This week seemed to offer little news, until Friday. As it happened I was ill last week due I believe to a new drug. The procedure from here is to try again in a week or so. If it is again troublesome there are other possibilities.
‘Corrupt but not a criminal’ was the big start on Friday. I felt angry that our much-loved former excellent NSW premier was being treated badly until I decided this was a sarcastic comment. Chris Merritt, also on Page 1, said ‘Seriously? ICAC has gone too far’. Mr Merritt said: ‘That there are several problems if Gladys Berejiklian is seriously corrupt. The first is that it debases the English language’. Read on Page 1 and Page 4 for the other weaknesses of the ICAC work, to many to be made here, but shocking to Henry.
‘ICAC sets itself up as judge and executioner in hearing’ says Page 9. The ICAC enterprise seems poorly managed and needs reform, or even to be closed.
Side by side with Mr Merritt’s fine contribution is another excellent offering with a lovely heading, on Page 4. ‘The ‘situationship’ that sealed former leader’s fate’ by Jenna Clarke. ‘Romeo and Juliet, Charles and Camilla, Gladys and Daryl’. Read on for a laugh a minute.
Back to page 2, ‘Fears of euthanasia on demand’ An Archbishop has expressed ‘Horror at assisted suicide for 14 years old’. The proposed policy is believable and stupid.
‘Shorten forced to backtrack on NDIS target’. Nice picture of Jim Chalmers and a grumpy smaller picture of the NDIS boss, Bill Shorten. The truth is, I have been told, that far too many people seeking help, and if this continues Australia will soon be broke.
Another issue: ‘Women earn less: it’s still the rule of law’. I have avoided income by not working for the past six years, and in that time Mrs T has continued I know now know thanks to this article that Mrs T y has been under-paid, and now it gets worse as she stops earning on Monday. Thanks to Page 7 for telling me about this unfair situation.
P11 provides further thoughtful articles, especially ‘Rostow revolt reveals true nature of Putin’s state’. Read the final paragraph for a powerful comment on the present role of Mr Putin.
I rarely read the business pages these days, but there are occasional wonderful articles Today (as so often) it is Robert Gottliebsen’s ‘Blame Canberra and the states rather than the RBA’.
Here is the opening salvo.
‘I am detecting signs in the business sector, confirmed by the latest inflation data, that indicate the elevated interest rates will remain much longer than conventional forecasting is predicting.
And of course, interest rates may also go higher.
‘Those now facing longer periods of mortgage stress need to curb their anger towards Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe and start blaming governments in Canberra and the states that are boosting and therefore maintaining high interest rates. We are encountering what I call the “post-Mother’s Day 2023” era.’
Read on Ladies and Gentlemen in what I regard as the finest copy of the Oz newspaper in current days. My memory is, however, very weak but this event today practically covered all my views, and is unlikely to repeat such an excellent offering for some time.
Stop press. Saturday’s edition of the Oz has done it again. A particular group of excellent articles on the Inquirer, but one that is outstanding in my eyes. P17 and P21 will cheer you up. Written by Geoffrey Blainey, ‘Before we vote let’s get all our facts in order’. This article is a brilliant exposition of mistakes and blunders. There are many mistakes and blunders by numerous politicians. Read and learn!
The weekly image
