Short Answer Critical Reviews on News Items and Required Readings

Assessment Task 2
Short Answer Critical Reviews
You are required to complete five short answer critical reviews of the news items provided from week 2 to
week 7. An example for week 3 has been provided as a guide. Each short answer critical review should
relate to the news item and required reading for the appropriate week and should consist of around 200 words.
The total words for the completed task should not exceed 1000 words.
The recommended structure is:
 The main topic - what is this news article about?
 The speaker’s thesis - what is the public figure’s position on the main topic?
 The author’s argument - what is the author of this week’s required reading’s main point on this topic?
 Evidence and examples provided to support the author’s argument
 Author’s conclusion on the topic.
You are required to include a reference list and cite in the text of the short answer critical reviews the author,
year and page number/s where your information and ideas come from using the APA (in-text) referencing
system
Week 2 Critical Review
Abbott, T. (2014) Address to the Sydney Institute, 14 November 2014.
Gammage, B. (2011). Fire in 1788: The closest ally. Australian Historical Studies 42(2), 277-288.
In the address to the Sydney institute Abbott (2014), focusses on the economic growth and the
importance of the same on the issues that are highlighted in the creation and the maintenance of the
sustainable development of the areas. The Australian prime minister highlights the fact that the proper
maintenance of the economy of the country helps in the overall development of the various issues that
are highlighted in terms of the sustainability of the concerned area as well as the practices that are
maintained within the area regarding the development of the environment. Gammage (2011) in their
article highlights the aboriginal Australians had been taking huge measures in order to prevent the
spread of the bush fires that have been taking place in the country. The author further argues on the fact
that the given indigenous population within the country is known to have been aligning the vegetation
within the area with the pattern of the fires that have been breaking within the area as well. The author
concluded the fact that in order to maintain the sustainability within the given area, the residents as
well as the governmental bodies within the area should maintain the proper economic conditions as
well.
Week 4 Critical Review
Morrison, S. (2018) On The Australia Day Debate, Sunrise, Channel 7, 24 September 2018.
Grehan, H. (2018) First Nations Politics in a Climate of Refusal, Performance Research, 23:3, pp. 7-12.
In addressing the issues of the Australia Day Debate, Morrison (2018) stated the fact that the
Australian citizens should take measures in order to celebrate as well as maintain the rich cultural
heritage of the country. The speeches and debates as have been undertaken by Morrison highlights that
Australians lack in the proper understanding of their own culture that is highly demonstrated in the
issues dealing with the celebrations on just one single day. Grehan (2018) opine that the Australia Day
celebrations tend to highlight the contributions of the colonisers within the country. The arguments that
have been placed by Morrison state that they need to celebrate as well as acknowledge the
contributions of the aboriginal and indigenous Australians in the matters that are highlighted regarding
the cultural as well as the societal issues that are highlighted within the organisation. The arguments
that have been highlighted within the speeches by Morrison tend to highlight that there need not be
terminations of the Australian Day celebrations in order to acknowledge the contributions of the
indigenous and the aboriginal cultures to the overall development of an unique identity of the people
who have been residing within the premises of Australia.
Week 5 Critical Review
Morrison, S. (2018) Response to Richard Di Natale question without notice, Question Time, Parliament of Australia, 26
November 2018.
Carson, L. (2011) Dilemmas, disasters and deliberative democracy, Griffith Review Edition 32: Wicked Problems, Exquisite