Australian Politics
Just discovered this. I will pin this as it may be useful to come back to in discussion
www.crikey.com.au
Despite claims that the health system is a poor productivity performer, Australia's public health system is more efficient than the private sector and delivers world-leading outcomes.
Ever wonder why Parliament is more interested in the rights of landlords than in fixing housing affordability.
www.sbs.com.au
The ACTU says up to one million workers will have unfair dismissal rights, protections from wage theft and job security protections scrapped if proposed changes to workplace rights go ahead.
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> **In short:** > > The future of an NRL team based in Papua New Guinea could be dependent on a promise from the Pacific nation not to increase security or defence ties with Beijing. > > A potential deal that would see Australia provide $600 million to set up a side in Port Moresby includes an assurance no security deal with China is signed by the Pacific nation. > > **What's next?** > > Australia and PNG are nearly ready to sign the deal to create the NRL team, which the Australian government has described as a way to bring the two nations closer together through soft diplomacy.
www.theguardian.com
    ::: spoiler Transcription A series of images with Greens party branding Authorised by S. Hanson-Young, The Greens, Adelaide SA 5000. The first reads: > **"Ban Gambling Ads Bill"** > > Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024 > BREAKING > > The Greens have just introduced laws to ban gambling ads. > > The Government doesn't have the guts to stand up to the bookies and ban gambling ads so today, ***the Greens will.*** The second: > Australians are the **biggest losers** when it comes to gambling, > [stylised as a headline] Calls grow for total ban on gambling ads as Australia's annual losses surge to $32bn > > The Guardian, 15 Sept 2024 > > *and...* [seven green human-shaped figures, followed by three pink ones] > polling\* shows that **a majority of Aussies** support a **ban on TV gambling ads.** > > \*from The Australia Institute. Third: > "These ads are crucial to the bookies' business model as they fuel the human misery of problem gambling. > > People are sick of having gambling ads rammed down their throats during family time when we are watching the footy." > > \- Senator Sarah Hanson-Young > > *Greens spokesperson for Communications Fourth: > This bill will: > > * Ban all gambling ads on TV, radio, print and online. > * Implement the recommendations of **the Labor Government's own 'You Win Some, You Lose Most' Inquiry** chaired by the late Peta Murphy > > Protect our kids > > Ban gambling ads :::
The new laws are coming into force in the current election. It is a sweeping change impacting all councils. It makes councils much less representative - it means that one ticket of councillors can have 51% support but 100% of all seats on the council. Based on the speeches, it sounds like basically everyone was against Labor on this, both the VEC expert recommendation, and also pretty much everyone in state parliament except Labor - see the linked hansard starting from page 30. That said, when the Greens proposed an amendment to it, the Liberals voted with Labor to defeat it, and the single-member ward thing became law.
www.greenleft.org.au
The simple fact is that it is not enough to “punish Labor” in the coming elections. The real challenge is to build a political alternative to Labor that will act for the majority, not slavishly serve the billionaire class.
theklaxon.com.au
> The National Anti-Corruption Commission Inspector has announced she has launched a formal investigation into the regulator’s refusal to investigate six public officials referred by the Royal Commission into Robodebt. For anyone missing the significance, the Inspector announced "looking into" complaints about the NACC decision months ago, but this is the first time the word "investigation" has been used. > The distinction is important because once a formal “investigation” is commenced the NACC Inspector has additional powers, including the power to obtain documents.
Further context on the Green's RBA demands. --- ~~Sub to Schwartz media if you've got the dosh btw. One of the few Aussie media orgs that still does real maintstream journalism.~~ pirate their articles on auspol. See comment, Israel is a colonial state engaged in genocide current run by a maniac wanted to stand trial for crimes against humanity. Don't give money to orgs that do propaganda for them.
[De-paywalled link](https://web.archive.org/web/20240927065308/https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/it-is-happening-marles-launches-defence-of-aukus-amid-keating-criticism-20240927-p5kdwe.html).
independentaustralia.net
The mining industry launched a war of words on the Federal Government, an absurd move considering its minuscule contribution to the economy.
- Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/national/property-investors-fear-forced-sales-under-negative-gearing-changes-20240925-p5kdju.html - archive.is snapshot: https://archive.is/y99nH --- The corporate media wasting no time on the fear campaign...
This seems pretty wtf. What sort of precedent do they want to set? Whether or not you embrace neoliberal ideology political interference with monetary policy has not typically gone well, no matter what or whom you want to blame for that. Am I missing something, or are they just going off the rails here?
theklaxon.com.au
Title edited down from first paragraph Original title: "GUESS WHO? The $600,000 question at the heart of Robodebt"
Governments can’t wave around the cash and create out of thin air a “market” that has any of the self-controlling properties described in economics textbooks.
Source: [6 News](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJi0QwGlTTk). SBS: [Senator labels the government 'capaholics': Fatima Payman's Gen Alpha speech decoded](https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/senator-labels-the-government-yapaholics-paymans-gen-alpha-speech-decoded/c8cydj0te) - Includes graphic below and edited video with some 'translation'. Graphic from article above 
Calling an election or referendum a waste of money is to be against democracy. Why do the media never challenge this
Interesting to read the potential conflicts of interest section.
theshovel.com.au
> > > Bill Shorten will not be returning for an extra season of NDIS, after the current season received mixed reviews and was plagued by budget cuts. > >
You need to only look at the modern crossbench, and the teals in particular, to see the prospect of a 2010 repeat is unlikely. These modern independents aren't former Nationals blokes who have turned their back on their party. They're modern women who couldn't see themselves in the party that once took their seats for granted. "While the 2022 election might be heralded as a ‘breakthrough’ for the independents, the conditions for their election have been building over several decade," the Australian Election Study noted in 2022. "Many of these changes are associated with voters being ‘less rusted on’ to the major political parties and becoming more independently minded in their political choices." That's the problem with scare campaigns like the Coalition's. When you threaten voters with a minority government, that would require crossbench negotiations, some in the seats you're trying to win might be left thinking: "Oh, that sounds more preferable than you."
Where the fuck are we politically when asio is telling the right they're being too xenophobic and hardline? Fucking asio man, the org that pushed for the "we can hold you and you can't even tell a lawyer it happened" laws.
