Plus Ben Roberts-Smith now undefamable.
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Saturday Jun 17
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This week John Buckley reported on Labor looking set to oppose a new bill that would establish a royal commission into the Murdoch media empire in favour of pursuing legislative reform.

As the housing wars raged on, Anton Nilsson revealed Labor had changed its party platform on housing, Bernard Keane argued the states are avoiding blame in the debate despite badly underfunding social housing for years, and Guy Rundle reckoned we need to build better YIMBYs.

Elsewhere this week, lawyer Hannah Marshall wrote on the new defence that could protect journalists in the defamation capital of the world, Julia Bergin provided fascinating insights into Australia's dingo population, and Cam Wilson broke down new rules to stop the spread of illegal content online.

Plus the latest in the media circus surrounding Brittany Higgins.

We hope you're having a wonderful weekend.
Gina Rushton Gina Rushton,
Editor
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Guilty parties escaping blame in the great housing debate
BERNARD KEANE

The states have long been responsible for social housing, and they've badly underfunded it. Only now are some lifting their game — but will it be enough?

Social housing in Redfern, NSW (Image: AAP/Bianca De Marchi)
 
Political games and the exemplary punishment of Brittany Higgins
BERNARD KEANE

The campaign to destroy Higgins continues, fuelled by leaked texts and deep anger that she has dared embarrass powerful institutions.

Brittany Higgins and Senator Katy Gallagher (Images: AAP)
 
How does Voice polling compare to the same-sex marriage survey?
KEVIN BONHAM

With most polls showing support for the Yes vote for the Voice to Parliament fading, it's time to look at what's behind the figures.

A postal form for the same-sex marriage survey (Image: AAP/Peter Rae)
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Ben Roberts-Smith is now undefamable, thanks to the contextual truth defence
HANNAH MARSHALL

In the Roberts-Smith and Lachlan Murdoch cases, the publishers ran a lesser-known defence that allowed a different approach.

Ben Roberts-Smith, 2022 (Image: AAP/Dan Himbrechts)
 
Modelled after machines: new ways of being human in the era of AI
CHARLIE LEWIS

The sudden advances in the ability of AI to generate images and text that mimic traits we once thought were uniquely human has brought about a lot of apocalyptic thinking. Should it?

An AI generated image (Image: DALL-E)
 
Why the eerie quiet on Lidia Thorpe’s sexual assault allegation?
BERNARD KEANE

Lidia Thorpe's extraordinary allegations against David Van have been met with a very different reaction to those made by Brittany Higgins.

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
 
Anti-vaxxer guilty of illegally collecting $330,000 in ‘flood relief’ donations
CAM WILSON

David Oneeglio failed to properly account for money and equipment donated to Aussie Helping Hands, a group he set up.

David Oneeglio and his flood relief group Aussie Helping Hands (Image: Supplied)
 
Dingo ear jerky, DNA and doppelgangers: a picture of Oz’s dingo population
JULIA BERGIN

Seeing 15 dead dingoes hanging by their ankles on a family holiday is not on most people’s to-do list, but for a dingo DNA researcher it’s key.

Dead dingoes strung on a tree in the Thredbo region in NSW (Image: Supplied)
 
Coverage of Ben Roberts-Smith is merely the latest in Australia’s legacy of denialism 
ESTHER ANATOLITIS

Refusing to acknowledge the toxic masculinity at the heart of established war crimes is up there with denial of the Frontier Wars and Holocaust.

(Image: Private Media/Zennie)
 
‘Housing is a human right’ gone from Labor platform as Greens ramp up attacks
ANTON NILSSON

The Greens' Max Chandler-Mather has claimed Labor politicians are 'running away from the platform they were elected on'.

Housing Minister Julie Collins (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
 
To build better cities, we need to build better YIMBYs
GUY RUNDLE

When your whole raison d'être is built on credulous premises, it's time to get real. 'Yes In My Backyard' is a fine concept but needs smarts.

The fight to save Shed 26 at Port Adelaide (Image: AAP/David Mariuz)
 
A short history of AFP scandals and who they’ve benefited
CHARLIE LEWIS

The AFP are having a rough time of it. Crikey looks back on years of scandal, all seeming to benefit a certain type of person.

Police officers at the ABC's Ultimo office in 2019 during an AFP raid (Image: AAP/David Gray)
 
ABC poised to cut more than 100 jobs in a bid to attract digital audiences
JOHN BUCKLEY

The ABC is set for a major restructure in an effort to compete against more digitally capable streaming services.

ABC managing director David Anderson (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
 
The Australian government is making big tech scan your emails, messages
CAM WILSON

Without much ado, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant is set to controversially force technology providers to 'proactively detect and flag' child sexual abuse and pro-terror material.

(Image: Zennie/Private Media)
 
Labor set to oppose Greens’ plea to establish a Murdoch royal commission
JOHN BUCKLEY

The Greens are trying to establish a News Corp royal commission. Now they need to find votes.

Rupert Murdoch and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (Images: AP, AAP)
 
Why Liberals still don’t understand women’s anger
KRISTINE ZIWICA

Some Liberals may think they are terribly clever in politically scalping Katy Gallagher, but many women see only political point-scoring.

Katy Gallagher (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
 
‘Exploitative practice’: emails reveal casual academics offered gift cards instead of wages
ANTON NILSSON

'Bloody hell, they want to have another run at the gift card idea,' wrote one university HR official in an message obtained by Crikey.

The University of Technology Sydney website (Image: Adobe)