You know the line: if you only read one thing today, read… Well with today’s Crikey Weekender, that’s not the case — because, of course, there’s plenty to read. This week, we’ve ranged over a diversity of important subjects, from COVID-19 and workplace sexual harassment to university funding, privacy and the federal government’s latest energy plan.

Writing about the government’s push from coal to gas, Bernard Keane posed a pertinent question: what is the party of the free market doing interfering in the operation of the free market? He later offered an answer — it’s called crony capitalism. Elsewhere, reporter Amber Schultz spent the week dissecting the many facets of workplace sexual harassment, looking at the enabling culture, the impact on victims and the solutions.

COVID-19 loomed large this week, with Madonna King asking who’s really in charge in Queensland: the premier or the chief health officer? Janine Perrett lambasted the rich for carrying on as only the rich can, and Schultz looked at what other countries are doing to keep their populace in line. (Let’s just say, some nations make Melbourne’s fines look like a walk in the park… if you are allowed to walk in the park.)

I’d also like to mention this week’s work by Guy Rundle on both the lockdown and energy policy. But his work features in tomorrow’s Sunday Read, which does start with the premise of “if you only read one thing today…”

Thanks for reading Crikey.

BERNARD KEANE and GLENN DYER 3 minute read

Scott Morrison's climate-change-denying government has proved embarrassingly bad at managing the economy.

MADONNA KING 2 minute read

The growing remit of Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young raises some awkward questions about who's really in charge of the state...

JANINE PERRETT 3 minute read

Some business heavyweights are stamping their feet about Victoria's 'wartime' curfew. But who's really suffering here?

AMBER SCHULTZ 3 minute read

Cruel and unusual punishments seen around the world range from being forced to dig graves to being locked in dog cages.

CHARLIE LEWIS 2 minute read

Not Tim Smith's finest moment...

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

When political and business leaders are in bed together things are rosy for both. But the pickings are slim if you're not a mate.

GEORGIA WILKINS 3 minute read

'If we're going to clean up aged care, we need to be frank and fearless, and how can you be frank and fearless if you're not truly independent?'

CHRISTOPHER WARREN 3 minute read

With an election looming in Queensland it's no surprise the prime minister moved from consensus to censure.

MICHAEL BRADLEY 3 minute read

This case illustrates a peculiar paradox beneath the concept of racial discrimination: what, actually, is race?

LUKE SLAWOMIRSKI 5 minute read

Victoria's roadmap to recovery may seem daunting. But the alternative is much, much worse.

GUY RUNDLE 4 minute read

Weeks of lockdown and alien routine have changed us, but we do not fully know how yet.

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 3 minute read

This flailing group just scored a big injection of cash. But will it be enough to actually compete with its left-wing rivals?