags its feet on religious freedom.
Change
“Climate adaptation is about taking practical actions to help our environment, our communities and our economy deal with ... climate change.”
The federal Environment minister signs up Australia to a global pledge to take action on climate. Meanwhile, the government continues to refuse to set a 2050 deadline for its net zero emission target.
