22 Sep 2009
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Australian Politics
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Climate Policy 9 Feb 2010
Turnbull Takes Abbott To The Cleaners
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
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Federal Politics 5 Feb 2010
A Rocky Start To The Political Year
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
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Federal Politics 4 Feb 2010
This Election, Forget About The Big Picture
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
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Climate Policy 2 Feb 2010
Have The Libs Lost Faith In The Market?
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
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Federal Politics 29 Jan 2010
The Election Will Not Be Fought On Climate
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?
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Indigenous Politics 27 Jan 2010
Black Property Rights? Not Under A Liberal Government
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
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Water 25 Jan 2010
A Timely Fable For Kevin Rudd
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 ...
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Climate Policy 25 Jan 2010
It's Not Easy Being Green — But That's No Excuse
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?
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Business & Consumerism
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Green Economy 8 Feb 2010
Another Rudd Green Plan Bites The Dust?
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
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Investment 18 Jan 2010
Sorry, We're Sending Your Money To The Arms Dealers
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
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Local Produce 12 Jan 2010
It's Not All Cravats And Croquembouche
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
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Health 17 Nov 2009
How Plastic Bottles Are Poisoning Babies
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
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Liability 5 Nov 2009
Why Your Tax Dollars Are Underwriting Chevron
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
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Food Safety 27 Oct 2009
May Contain Traces Of Mad Cow
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
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Market Regulation 22 Oct 2009
The Naive And Sentimental Rent-Seeker
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
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Resources 19 Oct 2009
Mining Wealth Brings A Strange Poverty
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
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Civil Society
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Gays In The Military 9 Feb 2010
Our Gay Soldiers Are Just Fine
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
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Violence Against Foreign Students 9 Feb 2010
Eating Our Way To Racial Tolerance
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
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Gunns 20 5 Feb 2010
Gunns Backs Down
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
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Education 3 Feb 2010
How Do You Deliver A World-Class Curriculum?
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
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Education 1 Feb 2010
Teaching Kids How To Take Tests
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
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Gunns 20 29 Jan 2010
A SLAPP In The Face For Free Speech
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
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Education 28 Jan 2010
Gillard's New Website Misses The Point
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
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Federal Politics 28 Jan 2010
Abbott's Already Winning
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
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Editorial
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Asylum Seekers 5 Feb 2010
Welcome To The Mother Country
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
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Local Produce 22 Dec 2009
What's On The Menu For Summer?
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
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Editorial 22 Dec 2009
We Told You So
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 ...
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Countdown To Copenhagen 28 Oct 2009
The Countdown To Copenhagen Begins
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
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Editorial 27 Aug 2009
We're Five: Bring On The Media Apocalypse!
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'...
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Editorial 7 Jul 2009
This Debate Needs To Take A Look In The Mirror
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
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Editorial 16 Feb 2009
How Should The Fires Be Reported?
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?
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Editorial 22 Dec 2008
Australia, (Not The Film) The Culture
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
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Global Footprint
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Cuba 4 Feb 2010
Cuba: A Red And Green Utopia?
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
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Climate Change 4 Feb 2010
Where To Now For The Climate Movement?
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
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Transport 22 Jan 2010
Has Anyone Told The Transport Planners About Climate Change?
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
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Carbon Trading 22 Jan 2010
How Carbon Offsets Will Change The World As We Know It
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?
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Climate Policy 21 Jan 2010
Can We Talk Sensibly About The ETS Now?
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
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Carbon Trading 21 Jan 2010
The New Economics Of Carbon Offsets
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
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Climate Policy 15 Jan 2010
Actually, We're Doing Much Less Than Others
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
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Copenhagen 21 Dec 2009
Flight From Copenhagen
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
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International Affairs
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Burma 5 Feb 2010
Burma Is Speaking Out — Why Aren't We Listening?
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
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Foreign Policy 3 Feb 2010
The Pebble In Gareth's Shoe
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
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Canada 2 Feb 2010
We're Tired: Canada's Government Calls In Sick
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
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Russia 1 Feb 2010
Down And Out In Yaroslavl
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
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Afghanistan 1 Feb 2010
Afghanistan — The Exit Fee
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
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Drug Policy 29 Jan 2010
The War On Drug Users
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
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Us Politics 29 Jan 2010
Rhetoric v History
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
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Sri Lanka 28 Jan 2010
Scenes From The Sri Lankan Election Campaign
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
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Media and Culture
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Food 9 Feb 2010
Is There Life Beyond The Barbie?
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
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20 Questions 8 Feb 2010
A Dog Of An Interview
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
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Piracy 4 Feb 2010
Hollywood Vs The Internet
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
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Satire 3 Feb 2010
The iPad Makes Too Many Headlines
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 ...
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Privacy 3 Feb 2010
Are All Online Images Fair Game?
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?
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Obituary 2 Feb 2010
Fewer Great Men, More People
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
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Media 22 Jan 2010
Is 24-Hour News Good News?
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?
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Culture 21 Jan 2010
Where There's A Niche, There's A Market?
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
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Podcasts
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The Media Ate My Brain 28 Aug 2009
Are Suri Cruise's Spews News?
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
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The Media Ate My Brain 13 Aug 2009
Sam The Koala Can Get Stuffed
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
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The Media Ate My Brain 3 Aug 2009
This One Goes Out To You, Kyle
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'?
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Satire
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Satire 3 Feb 2010
Lord Monckton Proves Denial Is In Egypt
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
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Satire 27 Jan 2010
You Win! A Lifetime Of Mandatory Voting
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
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Satire 20 Jan 2010
Kev's Best Distraction From Government Yet
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
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Satire 13 Jan 2010
Give Whalers A Chance
by Ben Pobjie
Enough with the wailing about whaling already! In the name of cross-cultural understanding, Ben Pobjie makes an explanatory intervention
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Local Produce 24 Dec 2009
Behind The Scenes At COP15
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
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Local Produce 23 Dec 2009
Nice Guys Finish Last
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
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Satire 22 Dec 2009
Copenhagen ... The Movie
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
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Satire 18 Dec 2009
The Year That Was, And The Year That Will Be
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
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Fiona Katauskas lives on the bones of her arts in Sydney. She's a regular cartoonist for newmatilda.com
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