This week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australian troops will be leaving Afghanistan in September, marking 20 years in the country — the end of our longest conflict. Ever vacuous, Morrison said the war brought us freedom. But as Bernard Keane wrote, the conflict was a failure on multiple fronts which left Afghanistan and the West less safe.

Morrison said it wasn’t the right time to talk about alleged war crimes committed by Australian troops. With more allegations against Ben Roberts-Smith coming to light, it’s a hard conversation to ignore.

It was another typical week in Morrison’s Australia. As Georgia Wilkins and Amber Schultz wrote, the prime minister’s standing among female voters is in the doldrums. The government’s ideological hatred of the ABC continues, as do the million-dollar handouts to management consultants. And the vaccine rollout… well, the less said about that the better.

Elsewhere in Crikey, Janine Perrett and Stephen Mayne documented the curious martyrdom of former Australia post CEO Christine Holgate, and Guy Rundle took a swing at conservative ghouls.

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

This war has been a monstrous failure, in which a vast amount of money has been spent and blood shed to make us less safe.

AMBER SCHULTZ 3 minute read

From war crimes to aged care to climate change, the PM simply never has the time to discuss important issues — even when it's him who scheduled the press conference.

GUY RUNDLE 5 minute read

With the long lockdown and the post-JobKeeper era emerging, Melbourne's CBD is beaten down and vacant. But it can be saved.

BERNARD KEANE 2 minute read

A new report spells out the impact of the Coalition's continued attacks on the ABC.

AMBER SCHULTZ and GEORGIA WILKINS 4 minute read

This might not have been the best time for a Handmaid's Tale photo op. Then again, his popularity with men is increasing...

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN and GEORGIA WILKINS 4 minute read

Despite state and federal governments spending millions on consultants, transparency and accountability seems to be nil.

AMBER SCHULTZ 3 minute read

History repeats itself — again — as a woman is set to take the fall over the crisis in disability services created by a bloke.

BERNARD KEANE 5 minute read

Why is the Morrison government so bad at getting things done? Maybe when you don't believe government should do things, you lose the capacity to do them.

DAVID HARDAKER 5 minute read

Peter van Onselen and Wayne Errington's new book reveals the Morrison government's problem with women, even before the current fallout.

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 2 minute read

The scandal-plagued firm scored yet another COVID-19 government contract, making over $7 million since December.

GUY RUNDLE 6 minute read

Classical liberalism has been dying for years, COVID-19 just exposed its true weakness — but don't tell the conservatives that.