Will JobKeeper be Josh Frydenberg’s lasting legacy? If so, he’ll forever be associated with rorting, bungling, and now a potential cover-up. This week saw Crikey‘s Georgia Wilkins, Bernard Keane, Stephen Mayne and more put the wage subsidy scheme in their crosshairs. Keane also took aim at the hypocrisy of the Coalition’s CoalKeeper tax, and wondered at how the party of small government has somehow become the biggest taxer in living memory.

Elsewhere, investigations editor David Hardaker kept the focus on the Hillsong megachurch and its connection to the prime minister, while on the COVID front Guy Rundle turned his eye to a concerning new variant and Madonna King examined one potential bright side to the pandemic’s impact on the education system.

Of course, it’s not all serious stuff here at Crikey. Which is why, after Craig Kelly started spamming Australians with unsolicited texts, we decided to publish his mobile number, so that you could let him know how much you appreciated his messages. We also shared some of the feedback we received from his biggest fans.

GUY RUNDLE 4 minute read

As fears spike around the world about the new COVID-19 Mu variant, and Victoria's lockdowns drag into eternity, it's worth remembering: this is all a practice run for the true crises to come.

BERNARD KEANE 2 minute read

Craig Kelly is a spammer. So it's time to give him a dose of his own completely unscientifically based, internet-sourced bad medicine.

JOSEFINE GANKO 3 minute read

Older Australians were scared of AZ, but younger ones have championed it — and look down their noses at the 'chickens' who opted for Pfizer.

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

The NSW premier has refused to accept responsibility for the crisis she created and offers nothing but the worst of both worlds — 'living with COVID' while stuck in lockdown.

MADONNA KING 3 minute read

Here's an idea: how about policymakers listen to the people who know their schools and their students — principals and teachers.

AMBER SCHULTZ 3 minute read

And it's not just reproductive health that's under the pump. It's estimated that by 2030 there'll be an estimated shortage of 9298 GPs.

CAM WILSON 6 minute read

Different groups unhappy with governments merged this week into a campaign for truck drivers to block highways into capital cities.

BERNARD KEANE and GLENN DYER 2 minute read

You already knew that Scott and Josh were the biggest spenders in the recent history of Australian government. But did you know they're the biggest taxers as well?

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 3 minute read

In a blatant political dog-whistle, the attorney-general has threatened the Western Australian premier with another Clive-Palmer legal challenge.

BERNARD KEANE 2 minute read

Angus Taylor's 'CoalKeeper' proposal would increase greenhouse emissions while slapping households with an increase in electricity prices greater than that of the carbon price.

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

Barnaby Joyce claims it will reduce carbon emissions, but the business case is based on a big increase in coal exports, subsidised by taxpayers.

CHARLIE LEWIS 1 minute read

It's been another wild week of news. Think you have what it takes to beat the Question Time news quiz? Try it now!