Welcome to the Australian War Economy, Where Offense Is the New Defence
After last month’s AUKUS announcement, it’s been clear that the nation’s global military stance is shifting dramatically. In its acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, Australia, a middle power, is no longer solely concerned with its defence, but rather it’s now becoming a...
Bigoted White Man’s Opinion Reigns Supreme, as Black Sovereigns Silenced on Voice
For weeks the voice of federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton has drowned out all others in relation to the coming referendum, which will put to the nation, whether a constitutionally-enshrined Indigenous voice to parliament should be established. During a 5 April...
Clean Energy Projects: Governments Must Fully Disclose Potential Impacts
In this day and age, with the ‘climate emergency’ on our doorstep, you’d be crazy and ‘out-of-touch’ for expressing concern about or opposition to a renewable energy project, right? After all, the world needs to transition to renewable energy, sooner,...
Labor Is Expanding and Consolidating Cashless Welfare, Not Ending It as Promised
Slight of hand politicking has fast become Labor’s stock-in-trade. It promised climate reform and delivered a rejigged 2016 fossil fuel industry-friendly Abbott initiative, while on refugees, it provided pledged permanent protection, but only to 19,000 of 31,000 individuals living in the community....
Victoria Looks Set to Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility
Victoria looks set to raise the age of criminal responsibility, with reports that Premier Daniel Andrews has signed off on paperwork to increase the age at which children can be prosecuted for criminal offences from 10 to 12 years. And while...
Witness J: The Transcript of Australia’s Most Kafkaesque Trial Has Finally Been Released
ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum last week ordered the redacted publication of the previously withheld transcript relating to the 2018 secret trialling of Witness J, a former Australian military intelligence official, who was referred to as Alan Johns during court proceedings,...
Should Builders Who Declare Bankruptcy Face Legal Consequences?
About a dozen construction companies have gone into receivership across Australia since the start of the year, leaving thousands of Australians unemployed, out of pocket, robbed of superannuation, and potentially homeless. This is a multi-billion dollar industry - certainly a...
Students from Prestigious Sydney School Suspected of Animal Cruelty
Students at the prestigious Kings School in Sydney are being investigated by police over allegations they tortured and killed a goanna during a school camp at the end of last term. The school has admitted that students killed the native...
The Shameful History Of Calling LGBT People “Groomers”
A recent trend in conservative politics, particularly online, involves accusing LGBT people of “grooming” children - either into a particular sexual identity or to facilitate abuse. A strange focal point for this politics has been drag queens, female impersonators (often...
The National Digital ID Will Fail Just Like the Others, Says Dataveillance Expert Dr Roger Clarke
Both major parties in Australia have been keen to establish national identity schemes going back decades. However, the public has consistently rejected them, especially once the privacy-minded inform the broader constituency of their potential to undermine rights and enhance social...
