May 31 – June 6, 2025

News

Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley.

The Ley interview: ‘I don’t mind what people think of me’

Karen Barlow EXCLUSIVE: The leader of the opposition has reunited the Coalition in her first weeks and now sets about the mammoth task of reconnecting to the electorate.

News
Image for article: Inside story: Advance ‘siphoned’ Liberal resources
A Meals on Wheels worker delivers food.
Image for article: Executive quits after NDIS changes
Image for article: The neuroscientist taking on Elon Musk
Image for article: Super stoush reveals teals’ leanings
Image for article: Mayhem erupts as desperate Gazans try to access aid centre

Comment

Letters, Cartoon & Editorial

Cartoon

ReadCartoon image, links to full cartoon page

Editorial
An oink of pure greed

Murray Watt didn’t need to consider climate change. The law didn’t ask him to, because for three years Labor has been stalling on laws that would. In a triumph of his own party’s inaction, his first decision as environment minister has been to extend the life of Australia’s largest gas project by almost half a century.

Letters

Progressive views

It is alarming to read that Murray Watt has been installed as environment minister (“The fixer is in”, Mike Seccombe, May 24-30) with the implication that Tanya Plibersek failed in that job. To an outsider …

Peta principle

Tony Abbott became PM under the “Peter principle”, where you rise to your own level of incompetence. Now, if the Liberals remain unelectable by heeding Abbott and Peta Credlin (“Exclusive: How Abbott …

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Culture

Books
Image for article: Fearless Beatrice Faust

Judith Brett
Fearless Beatrice Faust

Image for article: Always Home, Always Homesick

Hannah Kent
Always Home, Always Homesick

Image for article: Letters to Our Robot Son

Cadance Bell
Letters to Our Robot Son

Life
Image for article: Alix Higgins’s artistic license in Fashion Week

Fashion

Alix Higgins’s artistic license in Fashion Week

Lucianne Tonti The latest runway show by Australian designer Alix Higgins stirred accusations of cultural appropriation – and debate over the line between tribute and exploitation in the industry.

Image for article: Homemade lamb souvlaki

Food

Homemade lamb souvlaki

Annie Smithers

A scene from Carson Lund’s film Eephus.

Sport

A pitch to nostalgia in the baseball film Eephus

Martin McKenzie-Murray Eephus, a languid film about ageing recreational baseball players engaged in an epic game, reminds the author of his childhood on pitches and fields – when sport framed how he saw the world.

Puzzles

The Cryptic

link to this week\'s crossword

Crossword No. 552

The Quiz

1. Hymns of the 49th Parallel is the ninth studio album by which Canadian singer-songwriter?
2. A Reuben sandwich is traditionally made with corned beef, while a variation uses what cured and smoked beef?
3. In the TV series Blackadder, who is Edmund Blackadder’s servant and sidekick? (Bonus point for naming who played the title character.)
4. Wiradjuri and Dharawal Country are in which Australian state or territory?
5. Ita Buttrose, Lisa Wilkinson and Sharri Markson all edited which monthly Australian women’s magazine?
6. True or false: the only species of toad commonly found in Australia is the cane toad?
7. What beginning with ‘a’ is a printmaking technique that produces tonal effects resembling watercolours by using acid to eat into the printing plate?
8. World champion 500cc motorcycle racer Wayne Gardner had the nickname The [what place name] Whiz?
9. On what island was the Greek poet Sappho born?
10. The Sri Lankan-born Australian author of more than 30 cookbooks celebrating Asian flavours and creator of a line of spice blends and curry pastes is [who] Solomon?

Click through for answers.

Quotes

Gas

“It’s been a fascinating journey to watch the discussion, particularly amongst young people … ordering things from Shein and Temu.”   

Meg O’NeillThe Woodside chief shares her view of the “zealous” principles of climate protesters. If you think that’s a burn, just wait for the North West Shelf project’s 4.3 billion tonnes of emissions.

Values

“The campaign by Student A … has always been about ensuring that changes honour the school’s founding values.” 

Save Newington CollegeThe group representing alumni of the private school responded to the Supreme Court’s rejection of its bid to preserve a male-entry only policy. Those values presumably enshrined a principled objection to girl germs.

Innovation

“I just don’t know how you go around, asking everyone first. I just don’t see how that would work.”

Nick CleggThe former UK deputy prime minister and outgoing Meta executive argues that artist consent would “basically kill” the AI industry. This is also a neat summary of his learnings as the junior coalition leader in the Cameron government.

Food security

“It appears that there was a technical glitch … which led to New Zealand not being displayed visually.”

Jonas StehlThe researcher for online journal Nature Food, which found New Zealand is among the world’s most self-sufficient countries, apologises for leaving it off an accompanying map. This means it doesn’t have to share.

Law

“Those who wished to stifle Dyson’s work have failed. They have failed because he has written Particular Contracts.”

Allan MyersThe former University of Melbourne chancellor praises the new legal textbook by disgraced former judge and sexual harasser Dyson Heydon. We assume by “particular contracts” in this context, Myers means non-disclosure agreements.

Space

“Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight!”

Elon MuskThe SpaceX chief executive describes the ninth flawed test in a row for his rocket, which made it to space but exploded on re-entry. Honestly, so long as Elon joins the next mission, that’s good enough for us.

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