Oof, what an end to the year. Heatwaves, bushfires, disappearing prime ministers.

In Crikey’s final week of 2019 we continued our tradition of awarding the highest honour — the Crikey Person of the Year — and the lowest — the Crikey Arsehat of the Year. We rounded out Inq’s stellar first year with Amber Schultz’s deep-dive into the $700 million disability employment scheme that’s failing 99% of participants. We continued to question the religious freedom bill and dig into the AAT.

Unlike some people we know, we’re happy to admit when we’re going on holiday. We’ll be back January 13 and until then we’re opening up the entire archives for all to enjoy Crikey’s unique brand of independent journalism. Let your friends know, and as always you can drop us a line at boss@crikey.com.au.

(But keep an eye out over the next couple weeks — we’ll be taking you through our Crikey staff-picks as well as the top Inq investigations of 2019.)

From everyone here at Crikey, happy holidays!

CHARLIE LEWIS 2 minute read

2019's Person of the Year consistently demonstrated the kind of qualities all leaders should aspire to.

CHARLIE LEWIS 3 minute read

In one of the most decisive wins in the award's history, 2019's Arsehat of the Year embodies all of the worst traits of the political class.

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

Crikey's politician of the year is an MP who has combined remarkable electoral success with a willingness to speak against Australia's descent into a police state.

JEFF SPARROW 3 minute read

Leak the Younger isn't as artistically talented as his dad was. But he’s already displayed a prodigious talent for the callousness his father only embraced later in life.

CHARLIE LEWIS 4 minute read

It's been a big decade of Arsehats and heroes. So, who is the best of the best — and who is the worst of the worst?

CHRIS WOODS 2 minute read

The News Corp mogul just dropped a fortune on a mansion once featured in The Beverly Hillbillies. Could that cash perhaps have been better spent?

MICHAEL BRADLEY 4 minute read

The government has come down again, and even harder, on the side of institutional religion, to make it crystal clear that the churches’ rights trump our personal rights in all fields.

STEPHEN MAYNE 3 minute read

Sydney PR consultant Brett Clegg has left high-flying firm Cato & Clegg in an ongoing Afterpay options stoush. And it might just be the tip of the iceberg.

BOB KATTER 2 minute read

Australia's "opt in" organ donation system is leading to unnecessary deaths, writes Bob Katter. A change in legislation would save lives.

JUSTINE LANDIS-HANLEY 2 minute read

Even though the term 'robo-debt' is in widespread use, this might be the first time it has been used by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

ADAM SCHWAB 6 minute read

Who is on Crikey's Business Awards list this year — and more importantly, have they been naughty or nice?

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

A stagnating Australian economy reflects a serious and avoidable error by policymakers — and a political call by Scott Morrison that higher unemployment is worth it to protect a budget surplus.

CHRIS WOODS 5 minute read

State and territory governments are more than likely our only hope for renewable energy progress in Australia through 2020.