Crikey’s week started with a deep dive into the increasingly tense relations between Australia and China, and ended with our critique of the Peter Dutton’s new cybersecurity policy. But in between, the week belonged again to the virus, and in particular to events in Victoria.

We came at the stage four lockdown in a number of ways, from contentious opinion pieces to a parody of ’80s sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo! We also opened up the site to the voices of older Australians as part of our new Missing Voices series, and posed a pertinent question via conflict of interest reporter Georgia Wilkins: is Australian democracy suffering because the pandemic?

Other highlights this week included Janine Perrett on bosses behaving badly, Stephen Mayne on the departing of James Murdoch from the family firm, and Dean Yates on why the media should support Julian Assange — or stop using WikiLeaks material. And speaking of the media, Bernard Keane’s article on the treatment of ABC journalist Emma Alberici provoked plenty of commentary.

Finally, I’d to make mention of the first Crikey Inside Access book talk, a ripper of a webinar featuring former human rights commissioner Gillian Triggs, hosted by reporters Amber Schultz and Kishor Napier-Raman. If you’d like to upgrade to Inside Access, go here.

DAVID HARDAKER 6 minute read

If it comes to a trade war China holds all the aces — Australian industry and government have been shockingly slow to secure essential resources.

BERNARD KEANE and GLENN DYER 4 minute read

Thanks to Daniel Andrews and his government, Australia faces an economic disaster. But the federal government must step up on the response.

GUY RUNDLE 5 minute read

We're in the middle of a storm. And only radical action can get us out.

GEORGIA WILKINS 2 minute read

This is not the time for our leaders to go all secretive. Australians need information, and they need it to be timely and honest.

GUY RUNDLE 6 minute read

The cafe at night. Sirens are howling. Searchlights play across the sky. There are screams as the Gestapo arrest someone getting a takeaway chicken korma at 8:05pm...

JANINE PERRETT 3 minute read

The Bosses Behaving Badly in a Pandemic Award has some strong new contenders.

DEAN YATES 4 minute read

Like him or not, the WikiLeaks founder represents things that need protecting.

STEPHEN MAYNE 5 minute read

The younger Murdoch son resigned from News Corp citing 'disagreements over certain editorial content'. But what content was he talking about, exactly?

BERNARD KEANE 5 minute read

Someone at the ABC is leaking confidential information about Emma Alberici to its — and her — enemies at News Corp. What signal does that send to journalists whose job is to hold the powerful to account?

MARGOT SAVILLE 5 minute read

Alex Lavelle's sudden resignation didn't rock Melbourne society's boat. He sank as he rose — unknown and unlamented by no one other than staff.

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

The government's melodramatic new cybersecurity strategy is embarrassingly vague — but points to dramatic new powers for intelligence agencies to spy on Australians and engage in commercial espionage.