Vol 33 No 2

06 February 2023

ARTS AND CULTURE

In conversation with Helen Garner
- Paul Mitchell
- 17 February 2023
3 Comments
Arguably Australia’s most celebrated living author, Helen Garner has built a reputation as a fearless and unapologetic writer whose work has remained fresh and relevant for over 45 years. We sat down with Helen to explore the challenges of confessional non-fiction, her fondness for church, and her commitment to unsparing self-analysis.
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ECONOMICS

The future of work is transhuman
- David James
- 16 February 2023
4 Comments
AI and transhumanism will continue to transform economic life on the planet. Rather than trying to stop it, which will fail, the counterattack should instead be to repeatedly insist on the obvious: that the ‘I’ in AI is not human intelligence, and that the ‘humanism’ in transhumanism is not human.
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AUSTRALIA

Farewell the unlamented TPVs
- Andrew Hamilton
- 16 February 2023
After years of intense debate, Australia has now offered permanent residence to people with Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs), which caused great suffering and were part of a deterrence policy. However, this decision is just an incremental step towards a more humane refugee program that respects secure borders and the humanity of people seeking protection.
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AUSTRALIA

Australia ends decades-long uncertainty for thousands of refugees
- Kerry Murphy
- 16 February 2023
1 Comment
A Valentine’s Day present from the Minister for Immigration for those on temporary protection visas is a much-anticipated relief for approximately 19,000 refugees in Australia. And while a solution is welcome for these refugees, there remains around a further 10,000 whose status and future is uncertain.
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CARTOON

Uluru
- Glen Le Lievre
- 15 February 2023
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AUSTRALIA

Grappling with AI
- Michael McVeigh
- 15 February 2023
1 Comment
As the AI revolution begins, the question publishers must consider is how to integrate AI as a tool that enhances human skills and wisdom without replacing them. Ultimately, the goal should be to make our contribution to society more human, not less.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Conjurer of the Infinite: Memories of Mama
- Binoy Kampmark
- 15 February 2023
1 Comment
Mama was a master of the kitchen, revered for her culinary magic and domestic miracles. Her cooking was an unsurpassed conjurer of traditional Bosnian pita, a sublime miracle that drew the infinite from the minimal. Mama's death left a void of ignorance, indifference, and inability that hovered over the village, mourning the loss of an unassailable figure.
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RELIGION

Does synodality dilute the apostolic tradition?
- Bill Uren
- 14 February 2023
12 Comments
Is the Catholic Church risking the dilution of its apostolic tradition with the upcoming Synod on Synodality? This is the concern raised by Cardinal George Pell in his recent article published posthumously in The Spectator. Despite his criticisms of Pope Francis and the Synod, his warning on the potential consequences of diluting the apostolic tradition are worth consideration.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

The Little Red Wagon
- Robert DiNapoli
- 14 February 2023
2 Comments
But my red carriage rolls its trundling way / beneath the glare of that auroral show, its flakes of rust conceding time’s betray, / the toll imposed on Adam’s clay in slow / extraction of deep veins of anthracite.
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AUSTRALIA

Robodebt and the human cost
- Joe Zabar
- 14 February 2023
2 Comments
The Robodebt Scheme promised billions in savings, but became a $1.8 billion failure labeled as 'a shameful chapter in public administration' by the Federal Court. The government was forced to settle a class action and wipe the debts of 381,000 people. Beyond the human cost, these failures point to a welfare system due for an upgrade.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Chatbots for love
- Michael McGirr
- 09 February 2023
6 Comments
At the root of questions around ChatGPT are issues of authenticity and creativity. It has the capacity to call the bluff on a society which is increasingly inclined to trade pre-digested ‘messaging’ and call it a conversation. Outsourcing self-expression to a computer forces you to ask yourself what makes a human being. Where does the machine end and where do I begin?
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Celebrating needling humour
- Andrew Hamilton
- 09 February 2023
3 Comments
The plot of Kate Solly’s very enjoyable first novel, Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance turns on the conflict between good and evil, represented respectively by the generous desire to turn Catholic property over to refugees and the vicious desire to prevent the project by portraying refugees as Muslims and Muslims as sinister and alien.
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INTERNATIONAL

Darkness in the forest: Revisiting L’Arche after Jean Vanier
- Justin Glyn
- 08 February 2023
4 Comments
Despite the revelations of abuse by its founder Jean Vanier, the communities of L'Arche have remained intact and welcoming with safety protocols in place. The challenge for L'Arche has been in transcending its founder and facing a painful process of re-evaluation, with the aim of living an ethos of equality and inclusivity.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Critical issues
- Kate Moriarty
- 07 February 2023
2 Comments
Do you get imposter thoughts? Do you have an inner critic who has nasty things to say whenever you set out to create? You're not alone. If you are looking for a fun activity that will bring you into constant confrontation with your inner critic, write a novel. I did, and here’s what I learnt along the way.
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AUSTRALIA

Who benefits from Olympic billions?
- Sarah Klenbort
- 07 February 2023
4 Comments
As Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, housing affordability remains a pressing issue. With more residents now facing homelessness, the question arises: with vast amounts of taxpayer money being spent on Olympics infrastructure, how will Brisbane address the homelessness crisis?
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INTERNATIONAL

Saying goodbye
- Michele Frankeni
- 07 February 2023
1 Comment
When she felt she could not fulfil her duties as a leader with the energy and commitment that it required, Jacinda Ardern stepped away from the job. She made a point of saying that though there will be speculation about her walking away, it was nothing more complicated than the job required more commitment than she felt able to bring.
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Vol 33 No 2