Views on the news from Canberra’s top columnists
A Federal Court judge has called out seven colleagues for taking one, two or more years to give their decision. HUGH SELBY says the "naming and shaming was a step too far, an overreach well understood by those familiar with good teamwork."
"Through melody and rhyme, America's songwriters have turned defeats into moral victories, soldiers into martyrs, and complex conflicts into simple tales," writes Whimsy columnist CLIVE WILLIAMS.
In calling for urgent reform, ROSS FITZGERALD says current policy on smoking and vaping is a train crash, with smoking rates in Australia possibly increasing for the first time in decades.
Look, it's worth asking the question, though the answer will be painfully short, says cartoonist PAUL DORIN.
Treasurer Spinocchio Steel won't shy away from spending what it takes to make Canberra the most progressive city in the world! It's KEEPING UP THE ACT.
"With no macropods to eat it down, it is a firebomb just waiting to go off this coming summer. This is of concern to me, as my wife and I nearly lost our house up near Farrer Ridge in the 2003 event," says letter writer IAN MacDOUGALL.
"It’s time that our feckless political leaders had the courage to share the truth instead of lies. They can make a start with housing: what’s achievable in what time frame," writes HUGH SELBY.
As Pauline Hanson outpolls the PM, Albo may well be asking for explanations, says cartoonist PAUL DORIN.
"If racial prejudice, hostility, stereotyping and assumptions can only ever travel in one direction, then we have ceased talking about racism as most ordinary Australians understand it," writes GWYN REES.
JULIE TONGS laments some of the 'concerning' local revelations in the latest report on justice from the Productivity Commission.
As Japan’s popularity booms as a tourist destination, a new survey shows strong anti‑foreigner sentiment, writes PETER CHAI.
It's the annual End of Year Fail as KEEPING UP THE ACT presents the hottest, budget-time discounts in the Assembly...
One Nation politicians had some trouble explaining their own housing policy, but Pauline had an answer, says cartoonist PAUL DORIN.
"It is uncertain how many dwellings will be provided under Minister Chris Steel's new planning reforms, but it is likely to be modest," writes MIKE QUIRK.
"Whilst I believe that heads must roll, both at government and Housing ACT level, the priority must be for a major refurbishment activity for public housing tenants with a disability," says letter writer MICHAEL DOYLE.
"Newspaper columnist Janet Albrechtsen’s approach to the role of our High Court and her unjustified outrage may damage not only the development of Australian law but also her employer," says legal affairs columnist HUGH SELBY.
"When you sift through the sporting world, only two widely recognised disciplines stand out as requiring competitors to move backwards for the entire race: rowing and backstroke swimming," writes Whimsy columnist CLIVE WILLIAMS.
What to do when rents keep rising, asks cartoonist PAUL DORIN.
One can only imagine what pain Pauline's polling might be inflicting on the prime minister, muses cartoonist PAUL DORIN.
