The Saturday Paper

trib.alAll things weird and wonderful poured into The History of ConcreteJohn Wilson’s delightful meandering through The History of Concrete shows us a world that’s both absurd and unexpectedly moving.

5h

“It’s kind of hard to get people excited about concrete,” John Wilson complains to a cement mason midway through The History of Concrete. “Well, people don’t realise we’d be up a creek without concrete,” the man responds. “It’s used for everything.” trib.al/CstPhUl

trib.alAtong Atem’s joyful art an act of resistanceAtong Atem’s vital photographs – showing in Passage, the first solo exhibition by an African Australian at the National Gallery of Victoria – bring colonial histories into critical focus.

7h

Atong Atem is the first African Australian to have a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. Her path there has been anything but linear, writes Santilla Chingaipe. trib.al/M5wUypF

trib.alOn the frontline at the Paris protestsThe visceral anger evident in the widespread looting and destruction across France last week came as a shock even to a country with a long history of violent protest.

9h

The visceral anger evident in the widespread looting and destruction across France last week came as a shock even to a country with a long history of violent protest, writes Rick Morton. trib.al/p62VTMj

trib.alOslo Davis cartoon, October 24, 2026The Saturday Paper is a quality weekly newspaper, dedicated to narrative long-form journalism.

10h

This week’s cartoon, by Oslo Davis: trib.al/B344qlZ

trib.alExploring the pintxos bars of Basque CountryThe difference in northern Spain’s culture is reflected in the cuisine – cheeses, skewers and seafood best sampled on a Basque-style pub crawl.

11h

In the Bilbao restaurant of Hambueysería, it’s all about ox meat, writes Linda Jaivin. From mini oxburgers grilled to perfection on the outside, still bellowing on the inside, to the croquetas that are a kind of meet-cute between béchamel and ox. trib.al/OFGVHZg

trib.alHelen Haines, a person of total integrityThe quest for political advantage will inevitably lead to overreach. It is heartening to hear the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor, reacting to the Haines outrage in a way that acknowledges hyperbole can have lethal consequences.

12h

“The quest for political advantage will inevitably lead to overreach. It is heartening to hear the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor, reacting to the Haines outrage in a way that acknowledges hyperbole can have lethal consequences.” trib.al/C8gkOQt

trib.alThe churches’ power to sack people for being gay, pregnant or divorcedJames was the kind of boy who appears in school brochures. At his Christian school in Sydney he was a model student and staff told him he was an ideal candidate for prefect.

13h

“Non-government schools receive billions of dollars in public funding every year. Australians are entitled to expect that public money doesn’t pay for discrimination that would be illegal anywhere else.” | Allegra Spender trib.al/AqphoMO

trib.alAustralian Indians show solidarity against ModiAustralia’s Indian communities, emboldened by the escalating protests of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement, join global solidarity rallies despite fears of visa reprisals.

13h

"Democracy is in danger," says one Indian Australian. "The game is totally under control by Modi." trib.al/29Er0Cm

trib.alThe Jim Chalmers interview: ‘We can’t arrogantly assume violence can’t be replicated here’In an exclusive interview following meetings with his counterparts across Asia, the treasurer describes how rising global threats are resonating in Australia, and his shock at the attack on Helen Haines.

14h

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Australia is considered “this kind of island of stability and opportunity in a sea of uncertainty and risk”, citing Australia’s debt levels, which, though historically high, are low relative to other economies. trib.al/bXbZAvO

trib.alHow the Plymouth Brethren influence politicsThe secretive religious order, linked to John Howard as far back as the 1970s, faces losing its tax-free status – despite interference from Liberal MPs.

14h

Multiple sources from inside the church have contacted the committee to detail how the Brethren was given access to Liberal campaign resources, such as the party’s phonebank database, to make thousands of calls on behalf of Liberal candidates. trib.al/XXdruWG

trib.alWhy transparency in polling mattersIn Clacton, it’s a warm July day and Nigel Farage has taken a break from his byelection campaign to sip champagne with Reform UK staff and supporters.

15h

“That someone has paid for a poll doesn’t necessarily mean its results are inaccurate – a pollster that has built a sound reputation has a strong incentive not to deliver something that would undermine it. But the audience should know.” | Evan Schwarten trib.al/AIKO04Y

trib.alViolent words to violent actsThe first piece Helen Haines wrote for The Saturday Paper coincided with the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, a reform for which she was centrally responsible and a measure of her effectiveness and her sincere commitment to integrity.

16h

Editorial: The attack on Helen Haines is an attack on democracy. It will change our politics and change the country. trib.al/VwKF44S

trib.alWhen Hobbes met GalileoSometimes words dissolve on the page even as I write them. Words are not enough. Now is one of those times, as Australians grapple with the shocking attack on federal politician Helen Haines, allegedly by a man described by neighbours as displaying disturbed, volatile behaviour.

16h

“Paris is burning. American democracy is collapsing. The nation state is in retreat. Autocracy is on the march. Hobbes saw this.“ | Stan Grant trib.al/Jvx0cnT

trib.alWhy transparency in polling mattersIn Clacton, it’s a warm July day and Nigel Farage has taken a break from his byelection campaign to sip champagne with Reform UK staff and supporters.

17h

“Transparency does not guarantee accuracy,” writes the chair of the Australian Polling Council, Evan Schwarten. “It’s perfectly possible to be completely open about your methodology and still be off the mark.” trib.al/2bWfVIG

trib.alBlue Lights uses humour to deal with Ireland’s traumaThe glorious Belfast police procedural Blue Lights, which has just released its fourth season, wrestles with an Ireland scarred by the Troubles.

17h

The police drama 'Blue Lights', about officers and their superiors on the beat in Belfast, valorises the kind of change that happens when everyday people make small, principled decisions. Over and over and over again. trib.al/zZTCQkV

17h

Read more: trib.al/F6zGNpY

trib.alAustralian Indians show solidarity against ModiAustralia’s Indian communities, emboldened by the escalating protests of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement, join global solidarity rallies despite fears of visa reprisals.

18h

Six months on from landmark protests across India, it's clear the youth-driven Cockroach Janta Party is evolving into a significant challenge to the dominance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, writes Megha Kapoor. trib.al/IjDHuHz

trib.alThe churches’ power to sack people for being gay, pregnant or divorcedJames was the kind of boy who appears in school brochures. At his Christian school in Sydney he was a model student and staff told him he was an ideal candidate for prefect.

18h

A religious school or university can sack a teacher or expel a student simply for being gay, transgender, divorced or pregnant. Some states and territories offer stronger protections, but federal laws do not. trib.al/thxUQYU

trib.alHow the Plymouth Brethren influence politicsThe secretive religious order, linked to John Howard as far back as the 1970s, faces losing its tax-free status – despite interference from Liberal MPs.

18h

The secretive religious order, linked to John Howard as far back as the 1970s, faces losing its tax-free status – despite interference from Liberal MPs. Jason Koutsoukis reports. trib.al/dRd16oK

trib.alHow the Plymouth Brethren influence politicsThe secretive religious order, linked to John Howard as far back as the 1970s, faces losing its tax-free status – despite interference from Liberal MPs.

19h

Individual members of the Brethren provided multiple cash donations that came in just below the then federal disclosure threshold of $16,900, in order to conceal their identity, but which together added up to millions of dollars. Jason Koutsoukis reports. trib.al/eFXpViM

trib.alAustralian Indians show solidarity against ModiAustralia’s Indian communities, emboldened by the escalating protests of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement, join global solidarity rallies despite fears of visa reprisals.

19h

Australia’s Indian communities, emboldened by the escalating protests of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement, join global solidarity rallies despite fears of visa reprisals. trib.al/zmTJvVT

trib.alThe Jim Chalmers interview: ‘We can’t arrogantly assume violence can’t be replicated here’In an exclusive interview following meetings with his counterparts across Asia, the treasurer describes how rising global threats are resonating in Australia, and his shock at the attack on Helen Haines.

20h

In an exclusive interview with The Saturday Paper following meetings with his counterparts across Asia, Treasurer Jim Chalmers describes how rising global threats are resonating in Australia, and his shock at the attack on Helen Haines. trib.al/QlVqale

trib.alWhat would Helen Haines do?The shocking attack on independent MP Helen Haines is a turning point. To honour her work, let it mark a positive shift in the way politics is done in Australia.

20h

The shocking attack on independent MP Helen Haines is a turning point, writes the former member for Indi, Cathy McGowan. To honour her work, let it mark a positive shift in the way politics is done in Australia. trib.al/rMNfp9V

trib.alWhy transparency in polling mattersIn Clacton, it’s a warm July day and Nigel Farage has taken a break from his byelection campaign to sip champagne with Reform UK staff and supporters.

“Capturing and measuring shifts in public opinion isn’t always easy,” writes DemosAU’s Evan Schwarten. “That’s the nature of polling – even those with the best track records will have their misses.” trib.al/jEd3QFY

Read more: trib.al/T12SizX

trib.alOn the frontline at the Paris protestsThe visceral anger evident in the widespread looting and destruction across France last week came as a shock even to a country with a long history of violent protest.

“This is France, we’re always breaking shops and public buildings,” a French barista tells me. “It’s not that unusual. But there is a code.” Rick Morton reports from the Paris protests: trib.al/01OLZXK

trib.alThe churches’ power to sack people for being gay, pregnant or divorcedJames was the kind of boy who appears in school brochures. At his Christian school in Sydney he was a model student and staff told him he was an ideal candidate for prefect.

“Non-government schools receive billions of dollars in public funding every year. Australians are entitled to expect that public money doesn’t pay for discrimination that would be illegal anywhere else.” | Allegra Spender trib.al/nzcEqOy

trib.alThe Jim Chalmers interview: ‘We can’t arrogantly assume violence can’t be replicated here’In an exclusive interview following meetings with his counterparts across Asia, the treasurer describes how rising global threats are resonating in Australia, and his shock at the attack on Helen Haines.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Australia is considered “this kind of island of stability and opportunity in a sea of uncertainty and risk”, citing Australia’s debt levels, which, though historically high, are low relative to other economies. trib.al/6ZflKtE

trib.alHow the Plymouth Brethren influence politicsThe secretive religious order, linked to John Howard as far back as the 1970s, faces losing its tax-free status – despite interference from Liberal MPs.

Multiple sources from inside the church have contacted the committee to detail how the Brethren was given access to Liberal campaign resources, such as the party’s phonebank database, to make thousands of calls on behalf of Liberal candidates. trib.al/GvWYPcU

trib.alAustralian Indians show solidarity against ModiAustralia’s Indian communities, emboldened by the escalating protests of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement, join global solidarity rallies despite fears of visa reprisals.

"Democracy is in danger," says one Indian Australian. "The game is totally under control by Modi." trib.al/5DKsPzG

trib.alHelen Haines, a person of total integrityThe quest for political advantage will inevitably lead to overreach. It is heartening to hear the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor, reacting to the Haines outrage in a way that acknowledges hyperbole can have lethal consequences.

“The quest for political advantage will inevitably lead to overreach. It is heartening to hear the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor, reacting to the Haines outrage in a way that acknowledges hyperbole can have lethal consequences.” trib.al/WR5r2l2

trib.alThe churches’ power to sack people for being gay, pregnant or divorcedJames was the kind of boy who appears in school brochures. At his Christian school in Sydney he was a model student and staff told him he was an ideal candidate for prefect.

"On the campaign trail last year, a voter who told me the world had gone too woke simply didn’t believe me when I told him about this religious carve-out from anti-discrimination laws. He thought it couldn’t happen here," writes Allegra Spender. "It does." trib.al/dI0SFEK

trib.alThe churches’ power to sack people for being gay, pregnant or divorcedJames was the kind of boy who appears in school brochures. At his Christian school in Sydney he was a model student and staff told him he was an ideal candidate for prefect.

“For most people, announcing their engagement means congratulations. For me it meant getting fired.” Why are Australia's religious schools legally able to sack a teacher or expel a student simply for being gay, transgender, divorced or pregnant? trib.al/Q7hEzrW

trib.alAustralian Indians show solidarity against ModiAustralia’s Indian communities, emboldened by the escalating protests of the youth-led ‘Cockroach’ movement, join global solidarity rallies despite fears of visa reprisals.

Some people at a gathering of Indian expatriates accused the Australian government of double standards, and criticised what felt like a “staged performance” between Anthony Albanese and Modi during the Indian leader’s visit this year. trib.al/033wJBF