Like we often do at Crikey, this week we’ve been thinking a lot about integrity, and about trust in our leaders and authorities.

For Inq, David Hardaker has been investigating the Order of Australia honours. Yesterday it was the politicisation of the awards, and today in a Weekender exclusive he breaks down the numbers on which side of politics has received more of the most prestigious awards in the past two years. No prizes for guessing who comes out on top.

Elsewhere, Amber Schultz returned to the story of David Harris — a man whose family trusted his care to the mental health system, but who died when his support services were cancelled. More than a year later, his death is yet to be fully investigated.

Plus, Bernard Keane and Guy Rundle looked at the (latest) Victorian Labor branch stacking scandal, and the rot within politics.

Best of all, for one more week, all this (and the rest of the website) is out from behind the paywall. If you’re enjoying free access to Crikey and think our journalism is worth backing, there’s still time to choose what you pay when you jump on board, renew your membership or sign up your friends.

There’s never been a more important time for independent, Australian-owned journalism, so we hope you will continue to support us.

AMBER SCHULTZ 3 minute read

David Harris died more than a year ago after his NDIS funding was cut off. Yet the NSW government has yet to launch an inquest into his death. Inq's Amber Schultz investigates.

JASON MURPHY 3 minute read

The odds are against the parasitic gambling industry being anything other than bigger and stronger and richer after the pandemic. We need a program that makes sure it won't be.

STEPHEN MAYNE 4 minute read

Rio Tinto could do worse than relocating its global headquarters to Australia if it wants to repair its rocky image, writes Stephen Mayne.

MICHAEL BRADLEY 4 minute read

The US president and his conservative base will be crushed by this decision, which shows that civil rights law has teeth, and that those teeth bite hard.

GEORGIA WILKINS 2 minute read

A report highlights a drastic escalation in China’s DNA surveillance system. But will foreign governments do anything about it?

ALAN AUSTIN 3 minute read

Every significant indicator of the health of the US economy has declined since he became president.

BENJAMIN CLARK 4 minute read

If universities and government don't give students a voice on dealing with the pandemic's impact, not only will their education be compromised but their job prospects will be savagely diminished.

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

Universities are one of Australia's biggest exporters and a major employer, but are treated with contempt by the government. Is it because they don't fill the coffers of political parties?

3 minute read

COVID-19 is set to wreak havoc on the economies of India and its neighbours, and it couldn't have come at a worse time for Australia.

CHRISTOPHER WARREN 3 minute read

News Corp (and some of its traditional rivals) is in a tailspin over recent anti-racist protests. Once again, old media is showing its age.