21 Apr 2009
- More cartoons by Fiona Katauskas
- Recent cartoons by all contributors
Climate Policy 9 Feb 2010
by Ben Eltham
The polls might be smiling on Abbott, but they've shocked the Government back into form - and Turnbull is doing his bit in savaging the Coalition's climate strategy, writes Ben Eltham
Federal Politics 5 Feb 2010
by Ben Eltham
It's been a tough week for Tony Abbott's new-look Opposition, what with Cyclone Barnaby, a set of rubbery carbon figures and much criticism of their new climate policy, writes Ben Eltham
Federal Politics 4 Feb 2010
by Luke Walladge
In the months before the federal election, the positioning over big-picture issues like the economy and climate change will resolve into a contest over who can do 'small picture' better, writes Luke Walladge
Climate Policy 2 Feb 2010
by Ben Eltham
At the heart of the Coalition's long awaited climate change policy is a belief that polluting the atmosphere should be free of charge, writes Ben Eltham
Federal Politics 29 Jan 2010
by Ben Eltham
Before Parliament resumes, Ben Eltham takes a closer look at the speeches made by Rudd and Abbott during the holiday break: what do they tell us about the year ahead?
Indigenous Politics 27 Jan 2010
by Sarah Burnside
Hang on, is that the Liberal Party standing up for the rights of Indigenous people in north Queensland? Sarah Burnside is sceptical about Tony Abbott's Wild Rivers rhetoric
Water 25 Jan 2010
by Diane Bell
Rather than act on people's concern at the death of Australia's rivers, the Prime Minister is spending time with story books. So river advocate Diane Bell has written him a little fable ...
Climate Policy 25 Jan 2010
by Ben Eltham
The Greens' carbon tax proposal is smart policy. So why didn't they pitch it earlier instead of allowing themselves to be locked out of the climate debate?
Green Economy 8 Feb 2010
by Nick Perry
The Green Loans initiative looked good: it would reduce our emissions and build a whole new industry but six months later and it's in danger of total collapse, writes Nick Perry
Investment 18 Jan 2010
by Nicholas Taylor
This week over a million Australians lost the choice to prevent their super being invested in things like cluster bombs and cigarettes, writes Nicholas Taylor
Local Produce 12 Jan 2010
by Caroline Hamilton
New books on ethical eating herald a rise in food consciousness, writes Caroline Hamilton, but easy answers to philosophical questions about food are in short supply
Health 17 Nov 2009
by Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith
What happens when an adult eats nothing but canned food and drinks from a plastic container for a day? Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith found out — and the results are disturbing
Liability 5 Nov 2009
by Ben Eltham
With the West Atlas oil spill finally plugged, Ben Eltham asks why Australian governments continue to grant indemnities to foreign oil companies
Food Safety 27 Oct 2009
by Hilary Bambrick
The Government wants to allow meat from countries with Mad Cow disease into Australia. And our loose labelling rules mean you won't know the difference, writes Hilary Bambrick
Market Regulation 22 Oct 2009
by Evan Jones
The Rudd Government is involved in two big fights over whether or not share prices are more important than the national interest, writes Evan Jones
Resources 19 Oct 2009
by Rose Butler
It's the place where billions of tonnes of Australia's resources leave the country, but if you ask the residents, there's very little in Karratha to show for it, as Rose Butler discovered
Gays In The Military 9 Feb 2010
by Adrian Phoon
Last month, Obama announced he will end the ban on gays in the military, but in Australia, openly gay and lesbian recruits have been serving since 1992, writes Adrian Phoon
Violence Against Foreign Students 9 Feb 2010
by Mel Campbell
An online campaign is urging people to show support for Indians in Australia by eating curry, but Mel Campbell isn't sure that's really getting to the heart of the matter
Gunns 20 5 Feb 2010
by Greg Ogle
Last week the case against the Gunns 20 was dropped. Will the failed case deter other corporations from taking protestors to court? Greg Ogle reviews a five-year-long corporate PR disaster
Education 3 Feb 2010
by Annabel Astbury
A National Curriculum is all well and good, but many unanswered questions hang over its implementation across the country, writes Annabel Astbury
Education 1 Feb 2010
by Allan Sheffield
The My School website is already affecting how teachers do their jobs — and not in a good way, writes curriculum support teacher Allan Sheffield
Gunns 20 29 Jan 2010
by Liesel Rickarby
On Saturday Gunns finally dropped Australia's biggest SLAPP suit, the Gunns 20 case. Liesel Rickarby tracks how corporations are increasingly using legal proceedings to fight their critics
Education 28 Jan 2010
by Jane Caro
The Federal Government's new site comparing school test performances conceals a whole world of murky detail that you're not meant to understand, writes Jane Caro
Federal Politics 28 Jan 2010
by Jeff Sparrow
It might not win him an election, but Abbott's moralising about the sexuality of teenage girls is successfully pushing the centre of public debate to the right, writes Jeff Sparrow
Asylum Seekers 5 Feb 2010
by Fiona Rutkay
There's been a lot of media coverage of our efforts to keep them away, but Australians have also helped asylum seekers to settle here. Fiona Rutkay meets some surrogate refugee mums
Local Produce 22 Dec 2009
by Catriona Menzies-Pike
newmatilda.com will be delivering fresh cultural commentary direct to your Internets all summer. Here's a taste of what's in store
Editorial 22 Dec 2009
by Marni Cordell
In a huge year for new media, NM continued to grow fast by focusing on the issues that matter. As we begin our special Summer Series, it's time for a quick look back at how we did ...
Countdown To Copenhagen 28 Oct 2009
by Newmatilda.com
With less than six weeks until the COP15 summit, our 'Countdown to Copenhagen' series will guide you through the scientific detail, the apocalyptic imagery and the brinkmanship
Editorial 27 Aug 2009
by Marni Cordell
It's our 5th birthday, and before we get messy, we'd like to have a quick word with you about that thing that lots of people are calling 'the death of quality journalism'...
Editorial 7 Jul 2009
by Newmatilda.com
The Israel/Palestine issue is muddied by hate-filled comments online and partisan pressure behind the scenes. Now those responsible need to ask themselves if their tactics are really helping anything
Editorial 16 Feb 2009
by Marni Cordell
The Victorian bushfires have raised important questions about the role of the media during tragedy. How should the media behave, and where does newmatilda.com fit in?
Editorial 22 Dec 2008
by Catriona Menzies-Pike
What is the state of the cultural nation? We asked leading practitioners of the arts to answer this question and more in newmatilda.com's Summer series
Cuba 4 Feb 2010
by Aron Paul
Whether the lights will shine brightly over Havana again is not only a political question, but an environmental one, writes Aron Paul
Climate Change 4 Feb 2010
by Jonathan Hiskes
Post-Copenhagen, as climate groups in the US regroup, some are arguing it's time for a new set of priorities and strategies, writes Jonathan Hiskes
Transport 22 Jan 2010
by Elliot Fishman
More Melbournians are riding to work now than ever before. It's not just individuals who need to change their transport habits, writes Elliot Fishman
Carbon Trading 22 Jan 2010
by Mark Schapiro
There is a vexing question inherent in turning trees into carbon credits, writes Mark Schapiro. What happens to the people who live in the forests?
Climate Policy 21 Jan 2010
by Tessa Toumbourou
The climate deadlock offers new hope of scrapping the worst bits of Rudd's CPRS, especially its extreme reliance on worthless carbon "offsets", writes Tessa Toumbourou
Carbon Trading 21 Jan 2010
by Mark Schapiro
How do offset schemes really work? Mark Schapiro visited a carbon sink in Brazil to find out what it will cost to keep the world's lungs alive — and who is going to pay
Climate Policy 15 Jan 2010
by Charles McPhedran
Rudd says we won't act on climate change until the rest of the world does, but a recent international survey of climate action ranked Australia almost last
Copenhagen 21 Dec 2009
by Stephen Minas
The process was fascinating but the result was a disappointment. Stephen Minas looks back at how the negotiations played out, and the gaps they leave to be filled
Burma 5 Feb 2010
by Nancy Hudson-Rodd
Not many stories emerge from Burma but those that do suggest that this year's elections will be a sham to shore up the power of the military dictatorship, writes Nancy Hudson-Rodd
Foreign Policy 3 Feb 2010
by Adam Hughes Henry
Since quitting politics, Gareth Evans has been doing okay for himself, preaching the need for ethical foreign policy. The East Timorese must be wondering who he thinks he's kidding, writes Adam Hughes Henry
Canada 2 Feb 2010
by Liam McHugh-Russell
Canadian politicians got an extra long winter holiday when the Prime Minster suspended parliament. Is this what a Westminster constitutional crisis looks like, wonders Liam McHugh-Russell
Russia 1 Feb 2010
by Benedict Coleridge
Russian plutocrats might have lost their diamonds in the GFC but for young people living in the country's regional cities, there are fewer opportunities than ever, reports Ben Coleridge
Afghanistan 1 Feb 2010
by Mustafa Qadri
Getting out of Afghanistan won't be cheap. Mustafa Qadri takes a look at the West's new hope for a solution to its Afghanistan problem
Drug Policy 29 Jan 2010
by Nick Perry
Compulsory rehab sounds like drug policy motivated by public health concerns but shocking tales of abuse are emerging from Cambodia's drug detention centres
Us Politics 29 Jan 2010
by Aron Paul
Obama's State of the Union address recapitulated much of his campaign rhetoric but was tinged with the demands imposed by his first year in office, writes Aron Paul
Sri Lanka 28 Jan 2010
by Perambara
This week Sri Lanka made it to the end of a difficult and violent presidential election, shown in this series of photos from a local independent media service
Food 9 Feb 2010
by Tammi Jonas
Are we really what we eat? The perennial notion of a national dish may be a nonsense, but discussions of an Australian culinary identity reach far beyond the table, writes Tammi Jonas
20 Questions 8 Feb 2010
by Newmatilda.com
Widely adored cartoonist First Dog on the Moon is something of a mystery to his (probably) millions of devoted fans. So we tried to shed some light on the matter — and it kind of didn't work
Piracy 4 Feb 2010
by Raena Lea-Shannon
This week's landmark Federal Court judgement in favour of iiNet will have implications for internet users for years to come. This article from the NM archives explains the background to the case
Satire 3 Feb 2010
by Greg Foyster
Do you think this blanket media coverage of the iPad is overkill? Yes? Well stop being such a narky killjoy. Listen, the next step is to make every story about this exciting new device ...
Privacy 3 Feb 2010
by Jason Wilson
It's easy to pinch a photo from a website and post it in a new context. But how is the easy circulation of images online challenging our ideas about privacy?
Obituary 2 Feb 2010
by Cam Mackellar
Historian and activist Howard Zinn died last week. His work combined the fight for social justice with an unorthodox approach to American history, writes Cam Mackellar
Media 22 Jan 2010
by Jason Wilson
Mark Scott's announcement of a 24-hour rolling news channel might thrill political junkies but will it rehabilitate current affairs at the ABC?
Culture 21 Jan 2010
by Jennifer Hamilton
How many festivals does it take to make a culture? Jennifer Hamilton investigates the many-headed monster that is the Australian arts festival
The Media Ate My Brain 28 Aug 2009
by Ben Pobjie and Cam Smith
In this week's podcast, Ben Pobjie and Cam Smith wonder how interesting the daily life of a toddler can really be to the readers of Melbourne's Herald Sun
The Media Ate My Brain 13 Aug 2009
by Ben Pobjie and Cam Smith
News that everyone's favourite Clap-afflicted marsupial will be kept alongside Phar Lap at the Melbourne Museum was almost too much for our resident podcasters
The Media Ate My Brain 3 Aug 2009
by Ben Pobjie and Cam Smith
As Kyle Sandilands reveals he's unable to perform his duties as the nation's biggest nob for at least another week, Ben Pobjie and Cam Smith ask: who's really to blame for the 'incident'?
Satire 3 Feb 2010
by Ben Pobjie
Now that an English aristocrat has shown our grateful climate scientists how to do their sums, Ben Pobjie wants to celebrate with a delicious slice of the Liberals' 'Magic Pudding' climate policy
Satire 27 Jan 2010
by Ben Pobjie
Tony Abbott wonders if immigrants really appreciate the 'great prize' of Australian citizenship. If this is all he gets, Ben Pobjie feels jibbed
Satire 20 Jan 2010
by Ben Pobjie
What kids' book isn't a political allegory these days? Critic Ben Pobjie has sniffed out all the allusions in our PM's latest literary achievement
Satire 13 Jan 2010
by Ben Pobjie
Enough with the wailing about whaling already! In the name of cross-cultural understanding, Ben Pobjie makes an explanatory intervention
Local Produce 24 Dec 2009
by Fake Penny Wong
While the rest of the world was trying — sorta — to strike a deal at Copenhagen, the internet entity known as Fake Penny Wong prowled the corridors looking for something to eat
Local Produce 23 Dec 2009
by Ben Pobjie
Where did Australian TV go so wrong? How did the small screen get so darn nice and smarmy? Ben Pobjie would break his own fingers if it meant a return to form
Satire 22 Dec 2009
by Roger Hanney
The plot of the climate talks was too complicated and the ending was crap. So Roger Hanney wrote a treatment for a film that is basically the same, but a lot more entertaining
Satire 18 Dec 2009
by Ben Pobjie
Only the most arrogant of faux-journalistic amateur hacks would dare make predictions about what 2010 will bring. Here are Ben Pobjie's
Fiona Katauskas lives on the bones of her arts in Sydney. She's a regular cartoonist for newmatilda.com
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howdy fiona
Perhaps even ‘Shaman’ Costello, rather than ‘Sharman’ Stone?
:o)
Any port in a storm !
¿ dunno4sure¿