OCTOBER 31, 2020

GIVE THE GIFT OF CRIKEY | TIP OFF | VIEW IN BROWSER

We’ve spent a lot of time looking forward this week, peering into our crystal ball. We’ve been considering whether Queenslanders will today re-elect Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government. We’ve been dialing up our coverage of next week’s US election. We’ve been asking what will happen next in the saga of Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate.

But we’ve also been looking back and examining how we got here. Political editor Bernard Keane wrote incisively on how the values of our top politicians seep into every level of government and society, while Kishor Napier-Raman examined how Australia’s relationship with China became so fraught.

The US election inspired this week’s edition of Yesterday’s Papers, a fortnightly playlist with a newsy theme, compiled by our very own Charlie Lewis. Let it be your soundtrack as you catch up on our best stories of the week.

Finally, keep an eye on your inbox next week — we’ve convinced Bernard Keane to bring back Side View, his much-loved guide to new and overlooked content on politics, policy, and public affairs from around the world. The first couple of editions will be available to all subscribers, but after that, it will be an Inside Access exclusive. To find out more about Inside Access click here.

Have a great weekend,

Emily Watkins
News editor

Mates first policy: Scott Morrison’s No. 1 value is seeing the country rot from the head down

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

When 'looking after our mates' is your foundational value, those who work for you will get the message: taxpayer funding is there for the taking.

Scandal-struck nation finds no cure for the real pandemic: corporate greed

JANINE PERRETT 4 minute read

It’s hard to remember a time when we’ve had such an avalanche of shocking scandals damaging the top echelons of government and the corporate elite in such a short space of time.

Queensland Votes

Labor one day, Labor the next. But there might still be a twist in Queensland election

MADONNA KING 4 minute read

Labor continues to be a strong bet in this weekend's Queensland state election, but change may be in the air — and it could come from a number of unlikely sources.

Where did Palmer’s death tax lie come from — and why is it so effective?

AMBER SCHULTZ 3 minute read

Clive Palmer has reignited the 'death tax' myth ahead of the Queensland election. Where does this lie come from, and why does it work?

Holgate v ScoMo: mate against mate as CEO angles for (large) cheque in the mail

DAVID HARDAKER 3 minute read

All the signs point to a hefty legal battle over Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate's treatment. And it'll be the taxpayer who forks out.

Melbourne’s lockdown relief is palpable, but so are concerns that low hospital spending makes the city vulnerable

GEORGIA WILKINS 3 minute read

Experts are desperately trying to find any cracks in the system that could let the virus loose again.

The New Great Game

The unravelling: how Australian-Sino relations became about the politics of dissent

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 6 minute read

Relations between Canberra and Beijing are at a 40-year low. Crikey speaks to the experts about both the why and the way forward.

Racism, pledges of allegiance, and spying — the human cost of Australian-Sino relations gone bad

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 6 minute read

With anti-Chinese racism on the rise, it's little wonder so many Chinese Australians are choosing to stay quiet — and Australia is weaker for it.

Who’s afraid of Kerry Stokes? Perhaps the EPA can tell us

GEORGIA WILKINS 3 minute read

WA's Environmental Protection Authority has been hammered by the billionaire's media company — and Premier Mark McGowan hasn't been much help either.

George Brandis’ falsehoods about data retention exposed by Liberal-led committee

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

It's official: a government-controlled committee has shown we were lied to about who would be able to access our metadata.

America's Moment of Truth

Don’t dream it’s over. Trump is still a chance

JANINE PERRETT 3 minute read

A week out from the US election and it’s incredible that there's still a remote chance that Donald Trump could squeak back in.

The key states in Trump’s narrowing path to victory

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 3 minute read

How likely is Donald Trump to win at least two of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan? And can he win Florida?

Supreme Court confirmation signals collapse of American democracy. Could it happen here?

MICHAEL BRADLEY 4 minute read

On paper, America's process for selecting judges is proofed against partisanship and corruption, while ours is open to all kinds of malfeasance. Yet in practice it's a different story altogether.

Yesterday’s Papers: On the campaign trail

CHARLIE LEWIS 4 minute read

In the latest edition of the Yesterday's Papers playlist: songs for an election in a (possibly burning) America.

Morrison’s million dollar marketing machine: how taxpayers are funding government messaging

GEORGIA WILKINS 3 minute read

Labor has accused the government of using taxpayer money for political research from a connected consultant. Is this a case of the Coalition helping itself, or all above board?