Comment

A country that permits and encourages private religious schooling should understand that such schools will expect to discriminate in their student admission and teacher employment practices in favour of those who are members of their faith communities, and they have long been able to do just that. In the case of schools, at least, given how much public money they receive, the question is not how much more leeway churches should get to discriminate but the opposite.

It was uplifting to see Father Paul Kelly, editor-at-large of The Catholic Boys Daily, beating the drum for a religious freedom bill. Never mind that already we have too much religious freedom; Father Kelly wants more.

It is completely disingenuous for Turnbull to accuse Labor of not heeding warnings eight years ago on how the intense export drive could affect domestic supply and prices. Those warnings were offset by assurances from the exporters that it would not happen. Hollow assurances as it turns out. Sound familiar?

There is a tension between lawyers championing the cause of a free press and what the free press does once it gets its hands on the information. Last year, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal made some important in-principle rulings about take-down orders affecting news media websites. Even though these judgements contained important rulings on the relevant law, they were themselves subject to non-publication orders because of trials that were under way.

Diarist-at-large Richard Ackland flies about the nation.

George Christensen says the only option is a plebiscite. If the prime minister accepts this in the hope the issue will go away, he is deluding himself.

Of Pine Gap's 54 antennas, why can’t we have one or two working for us before the bomb goes off? We should be searching for JI members who log in on any system, anywhere, any time.

Diarist-at-large Richard Ackland flies about the nation.

While Turnbull is confident the plebiscite vote will pass, the republic, another of his magnificent causes, looked a no-brainer only to fail amid confusion and skulduggery.

When cast as a guiding light for policies of all kinds, ‘innovation’ turns attention away from fundamentals such as health, labour and infrastructure policy.