The Monthly
@themonthly.com.au
Australian politics, society and culture.
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Also from Schwartz Media: @thesaturdaypaper.com.au
Read now: http://mnth.ly/5O8XDxe
Subscriptions: http://mnth.ly/mqp1oz9
Also from Schwartz Media: @thesaturdaypaper.com.au
Pinned
February issue out now! Jim Chalmers talks to economist Joseph Stiglitz, protecting the Burrup’s rock art, preparations for the next pandemic, Beejay Silcox on reading Halldór Laxness, reviews of ‘Marty Supreme’, ‘The Pitt’, Hany Armanious, and much more.
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mnth.ly/Fgv9evg
Australia is on high alert for bird flu. In November, media reports confirmed that dead elephant seals on subantarctic Heard Island, 4000km south-west of Perth, had been infected with H5N1 2.3.4.4b, the deadly strain that has ravaged every other continent. mnth.ly/ZIW8pS7
Pan’s labyrinth
With the United States having vacated the field, the world’s leading infectious disease experts gathered in Melbourne to discuss collaborative efforts to identify and combat the next pandemic
mnth.ly
February 10, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Australia is on high alert for bird flu. In November, media reports confirmed that dead elephant seals on subantarctic Heard Island, 4000km south-west of Perth, had been infected with H5N1 2.3.4.4b, the deadly strain that has ravaged every other continent. mnth.ly/ZIW8pS7
“It was completely misrepresented as a justification of bigotry. The fact that the government is now saying that the law needs tougher protections against hate speech is an acknowledgment that what I then said about the law was accurate.” mnth.ly/SR83y9W
The bigot chill
The long history behind the bill to criminalise incitement of race-based hatred (and why George Brandis says it proves he was right)
mnth.ly
February 10, 2026 at 8:39 AM
“It was completely misrepresented as a justification of bigotry. The fact that the government is now saying that the law needs tougher protections against hate speech is an acknowledgment that what I then said about the law was accurate.” mnth.ly/SR83y9W
Australia is on high alert for bird flu. In November, media reports confirmed that dead elephant seals on subantarctic Heard Island, 4000km south-west of Perth, had been infected with H5N1 2.3.4.4b, the deadly strain that has ravaged every other continent. mnth.ly/eAW83WD
Pan’s labyrinth
With the United States having vacated the field, the world’s leading infectious disease experts gathered in Melbourne to discuss collaborative efforts to identify and combat the next pandemic
mnth.ly
February 10, 2026 at 5:45 AM
Australia is on high alert for bird flu. In November, media reports confirmed that dead elephant seals on subantarctic Heard Island, 4000km south-west of Perth, had been infected with H5N1 2.3.4.4b, the deadly strain that has ravaged every other continent. mnth.ly/eAW83WD
“It was completely misrepresented as a justification of bigotry. The fact that the government is now saying that the law needs tougher protections against hate speech is an acknowledgment that what I then said about the law was accurate.” mnth.ly/mqUyoWQ
The bigot chill
The long history behind the bill to criminalise incitement of race-based hatred (and why George Brandis says it proves he was right)
mnth.ly
February 10, 2026 at 2:44 AM
“It was completely misrepresented as a justification of bigotry. The fact that the government is now saying that the law needs tougher protections against hate speech is an acknowledgment that what I then said about the law was accurate.” mnth.ly/mqUyoWQ
"I know that if you look across the political spectrum, this is not always a popular or a unanimous view, but it is my view that we can make our economy run more efficiently without trading away necessary protections." mnth.ly/lVkO8GL
The treasurer and the economist
With the global economy in turmoil, Jim Chalmers speaks with Nobel-prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz about tariffs, intergenerational challenges and regulatory balance when planning for the future
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM
"I know that if you look across the political spectrum, this is not always a popular or a unanimous view, but it is my view that we can make our economy run more efficiently without trading away necessary protections." mnth.ly/lVkO8GL
Taking legislative action in the immediate aftermath of an horrific mass murder carries both opportunity and risk. mnth.ly/vAX2S08
The bigot chill
The long history behind the bill to criminalise incitement of race-based hatred (and why George Brandis says it proves he was right)
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Taking legislative action in the immediate aftermath of an horrific mass murder carries both opportunity and risk. mnth.ly/vAX2S08
Why would a hopeful recipient want to invest in rounds of IVF (each of which costs about $10,000) for an egg that might not be high quality? mnth.ly/7cF8eeR
One good egg
While demand for donor eggs among people facing fertility problems is at a record high in Australia, supply is short and ethical issues inevitably arise
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Why would a hopeful recipient want to invest in rounds of IVF (each of which costs about $10,000) for an egg that might not be high quality? mnth.ly/7cF8eeR
The community reshapes itself, the market tilts, the country convulses, and he concedes nothing. He’s a one-man monument to intransigence. Ayn Rand would adore him. He’s a mighty, ruinous fool. mnth.ly/qWprCDj
Heed the sheep: Reading Halldór Laxness
Catching up on the feral black humour of the Icelandic Nobel laureate’s classic tale of a man who only believes in himself and his flock
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 4:29 PM
The community reshapes itself, the market tilts, the country convulses, and he concedes nothing. He’s a one-man monument to intransigence. Ayn Rand would adore him. He’s a mighty, ruinous fool. mnth.ly/qWprCDj
The curse of every age is to see itself as uniquely blighted, to give new names to old spectres. But Laxness’s questions are ours: what care do we owe one another? What are the costs, limits and casualties of our independence? mnth.ly/YpOXTgT
Heed the sheep: Reading Halldór Laxness
Catching up on the feral black humour of the Icelandic Nobel laureate’s classic tale of a man who only believes in himself and his flock
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 2:47 PM
The curse of every age is to see itself as uniquely blighted, to give new names to old spectres. But Laxness’s questions are ours: what care do we owe one another? What are the costs, limits and casualties of our independence? mnth.ly/YpOXTgT
The curse of every age is to see itself as uniquely blighted, to give new names to old spectres. But Laxness’s questions are ours: what care do we owe one another? What are the costs, limits and casualties of our independence? mnth.ly/PRQiCDa
Heed the sheep: Reading Halldór Laxness
Catching up on the feral black humour of the Icelandic Nobel laureate’s classic tale of a man who only believes in himself and his flock
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 1:25 PM
The curse of every age is to see itself as uniquely blighted, to give new names to old spectres. But Laxness’s questions are ours: what care do we owe one another? What are the costs, limits and casualties of our independence? mnth.ly/PRQiCDa
There’s a running gag that whenever more than two men are in the same room, the talk turns to “the various ailments of sheep” (worms mostly): a kind of parasitic Bechdel Test. mnth.ly/Dq2YtPj
Heed the sheep: Reading Halldór Laxness
Catching up on the feral black humour of the Icelandic Nobel laureate’s classic tale of a man who only believes in himself and his flock
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 11:38 AM
There’s a running gag that whenever more than two men are in the same room, the talk turns to “the various ailments of sheep” (worms mostly): a kind of parasitic Bechdel Test. mnth.ly/Dq2YtPj
The second season of HBO’s hospital emergency room drama continues with its West Wing–style banter and frank assessment of the state of healthcare, writes Sinéad Stubbins. mnth.ly/8GQ7Ndz
‘The Pitt’
The second season of HBO’s hospital emergency room drama continues with its West Wing–style banter and frank assessment of the state of healthcare
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 11:02 AM
The second season of HBO’s hospital emergency room drama continues with its West Wing–style banter and frank assessment of the state of healthcare, writes Sinéad Stubbins. mnth.ly/8GQ7Ndz
Cantona sat before the press. A long suspension and the tabloids’ vaudeville venom had not humbled him; rather, he glowed with contempt for those arrayed before him. mnth.ly/mqkQYBH
‘When the seagulls follow the trawler...’
The author is sceptical of footballer Eric Cantona’s claims to have baited the media with a meaningless comment following his infamous kung-fu kick of a punter
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Cantona sat before the press. A long suspension and the tabloids’ vaudeville venom had not humbled him; rather, he glowed with contempt for those arrayed before him. mnth.ly/mqkQYBH
The second season of HBO’s hospital emergency room drama continues with its West Wing–style banter and frank assessment of the state of healthcare, writes Sinéad Stubbins. mnth.ly/hupaSaW
‘The Pitt’
The second season of HBO’s hospital emergency room drama continues with its West Wing–style banter and frank assessment of the state of healthcare
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 10:07 AM
The second season of HBO’s hospital emergency room drama continues with its West Wing–style banter and frank assessment of the state of healthcare, writes Sinéad Stubbins. mnth.ly/hupaSaW
Cantona sat before the press. A long suspension and the tabloids’ vaudeville venom had not humbled him; rather, he glowed with contempt for those arrayed before him. mnth.ly/WhX5GZ7
‘When the seagulls follow the trawler...’
The author is sceptical of footballer Eric Cantona’s claims to have baited the media with a meaningless comment following his infamous kung-fu kick of a punter
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Cantona sat before the press. A long suspension and the tabloids’ vaudeville venom had not humbled him; rather, he glowed with contempt for those arrayed before him. mnth.ly/WhX5GZ7
Like all LNG processing plants, the Karratha Gas Plant is gas-powered, and the amount of gas used to produce LNG in Australia exceeds its use for all other purposes. mnth.ly/ntYvGu8
Shelf life
What the federal government’s extension of the North West Shelf Project means for the preservation of the Burrup Peninsula’s millennia-old rock art
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Like all LNG processing plants, the Karratha Gas Plant is gas-powered, and the amount of gas used to produce LNG in Australia exceeds its use for all other purposes. mnth.ly/ntYvGu8
The reality is that, even in Australia, a relatively compliant population, the community would not accept another lockdown, experts say. mnth.ly/tq1z213
Pan’s labyrinth
With the United States having vacated the field, the world’s leading infectious disease experts gathered in Melbourne to discuss collaborative efforts to identify and combat the next pandemic
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 8:37 AM
The reality is that, even in Australia, a relatively compliant population, the community would not accept another lockdown, experts say. mnth.ly/tq1z213
When the Australian Institute of Infectious Disease’s doors open in 2029 it will house the largest concentration of infectious disease experts in the southern hemisphere. mnth.ly/y3R6NfU
Pan’s labyrinth
With the United States having vacated the field, the world’s leading infectious disease experts gathered in Melbourne to discuss collaborative efforts to identify and combat the next pandemic
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 8:12 AM
When the Australian Institute of Infectious Disease’s doors open in 2029 it will house the largest concentration of infectious disease experts in the southern hemisphere. mnth.ly/y3R6NfU
There’s a running gag that whenever more than two men are in the same room, the talk turns to “the various ailments of sheep” (worms mostly): a kind of parasitic Bechdel Test. mnth.ly/i0KVFnu
Heed the sheep: Reading Halldór Laxness
Catching up on the feral black humour of the Icelandic Nobel laureate’s classic tale of a man who only believes in himself and his flock
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 7:50 AM
There’s a running gag that whenever more than two men are in the same room, the talk turns to “the various ailments of sheep” (worms mostly): a kind of parasitic Bechdel Test. mnth.ly/i0KVFnu
Like all LNG processing plants, the Karratha Gas Plant is gas-powered, and the amount of gas used to produce LNG in Australia exceeds its use for all other purposes. mnth.ly/pcKJX9P
Shelf life
What the federal government’s extension of the North West Shelf Project means for the preservation of the Burrup Peninsula’s millennia-old rock art
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Like all LNG processing plants, the Karratha Gas Plant is gas-powered, and the amount of gas used to produce LNG in Australia exceeds its use for all other purposes. mnth.ly/pcKJX9P
“It was a lawyer’s answer to a politician’s question. The point I was making was a point about what the law allowed, defending the right of a person to hold a belief or attitude is not to defend that belief or attitude [itself].” mnth.ly/uZhqaHG
The bigot chill
The long history behind the bill to criminalise incitement of race-based hatred (and why George Brandis says it proves he was right)
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 6:59 AM
“It was a lawyer’s answer to a politician’s question. The point I was making was a point about what the law allowed, defending the right of a person to hold a belief or attitude is not to defend that belief or attitude [itself].” mnth.ly/uZhqaHG
I walked into ‘Havoc’ hesitantly but was soon moving freely among the dogs: an attendant even had to call me back from over-stepping the blue tape right into the midst of those bared teeth. Perhaps the immersion was therapeutic. mnth.ly/hD2U3pH
Hyperreality bites: ‘Ron Mueck: Encounter at AGNSW’
Giant sculptures of aggressive dogs show the renowned Australian artist is shifting from away from perfect mimicry to something more theatrical
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 6:36 AM
I walked into ‘Havoc’ hesitantly but was soon moving freely among the dogs: an attendant even had to call me back from over-stepping the blue tape right into the midst of those bared teeth. Perhaps the immersion was therapeutic. mnth.ly/hD2U3pH
Another favourite Cantona line of mine is perfectly blunt: “My best moment? I have a lot of good moments, but the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan.” mnth.ly/RWu4vjH
‘When the seagulls follow the trawler...’
The author is sceptical of footballer Eric Cantona’s claims to have baited the media with a meaningless comment following his infamous kung-fu kick of a punter
mnth.ly
February 9, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Another favourite Cantona line of mine is perfectly blunt: “My best moment? I have a lot of good moments, but the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan.” mnth.ly/RWu4vjH