Abbott slammed as misogynist in new book. Author Susan Mitchell is sure to gain attention with a fiery new book that blasts Tony Abbott as a misogynist and right-wing extremist. Tony Abbott: A man’s man, is described by its publisher, Scribe, as a “blistering critique” that “explores how Australia’s would-be prime minister became the man he is today”.

Mitchell, the author of 14 books including a recent biography on Margaret Whitlam, believes that Abbott has been drawn to a series of masculine and Catholic heroes and mentors throughout his life. “As a result, he is a relic of another time,” she argues. “Women are particularly distrustful of his macho image and his combative approach. Underpinning the values of this man’s man is his narrow worldview.” — Matthew Knott (read the full story here)

Forrest granted right to appeal deceptive conduct ruling. Mining magnate Andrew Forrest may be able to dodge a corporate regulator bullet after winning the right to appeal a Federal Court ruling which found him guilty of misleading investors seven years ago.

The High Court, sitting in Adelaide, granted Forrest and FMG special leave to appeal a February ruling that said he had misled investors. Chief justice Robert French and judge Dyson Heydon granted the leave but told the company to narrow its grounds a little. The court’s ruling marks a much-needed victory for the Fortescue Metals Group chairman. An adverse decision could have seen Forrest being banned from serving as a company director. — Tom Cowie (read the full story here)

Five people who mattered this week. Andrew Bolt was found guilty of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act, Julia Gillard hired a former Tony Blair “enforcer”, and Paul Howes’ left-leaning think tank could offer the answer to Labor’s identity crisis: this is The Power Index’s roll call of people who mattered this week.

Andrew Bolt: Andrew Bolt lost his race discrimination case on Wednesday after a Federal Court judge ruled that Bolt and his publisher, Herald & Weekly Times, had contravened the Racial Discrimination Act by publishing two articles on racial identity which contained “errors in fact, distortions of the truth and inflammatory and provocative language”.

Bolt repeatedly shook his head during the watertight summary of judgement – the culmination of 23 weeks of right-wing sweat and hyper-left speculation – then went on to declare it was “a terrible day for free speech in this country.”  — Hilary Simmons (read the full story here)