Roundup: Ethics classes, mining, Sri Lanka, asylum seekers, taxing multinationals, film festival

Crews hopes film festival will spread light in the darkness

Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz and now Bill Crews. See more at The Big Picture.

Ethics classes at risk as plea for tax relief refused

The future of ethics classes in NSW in in doubt, the provider says, after the federal government refused to allow it to collect tax-deductible donations in the same way providers of scripture classes in state schools do.

‘Mining is God in this country’

The Pilbara might be raking in the cash for Australia, but many see it as ruined – a mining wasteland, pristine environments and cultural heritage lost to mining, and towns overrun by the army of highly-paid fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) workers manning the boom.

Twos and threes — healing Sri Lanka

The former Anglican Bishop of Colombo’s Lenten reflection has been published at a time when the government is under international pressure because of wartime atrocities and there is discontent within the country too.

Speaking up for those who can’t

We crusade for asylum seekers, and do so proudly, because we believe in liberty and justice.

New tax weapon to hit multinationals

The Tax Office would have the power to disclose the key tax data of big companies under a proposal Treasury is considering as part of the federal government’s drive to make multinationals pay more tax.