FEBRUARY 15, 2020

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Welcome to Crikey weekender.

It was a week of twists, turns and raised questions. Andrew Bolt decided to take another go at figuring out this “climate change” thing, ABC chair Ita Buttrose had a pow-wow with the PM, and a certain restaurant empire came crashing down.

Over at Inq, the curious tale of Angus Taylor continued, while the country’s already collapsing coastlines took another hammering. And to top it all off the prime minister may be copping a defamation lawsuit.

Lets hope the rest of February is this exciting.

From next week, Crikey will be collecting your letters each week in Crikey Weekender, so send any and all thoughts on the stories of the week to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name if you would like to be considered for publication.

Have a great weekend,

Emily Watkins
News editor

Bolt takes a massive dive with his climate mea culpa

GUY RUNDLE 4 minute read

The right is strategically rethinking its position on climate change. Keep an eye out for the spin.

High Court decision on Indigenous Australians exposes fault lines of our divided nation

“	Whether or not we end up writing words of recognition into the constitution, the High Court has now confirmed that they’re already there, in between the lines. Like I said, huge. — Michael Bradley

Seven judges’ opinions have clearly (and eruditely) reflected the fault lines in contemporary Australian thought about the status of Aboriginal people in our social and political framework.

Wake up, Australia: the government is shattering the rule of law

MICHAEL BRADLEY 4 minute read

Whether Morrison and his gang are aware of the damage they are doing is unclear, but their shameless refusal to submit to the law is lethal to our democracy.

Cricket Australia has run itself out with dreary, unpopular Big Bash

ADAM SCHWAB 3 minute read

It's a remarkable achievement to trash something that was once so popular. //uatcdn.crikey.com.au/2020/02/11/cricket-australia-big-bash/

PM facing defamation claim over ‘anti-Semitism’ comment

DAVID HARDAKER 2 minute read

A man is claiming Scott Morrison defamed him when the PM addressed a section 44 complaint again Josh Frydenberg.

The Calombaris question

Meet the industry that says it can’t survive 2.2% wage growth

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

The restaurant industry is angry that industrial relations law is being enforced and employers who underpay workers are being revealed. But if an industry can't survive when the wages it pays are virtually stagnant, there's something seriously wrong.

The Calombaris collapse: what about the unemployed workers?

ADAM SCHWAB 3 minute read

What did the union and media pile-on achieve?

Dead greyhounds and the regulator that’s not allowed to regulate

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

As the death toll in the greyhound racing industry grows, it's clear the NSW government has no interest in enabling the state's welfare regulator to do its job.

When Scotty met Ita: the burning issues for the ABC

CHARLIE LEWIS 3 minute read

What was on the agenda when Scott Morrison sat down with Ita Buttrose to discuss the ABC's future?

Anti-wind report powered Angus Taylor’s career. But who wrote it and why?

“	It is not clear who wrote or paid for the study, but Taylor took it upon himself to circulate it among his new federal colleagues. They were doubtless impressed with the case against renewables from the well-credentialed newcomer and his high-flying firm. — David Hardaker

An Inq investigation into questionable figures used by Energy Minister Angus Taylor to discredit the wind industry raises questions about the role of Taylor’s former employer.

Australian universities are ‘frantic’ amid coronavirus fallout

3 minute read

This situation could quickly transform from problematic into a full-blown crisis. For now, universities are left in the dark.

Steggall’s climate bill shows a bright idea rising from the ashes

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

Crossbenchers want to get rid of the biggest hurdle to effective climate policy in Australia: politicians. But to do that, they need to go much further.

Revealed: Angus Taylor’s long history with bad maths

DAVID HARDAKER 5 minute read

Australia's Energy Minister has form with questionable numbers — numbers which may have gone on to affect government policy.

Kevin Rudd’s think tank opens up new questions in China debate

4 minute read

Critics are questioning whether the Kevin Rudd-helmed Asia Society Policy Institute can maintain any sort of balance on China.

Exit stage right: another vocal executive leaves to the sound of one hand flapping

BERNARD KEANE and GLENN DYER 4 minute read

Mike Kane of Boral is only the latest in a long line of business figures who like to lecture the rest of us while their shareholders endure huge losses.

Collapsing coast claims Collaroy. Again.

CHARLIE LEWIS 2 minute read

Last month, Crikey published an in-depth report on Australia's coastal erosion. This week, Sydney's wild weather delivered yet another case study.