The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 35m“Albo is really a control freak of epic proportions. People thought Rudd was a control freak. Albo has his hands over every fucking thing.” Senior Labor figures open up to Chris Wallace about the fraught relationship between the prime minister and the NSW premier: trib.al/LhntsgVtrib.alThe ‘pure ratfuckery’ between Minns and AlbaneseThe fractious relationship between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Chris Minns is deteriorating further as the NSW leader confronts ‘horrendous’ polling ahead of next year’s state election. 050
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 55mSenior Liberals are playing down the prospect of depending on One Nation in any future minority government but concede a preference deal is likely. Jason Koutsoukis reports. trib.al/rTLml4gtrib.alInside the Libs’ One Nation problem: ‘We’re in a fierce, three-corner contest’As the Liberal Party considers preference deals with One Nation and possible power sharing, sources close to Pauline Hanson say she’s not interested in the responsibilities of executive power. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 1h“I think that there should be public scrutiny,” says David Pocock. “I think there’s a lot more that we need to be asking of them.” trib.al/EU7Aphvtrib.alExclusive: Pocock criticises ‘deferential’ AI committeeAs the Senate hears evidence that AI companies do not know what security breaches their models are capable of, a key committee member complains about the deference being shown to them. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 4hElizabeth Farrelly on what can be gained by rethinking the role of dirt in the urban environment: trib.al/jfgBG4atrib.alAppreciating the key role of soils in urban areasThe benefits of spending time in nature are well established, and now there’s a growing understanding of how critical nutrient-rich soil is to wellbeing in urban settings. 000
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 8hLucy Guerin Inc is known for its influential approach to risk-taking and highly experimental work. Anna Snoekstra speaks to its founder about why she is leaving it all behind. trib.al/1gq1s6Ptrib.alLucy Guerin performs her last danceAfter 25 years, Lucy Guerin is farewelling the contemporary dance company she founded with a solo performance that reflects on her celebrated career. 101
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10h“The problem with the definition as it stands is that it measures how a person's support is funded, rather than the reality of their support needs,” says Maeve Kennedy. “That creates a significant gap in the safeguard.” trib.al/A8pHrXwtrib.alThe word change that will halve some NDIS plansA last-minute tweak to the NDIS reforms leaves people who rely on family to help with their constant care exposed to heavy funding cuts. 054
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 12hThis week’s cartoon, by Oslo Davis: trib.al/Dbb4EBgtrib.alOslo Davis cartoon, October 10, 2026The Saturday Paper is a quality weekly newspaper, dedicated to narrative long-form journalism. 021
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 13hPauline Hanson has little interest in holding executive power because she would have to take responsibility for decisions that would put her at odds with the party’s base, a former One Nation staffer tells Jason Koutsoukis. trib.al/ckuSG8qtrib.alInside the Libs’ One Nation problem: ‘We’re in a fierce, three-corner contest’As the Liberal Party considers preference deals with One Nation and possible power sharing, sources close to Pauline Hanson say she’s not interested in the responsibilities of executive power. 164
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 14h"I bristle against identity. That’s what draws me to Sidney Nolan. He is painting a place not to live in. He is not painting a home. There is no becoming here, no belonging.” | Stan Grant trib.al/XK0EmZOtrib.alFinding place in Sidney NolanSidney Nolan haunts me. He haunts me the way Patrick White does in The Tree of Man. Nolan haunts me like Peter Weir’s screen adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock. 030
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 14hEditorial: The most redeeming of Angus Taylor’s features is that he is unlikely ever to become prime minister. He is a management consultant all the way down, insufficiently serious about the problems in front of him and always ready with the wrong answer. trib.al/MjL7ClQtrib.alAngus Taylor’s redeeming featureThe most redeeming of Angus Taylor’s features is that he is unlikely ever to become prime minister. He is a management consultant all the way down, insufficiently serious about the problems in front of him and always ready with the wrong answer. He has the boneless charisma of a soccerball ham. 185
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 15h"Unpaid professional labour and excessive working hours are not accidental flaws at the edges of these systems," writes Hayden Stephens. “They have become part of how they operate.” trib.al/4S7CnmLtrib.alHow hospitals and unis normalised wage theftAustralia’s hospitals and universities do very different work, but they share a growing problem: they routinely fail to recognise the hours worked by the people who keep them running. 073
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 15h"I bristle against identity. That’s what draws me to Sidney Nolan. He is painting a place not to live in. He is not painting a home. There is no becoming here, no belonging.” | Stan Grant trib.al/PHbu0qhtrib.alFinding place in Sidney NolanSidney Nolan haunts me. He haunts me the way Patrick White does in The Tree of Man. Nolan haunts me like Peter Weir’s screen adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 16h“AI doesn’t operate entirely of its own accord,” writes Labor MP and former science minister Ed Husic. “Yet. Humans still make decisions about how it operates. And some of them – the ones who are in government – can make rules that guide those decisions.” trib.al/R7lzn2Gtrib.alWhy the government must shut down AI colonialismNearly two weeks ago, one of the most ethically loose administrations in the living memory of the United States agreed to a ‘morally binding’ accord with some of the biggest tech firms on the planet. 082
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 16h“The whole thing is so deferential,” David Pocock tells The Saturday Paper. “The way we're treating these so-called frontier labs, basically two US companies, that I don't think any Australians really trust, and yet we treat them with such deference.” trib.al/9cQtT88trib.alExclusive: Pocock criticises ‘deferential’ AI committeeAs the Senate hears evidence that AI companies do not know what security breaches their models are capable of, a key committee member complains about the deference being shown to them. 082
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 16h"Minns has a very, very difficult election on his hands. The polling is fucking horrendous.” Senior Labor figures on the increasingly fractured relationship between Anthony Albanese and the NSW Labor premier Chris Minns: trib.al/2ZAmdHYtrib.alThe ‘pure ratfuckery’ between Minns and AlbaneseThe fractious relationship between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Chris Minns is deteriorating further as the NSW leader confronts ‘horrendous’ polling ahead of next year’s state election. 443
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 17hFighting has erupted between rebel groups and pro-government forces in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, just four years after a brutal war there that killed about 600,000 people. trib.al/aTBTLhLtrib.alPre-COP31 meeting vows to ‘keep alive’ bid to limit warmingPakistan and Türkiye to defend Saudi Arabia. Forces clash in northern Ethiopia. Russia denies plague death. 011
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 17hJoseph Connor, the Irish-born teacher at a one-room school in the northern NSW town of Currabubula in the 1880s and 1890s, was the subject of letters of support, denunciation and accusation. Kate Grenville's unearthing of his story makes for a riveting read. trib.al/hjOG33Ktrib.alThe Country SchoolmasterThe Saturday Paper is a quality weekly newspaper, dedicated to narrative long-form journalism. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 17h"The largest cut to Australian immigration was during the pandemic," writes Paul Bongiorno. "Its negative impacts on supply and inflation are largely responsible for the cost-of-living crisis we have today." trib.al/sJuN1i1trib.alAlbanese and Bowen’s Pre-COP gaffeThe leaders of Australia’s conventional parties of government, Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor, are struggling to make any headway against an insurgency intent on destroying the hitherto accepted status quo. 051
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 18hOne Nation have released their Victoria election policy document, one third of which is dedicated to crime. Law experts say the policies are fanciful and would cost many billions of dollars to be implemented. Denham Sadler reports. trib.al/ukvCrzvtrib.alOne Nation’s flawed justice system ‘rebuild’One Nation has released plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility, increase sentences and reduce bail, which lawyers say are unworkable and wildly expensive policies. 043
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 18hExclusive: Independent Senator David Pocock says the government is “starstruck with the frontier” by its deference to AI companies. trib.al/xI5p31Utrib.alExclusive: Pocock criticises ‘deferential’ AI committeeAs the Senate hears evidence that AI companies do not know what security breaches their models are capable of, a key committee member complains about the deference being shown to them. 031
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 18h"The largest cut to Australian immigration was during the pandemic," writes Paul Bongiorno. "Its negative impacts on supply and inflation are largely responsible for the cost-of-living crisis we have today." trib.al/lfY3FFvtrib.alAlbanese and Bowen’s Pre-COP gaffeThe leaders of Australia’s conventional parties of government, Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor, are struggling to make any headway against an insurgency intent on destroying the hitherto accepted status quo. 050
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 19hOne Nation’s Barnaby Joyce, who defected from the Nationals in December, has said he was already in talks with senior Liberal figures about how the three parties could work together after the next election. trib.al/EDhCVTLtrib.alInside the Libs’ One Nation problem: ‘We’re in a fierce, three-corner contest’As the Liberal Party considers preference deals with One Nation and possible power sharing, sources close to Pauline Hanson say she’s not interested in the responsibilities of executive power. 210
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 19hNoel Gallagher, like all other Manchester City fans, has sovereignty over his feelings – but not the facts. And those facts now point to an obvious villain and the rightful target of fans’ disgust and anger: their own club’s owners. trib.al/asazzTVtrib.alDire tribalism: myopia surrounds Man City messWhile sporting tribalism is a joyful unifier, the ‘us versus them’ mentality can also foster delusions that one’s beloved club is beyond reproach. 020
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 20hThis new translation of Nobel Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk's novel about life in a Polish village is a stunning work of literature. At the heart of it lies the question after the atrocities of World War II, “What sort of a God created a world like this?” trib.al/fLKOMhktrib.alPrimeval and Other TimesThe Saturday Paper is a quality weekly newspaper, dedicated to narrative long-form journalism. 030
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 21hIt's easy to see why, with arts funding being slashed and families spending less on entertainment, The Unfriend seemed like a good programming choice: it’s agreeable, simple and doesn’t take any risks that might ruffle audience feathers. trib.al/pfjFBVPtrib.alThe Unfriend takes smooth sailing too farSherlock writer Steven Moffat’s first produced play, The Unfriend, is a successful piece of programming that offers little depth. 011
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 22h“The worst part is knowing you did the best you could but cannot provide the care your vulnerable child needs because the scheme thwarts you.” trib.al/I6Icm6gtrib.alThe word change that will halve some NDIS plansA last-minute tweak to the NDIS reforms leaves people who rely on family to help with their constant care exposed to heavy funding cuts. 163
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 23hAngus Taylor unveiled his long-awaited immigration policy to near universal rejection from peak business groups, migration experts and the government. trib.al/HYxRpTWtrib.alAlbanese and Bowen’s Pre-COP gaffeThe leaders of Australia’s conventional parties of government, Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor, are struggling to make any headway against an insurgency intent on destroying the hitherto accepted status quo. 031
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 23hAccording to those working within the criminal justice system, One Nation's policies are fanciful and would cost many billions of dollars to be implemented. Denham Sadler reports. trib.al/RYLE4Jwtrib.alOne Nation’s flawed justice system ‘rebuild’One Nation has released plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility, increase sentences and reduce bail, which lawyers say are unworkable and wildly expensive policies. 020
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 23h“I think that there should be public scrutiny,” says David Pocock. “I think there’s a lot more that we need to be asking of them.” trib.al/eCpVxM7trib.alExclusive: Pocock criticises ‘deferential’ AI committeeAs the Senate hears evidence that AI companies do not know what security breaches their models are capable of, a key committee member complains about the deference being shown to them. 031
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Senior Liberals are playing down the prospect of depending on One Nation in any future minority government but concede a preference deal is likely. Jason Koutsoukis reports. trib.al/5cQEIjltrib.alInside the Libs’ One Nation problem: ‘We’re in a fierce, three-corner contest’As the Liberal Party considers preference deals with One Nation and possible power sharing, sources close to Pauline Hanson say she’s not interested in the responsibilities of executive power. 132
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Editorial: The most redeeming of Angus Taylor’s features is that he is unlikely ever to become prime minister. He is a management consultant all the way down, insufficiently serious about the problems in front of him and always ready with the wrong answer. trib.al/1SdNWUftrib.alAngus Taylor’s redeeming featureThe most redeeming of Angus Taylor’s features is that he is unlikely ever to become prime minister. He is a management consultant all the way down, insufficiently serious about the problems in front of him and always ready with the wrong answer. He has the boneless charisma of a soccerball ham. 073
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Angus Taylor unveiled his long-awaited immigration policy to near universal rejection from peak business groups, migration experts and the government. trib.al/osbwDSjtrib.alAlbanese and Bowen’s Pre-COP gaffeThe leaders of Australia’s conventional parties of government, Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor, are struggling to make any headway against an insurgency intent on destroying the hitherto accepted status quo. 020
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026What do we stand to gain by transforming our concept of “city” from developer-led profit machine to a vast and intricate ecosystem teeming with smaller, interconnected human ecosystems? trib.al/f2cPyyStrib.alAppreciating the key role of soils in urban areasThe benefits of spending time in nature are well established, and now there’s a growing understanding of how critical nutrient-rich soil is to wellbeing in urban settings. 052
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026"My DNA is old and deep in this land. But I am not. I am new. There is perhaps an ancestral hum, but I am wary of ancestor worship. I am sceptical of cultural fetish.” | Stan Grant trib.al/6J2pa2Htrib.alFinding place in Sidney NolanSidney Nolan haunts me. He haunts me the way Patrick White does in The Tree of Man. Nolan haunts me like Peter Weir’s screen adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock. 031
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Martin McKenzie-Murray on the voluminous evidence that Manchester City engaged in industrialised fraud for a decade, repeatedly lied to investigators and are now relying on their fans' fanatical delusions to help obscure their crimes. trib.al/hxmbaRHtrib.alDire tribalism: myopia surrounds Man City messWhile sporting tribalism is a joyful unifier, the ‘us versus them’ mentality can also foster delusions that one’s beloved club is beyond reproach. 030
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Excessive hours in hospitals and some universities are an expected part of the business model on which these institutions are built, writes Hayden Stephens. It's ingrained behaviour that’s near impossible to shift. trib.al/BLyEnCatrib.alHow hospitals and unis normalised wage theftAustralia’s hospitals and universities do very different work, but they share a growing problem: they routinely fail to recognise the hours worked by the people who keep them running. 064
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026As US developers call for a slowdown in frontier research to head off what they see as a potential existential threat to humanity, digital privacy has become a global concern. trib.al/ShjmWxDtrib.alThe grassroots battle against big techAs Australia considers how to assert AI sovereignty, a Digital Independence Day initiative is spreading across Europe to help people reclaim their online lives from the US tech giants. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Lucy Guerin on why she is leaving the powerhouse dance company she founded 25 years ago: trib.al/aPFHZARtrib.alLucy Guerin performs her last danceAfter 25 years, Lucy Guerin is farewelling the contemporary dance company she founded with a solo performance that reflects on her celebrated career. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Exclusive: David Pocock has criticised the government’s AI committee, of which he is a member, for giving too little time to interview AI executives. trib.al/mN85JoLtrib.alExclusive: Pocock criticises ‘deferential’ AI committeeAs the Senate hears evidence that AI companies do not know what security breaches their models are capable of, a key committee member complains about the deference being shown to them. 0115
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Fiction: Not exactly boys with Harry the youngest at 67 and his gout so bad he had to drop out of the CFA. He limps proudly down the main street and I’m not ashamed to say my eyes are a little wet seeing those departing backs in old army and navy uniforms. trib.al/1lD7TUYtrib.alThe true future of the Kelly GangThere are three op shops on High Street and the Red Cross isn’t open on Wednesdays but Bev keeps it unlocked so we can use the large table near the display window as a collection area for our offerings this morning. Our boys are travelling to the outskirts with their toolboxes and rifles loaded to check the NED on the main road running north. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Exclusive: Independent Senator David Pocock says the government is “starstruck with the frontier” by its deference to AI companies. trib.al/PY1oHLitrib.alExclusive: Pocock criticises ‘deferential’ AI committeeAs the Senate hears evidence that AI companies do not know what security breaches their models are capable of, a key committee member complains about the deference being shown to them. 1135
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Governments don’t have the luxury of “neutrality” or a laissez-faire mentality on AI, writes Labor MP and former science minister Ed Husic. trib.al/U9RZqjhtrib.alWhy the government must shut down AI colonialismNearly two weeks ago, one of the most ethically loose administrations in the living memory of the United States agreed to a ‘morally binding’ accord with some of the biggest tech firms on the planet. 22812
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026According to the latest RedBridge Group poll, energy prices and inflation from the conflict in the Middle East have swamped concerns over climate change. The poll is seen by some as a turning point for the Albanese government, writes Paul Bongiorno. trib.al/pYceN2Itrib.alAlbanese and Bowen’s Pre-COP gaffeThe leaders of Australia’s conventional parties of government, Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor, are struggling to make any headway against an insurgency intent on destroying the hitherto accepted status quo. 010
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026“The thing with Pauline is that she has such absolute power in One Nation that becoming prime minister would be a downgrade,” says one former staffer. trib.al/ME3tDNstrib.alInside the Libs’ One Nation problem: ‘We’re in a fierce, three-corner contest’As the Liberal Party considers preference deals with One Nation and possible power sharing, sources close to Pauline Hanson say she’s not interested in the responsibilities of executive power. 041
The Saturday Paper @thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 10/10/2026Tension between Chris Minns and the federal Albanese government is escalating as the New South Wales Labor premier fights to retain office at the state election due in March, writes Chris Wallace. trib.al/lEMKfRTtrib.alThe ‘pure ratfuckery’ between Minns and AlbaneseThe fractious relationship between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Chris Minns is deteriorating further as the NSW leader confronts ‘horrendous’ polling ahead of next year’s state election. 363