May 18 – 24, 2024
News
Comment
Comment
Michael Pascoe
The housing crisis won’t be solved like this
“Another week, another federal budget, another housing announcement or three. Another several billion dollars promised for social housing on top of last year’s clutch of announcements and billions. Yet for all this, the federal government is not really trying to solve the crisis. All it is doing is managing perceptions.”
Letters, Cartoon & Editorial
Culture
Profile
Kim Gordon and the wall of faceless men
At 71, alternative rock and riot grrrl pioneer Kim Gordon is still making experimental music and visual art – and still refusing to please.
The Influence
Jonathan Biggins on the greatness of West Side Story
For actor, writer, director, singer and comedian Jonathan Biggins, the classic musical West Side Story represents a pinnacle of theatrical art.
Fiction
Letter of support
“The first misfortune in Huy’s life was being born into his family. His father was an incurable gambler who was quick to an anger that expressed itself in cruel ways to the people he loved, compounded by the fact that he was also luckless. I’ve learned that my uncle was missing his two index fingers, the result of drastic actions he took to avoid fighting in the war.”
Books
Life
Puzzles
Quotes
Dance
“Commentary regarding body image is not acceptable and I am compelled to address this.”
The artistic director of the Australian Ballet responds to a review that described the company’s dancers as “unusually thin”. In fairness, the review also likened the work to “a banal hour of channel surfing”.
Housing
“He’s been well looked after for a long period of time but I am entitled to make decisions in my personal life…”
The prime minister responds to criticism after sending an eviction notice to a tenant in his Sydney investment property. The story couldn’t be more Australian if it tried.
Royalty
“Yes, you’ve got him.”
The wife of King Charles III responds to his first official portrait. The painting is mostly pink except for his fingers, which is the opposite to real life.
Power
“I paint the world as I see it.”
The artist responds after Gina Rinehart lobbied to have his portrait of her removed from the National Gallery of Australia. The way he’d painted it, you could see too much of her soul.
Diplomacy
“It was nice to catch up again, especially given the pile on he is currently dealing with in the US.”
The former prime minister posts a photograph of himself and Donald Trump. “Pile on” is not the ideal way to describe another country’s judicial processes, but then “prime minister” was never the ideal way to describe Scott Morrison.
Books
“If the offensive topic is sex, has anyone considered how empty the shelves will be?”
The librarian responds to Cumberland City Council’s vote to ban books depicting same-sex families. The ban was later overturned.
ISRAEL–HAMAS WAR
