Roundup: Ethics in politics, asylum seekers, the Pope, housing the homeless, fly-in fly-out, Stephane Hessel

Labor must get to the heart of the rot

“Labor’s version of the Old Testament prophet, the former education minister Rodney Cavalier, has been crying in the wilderness for almost 20 years about the democratic deficit inside his party.”

Liberals under hammer over asylum seeker crime claims

Asylum seekers living in the community on bridging visas are about 45 times less likely to be charged with a crime than members of the public. Amnesty International  — Asylum Seeker Resource Centre — UnitingJustice

A pope retires, a church reels

He hands a colossal burden to his successor, however young, strong and holy he may be. For what the dossier in the papal safe appears to say is that here is a church that has covered up a monstrous hypocrisy.

Homeless to be housed in churches

A controversial proposal to house the homeless in church facilities is close to reality in Canberra, more than a year after the project was first raised.

The towns where a pub steak costs you $45

“We have observed astronomical rises in the cost of housing and in the cost of living in remote communities,” said Rosemary Young, the national director of Frontier Services, a Uniting Church group who provide support to outback communities.

Stéphane Hessel dies at 95

Hessel, resistance fighter, diplomat, writer of, Indignez-Vous!, Time for Outrage!, and co-author of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, dies.