The Library Bulletin

Alarm for terrorism bill ‘rushed through’ NSW Parliament When lawyers learnt that a bill concerning police powers had been rushed through the NSW Parliament, two of the state’s leading legal representative bodies moved to flag concerns. Commenting on the hurried passage of the Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Police Powers and Parole) Bill 2017 through Parliament, the presidents of the NSW Bar Association and NSW Law Society said that however meritorious the objective of any law reform may be, proper consultation was needed.

Australia's first flag forgotten, found and restored all in 100 years. In a dusty vault deep in the heart of the Newcastle Cathedral, an unsuspecting cardboard box sat forgotten for years. But that box contained one of our most significant artefacts from World War I — Australia's first national flag. Known as the Birdwood Flag, it was flown at the headquarters of General William Birdwood at the Western Front.

Neurosurgeon suspended for drug use, after fatal overdose of doctor friend The case before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which examined the ethics and risks of doctors taking drugs outside work hours, has been brought to the attention of the NSW Health Minister. "The tribunal has heard alarming evidence suggesting the widespread consumption of drugs both by qualified medical practitioners and by nursing staff, albeit such incidents occurred in social settings," said the tribunal's judgment, published on Wednesday. The tribunal heard that a specialist neurosurgeon, given the pseudonym DAC, developed an "unconditional infatuation" with the junior neurosurgeon, known as Dr A, and they used GHB, also known as "liquid ecstasy", outside work and on weekends.

Sydney college found guilty of scamming students into accepting costly loans The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took action against the Unique International College in Granville. It alleged the training college misled up to 3,600 people when it enrolled them in courses, giving them free laptops and telling them the class was free when in fact they were incurring VET FEE-HELP loans of up to $25,000.

Broadway show makes audience faint and vomit George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision, written in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. As literary political fiction and dystopian science-fiction, 1984 is a classic, one that has been turned into a powerful stage production which has caused a storm around the world — and this week Sydney gets to see what all the fuss is about.