Moral certitude, wrong-headedness, and ignorance inform what passes for debate about China in Australia today. There’s so much grandiose proselytising born out of flawed history and tired tropes. Considering how ill-informed the most prominent Australian commentators...
The Kerrigans’ Coolaroo château-with its lead-poisoned soil, towering powerlines and proximity to the airport-is a shithole. But it’s their shithole. Darryl, a family-oriented towtruck driver, is endearing in the same way as Kath and Kim are: they’re...
Towards the end of Melbourne’s second lockdown, as the number of new cases continued to fall, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg joined the growing chorus of people calling for restrictions to be eased, and specifically for retail and hospitality businesses to be allowed to...
I used to work in a small office where the junior employees were expected to be at their desks by 8:30 sharp every morning. On most mornings the owner-boss, who we nicknamed The Troll because he looked and treated his staff like the hungry bridge-guarder from the...
Ai Weiwei’s new documentary Coronation opens with an aerial shot of Wuhan station, its trains grounded, the typically chaotic surrounds deserted. Rising electronic beats puncture the sound of static, heightening the sense that it’s not quite real, that we’re...
