Pollies and their porky pies

Saturday Dec 3

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There has been plenty of time to reflect on political transparency this week. Bernard Keane wrote on the Defence Department hiding the real cost of submarines, Michael Bradley broke down the censure of our former prime minister and the mess of his secret ministries, while in NSW Anton Nilsson reported on ex-MP Daryl Maguire’s criminal charges.

Our team also highlighted the many lessons to be learnt from Victoria’s election result. Guy Rundle wrote on the Liberals’ departure from liberalism, while Charlie Lewis showed us just how wrong the media got it, and Julia Bergin crunched the numbers on gender representation.

Plus read Amber Schultz’s ongoing coverage of how guardianship orders are failing people.

Have a great weekend,

Gina Rushton,
News editor

Censure of the universe

Does Scott Morrison’s censure mean anything?

MICHAEL BRADLEY

The historic censure of the former prime minister is a blight on his legacy, but as far as real-world consequences are concerned, there are none.

(Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)

Scott Morrison reacts as colleagues pass historic censure motion

ANTON NILSSON

The ex-prime minister looked relaxed as he was condemned by MPs, and even chuckled at something on his phone.

Incompetent, deceptive or both: why did defence hide the real cost of its submarines and ships?

BERNARD KEANE

The Defence Department insists it has no clue why it misled the public on the cost of massive naval programs.

Deputy Opposition Leader and former defence minister Marise Payne (Image: AAP/AP/Olivier Matthys)

Diana fights to be freed from a guardianship order and her children’s control

AMBER SCHULTZ

It's extremely difficult to leave the control of the state public guardian. But what happens when it's your family you're trying to be free from?

(Image: Private Media)

RIP the Hun, born 1998, died November 26 2022, buried in a Danslide

GUY RUNDLE

The answer to its demise is blowin' in the wind in Melbourne's streets, pages devoid of serious journalism (but Andrew Bolt remains...)

The Herald Sun building in Melbourne (Image: AAP/James Ross)

New book reveals Frydenberg told Ryan her campaign wasn’t run ‘in the right spirit’ after conceding election

MARGOT SAVILLE

The Teal Revolution by Margot Saville, our latest Crikey Read published with Hardie Grant, offers essential insight into the unprecedented teal wave of the 2022 federal election.

(Image: AAP/Hardie Grant/Private Media)

A monument to the tragedy of Jeff Kennett

CHARLIE LEWIS

The former Victorian premier's move to bring in bronze statues for state premiers backfired when he was ousted. Now it may have backfired again.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett (Image: Supplied)

Liberal dribbles

Has the media ever gotten an election this wrong before?

CHARLIE LEWIS

Throughout a weird, ill-tempered campaign, the mainstream media provided consistently way-off-the-mark election coverage.

Peta Credlin on Sky News (Image: Sky News/YouTube)

To resurrect themselves, the Victorian Liberals must remember what ‘liberalism’ means, for a start

GUY RUNDLE

Is there any way for the Liberal Party of Victoria to pull itself out of the mire? The first step is recognising the party is a shell of its former self.

ICAC’s Berejiklian probe isn’t over just because her ex-boyfriend has been charged

ANTON NILSSON

Federal agents did not wait for the commission to finish its inquiry into the former premier before charging her former boyfriend Daryl Maguire.

The Coalition has a nationwide women problem. What did the Victorian Nationals do right?

JULIA BERGIN

Where are Liberal and National women best and worst represented in federal, state and territory parliaments? Crikey takes a look.

Senators Michaelia Cash and Bridget McKenzie (Image: AAP/Trevor Collens)

Jordan Peterson slams Qantas for ‘land acknowledgment propaganda’

CHARLIE LEWIS

It seems the right-wing commentator isn't keen on acknowledgment of country announcements, just one more 'woke' intrusion.

Jordan Peterson (Image: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)

The inside scoop on Animal Justice’s Glenn Druery sting

MAEVE MCGREGOR

It's a story of deception, destruction, a political reputation left in rubble and a very intense 'leprechaun'. Everything you want out of state politics.

Animal Justice Party campaign director Ben Schultz (Image: Animal Justice Party)

In Victoria, voters rejected News Corp’s wager on COVID fear-mongering

CHRISTOPHER WARREN

The right has been using COVID as a cudgel in a bid to win votes and shore up support. The Victorian election result is the latest to show it's not a successful play.

(Image: Mitchell Squire/News Corp)

White paper and ‘Good, good, good’: how China’s protesters are evading Beijing’s censorship on social media

STEVIE ZHANG

China's strict censorship protocols have forced protesters to think of creative means to spread dissent and communicate with one another.

Protesters hold up blank papers and chant slogans as they march in recent protests in Beijing, China (Image: AAP/AP/Ng Han Guan)

These are the industries with the highest reported levels of sexual harassment

EMMA ELSWORTHY

A new report from the Australian Human Rights Commission has revealed the workplaces with the highest levels of reported harassment.

Sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins (Image: (AAP/Dan Himbrechts)

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