Another example of the failures and dangers of deregulation, privatisation, inadequate oversight and effective registration of providers. TAFE was sacrificed on the altar of neoliberal greed and ideology. Governments need to prosecute the shonks and increase TAFE funding.

Murdoch rag,”The Australian” compares Bob Carr’s opposition to Israeli apartheid and genocide against Palestinians to the disgusting display of Nazism at NSW parliament. Bob’s courage, commitment and defence of innocent Palestinians deserves praise not character assassination.

This is what happens when govts abandon their obligation to build a good society, capitulate to “the market” and ignore the principle of housing as a human right. This is an easy fix. Legislate to outlaw developer apartheid against social tenants and build more public housing.

The US doesn’t need to pressure Labor against supporting the nuclear disarmament treaty. We are partners of US militarism and will willingly host nuclear weapons Richard Marles should just concede this reality. #4Corners doing its best to support AUKUS, militarism and Chinafobia!

A dose of reality from Hugh White as he dismantles the arguments for AUKUS and exposes the stupidity of world leaders abandoning dignity and common sense to suck up to Trump. Confronting China in its backyard while being mute on US nuclear testing is a recipe for disaster.

Instead of the shallow, biased and uninformed drivel that passes for “analysis” on #Insiders they could cut to the chase and concede: Sovereignty gone. We are subjugating ourselves to the US. Militarism dominates. We are a bigger nuclear target. We are subsidising US hegemony.

The Labor leadership must tell the public which social, health, education and govt services will be cut, and what taxes will increase to fund AUKUS and attack China. Experts say aggression against China could lead to a nuclear war. Why is Labor doing this? It beggars belief!

The media and political establishment softening up the public for cuts to social welfare and tax increases to pay for AUKUS. Paul Kelly foreshadows that Labor “will be shaken to its political foundations” I agree. We need honesty about the social and economic costs of AUKUS!

The only way to ensure delivery of the AUKUS subs is to pre commit to using them against our most important trading partner China. Have we already given the commitment to surrender our sovereignty and attack China if the US demands it? No politician has addressed this reality.

At last! An Australian reporter does the public a service by exposing the reality of the crazy AUKUS “deal”. Well done Ben Doherty and the Guardian. Insurmountable legislative, technical, and production problems and a future US President bound to put US interests before ours.

Richard Marles is “buoyed” by Trumps words on AUKUS. He places too much faith in a disgusting defender of anarchy, law breaking and political intimidation. He has lost his capacity for critical analysis. Trump concedes AUKUS is about containing China unlike our politicians!

The public bonhomie and announcements on AUKUS requires the media to examine, critically analyse and test what secret commitments have been given by Australia to join the USA in war against China. I would have expected Albo to defend Ambassador Rudd not ignore Trump’s bullshit!

The commentary from the Australian press on the AUKUS deal is naive, breathless claptrap. Shallow, partisan, uninformed commentary with the ABC Morning show interviewing an American who thinks Rudd is still PM.Would be funny if it was not so dangerous!

“We have been amazing allies” says Trump as our sovereignty goes down the drain and we capitulate to militarism, US hegemony and containment of China. We will inevitably be dragged into a war with our most important trading partner. A sad, dangerous day not a diplomatic triumph!

Just realised there will be the PM and another 2 left members of cabinet (Conroy and Ayres) in the USA demonstrating their fealty to the disgusting, fascist, Trump regime. The majority of the parliamentary left have been defanged and co-opted into supporting US aggression.

No words!

A PM and a cabinet minister from the left heading to Washington to demonstrate fealty to Trump.🤬 Conroy claims we are spending more on defence than most European countries! Why? 🤔 We should be spending more on health, education and social housing not AUKUS and warmongering!

This has killed Jane Humes ambitions of a diplomatic post 😂 Shows the contempt and disdain the Tory Liberals have for the bush.

Marles says “we have a good story to tell” (on our defence relationship) 😂 Signed a one sided unfair shonky deal. Sacrificed our sovereignty to the USA. Abandoned our principles on nuclear proliferation. Became a big nuclear target. Payed through the nose. A horror story!

To understand why Australian governments pay homage and surrenders our sovereignty to the USA while acting as a deputy sheriff to US imperialism including the Trump regime, read these excellent books by Prof Clinton Fernandez. Looking forward to reading his latest “Turbulence”.

I disagree.Biden and Trump could have stopped the genocide instead of facilitating it! The slaughter,destruction of hospitals, schools , homes and infrastructure was only possible with Trump’s supply of US weapons to the disgusting Netanyahu regime.We should not rewrite history.

Keating makes the point that Labor should spend some political capital. My wish list: Be brave. Ditch AUKUS. Stop worshiping the “market” Fix CGT and -ve gearing. Tackle poverty reduction Housing as a human right. Establish a modern Housing Commission. Build public Housing. .

Josh Frydenberg calls for “clarity, morality and courage” while writing a piece for the Murdoch press that trashes these principles. He praises Trump and Rubio, attempts to justify Israeli genocide and attacks Penny Wong’s sensible calls for Israeli restraint. Immoral claptrap!

A Nobel Peace Prize for Trump🤬 Should be given a jail sentence not an award. He could have stopped Israeli genocide as soon as he was elected. Without Trump’s support the Israeli regime would not have the capacity to continue to commit war crimes.

Surprise, surprise, massive increase in cost for an AUKUS contract. This is the tip of the iceberg as public funds are hoovered up by suppliers, advisors, and various hangers on! $368b estimated cost looks shaky already.

Just under an hour until the Australia Inst webinar on AUKUS and its implications for peace, sovereignty, military and social expenditure.

My Carmichael lecture opposing AUKUS, arguing for peace and transparency on military expenditure currently on ABC Radio National’s Big Ideas. Also available on Big Ideas podcast.

Research from Foodbank shows about 33 per cent of Australian households have experienced food insecurity with two million Australians reporting 'severe' food insecurity. The political priority seems to be spending $368b on nuclear powered subs . Twisted. bizarre priorities!

People do and can change. Former Blair and Gillard advisor John McTiernan interviewed at the British Labour conference says Labour must “ shift to the left and more decisively to the left”. Well said John! Hope the Australian Labor cabinet and caucus is listening.

Richard Marles must explain why we are sacrificing our sovereignty and exposing our communities as nuclear targets by integrating with a dysfunctional, divided USA. Trump and Hegseth are irrational and dangerous. Warmongering does not deliver peace. AUKUS does not make us safe!

Murdoch’s pompous know all Paul Kelly promoting the US alliance and the AUKUS “agreement”. Claims Albo must convince Trump that we are a valued partner! Grovelling to Trump and backing the US in a suicidal war with China is Kelly’s test for Albo. Hopefullly sanity prevails.

Why would the USA reject AUKUS? We subsidise US and UK ship building. We allow nuclear missiles to be based in Australia. We build public housing for the US military. We become a nuclear target. We are locked into a war against China. The US knows a mug when they see one!

Is this Australia working with the Trump regime to contain China through trade restrictions in addition to military containment through AUKUS? Massive implications for our economy and access to affordable Chinese manufactured goods. Needs transparency, explanation and debate.

Albo’s speech referenced housing. The UK has much more public housing than we have here. If we are to be serious on housing we need to focus on housing as a public good and not a commodity. Reform -ve gearing and CGT and build public housing for those who will never own one!

Interesting speech by Albo to the British Labor Party conference. No standing ovation for the fleeting mention of AUKUS. Much talk about solidarity. Starmer who betrayed and attacked the left must have had a sly grin. Not much to learn from Starmer if unity is important!

Support by the Murdoch press for Albo and Labor will only continue while Murdoch feels that the current neoliberal system faces little or no challenge. Capitulating to AUKUS, militarism,US hegemony and inevitably a war with China is an enormous price for the government benches.

Just finished interviews on Radio National and News Radio calling for a rethink on AUKUS. Why hand $Bs to the US for 2nd hand nuclear attack subs designed to sit off the coastline of China,our largest and most important trading partner. This while Trump attacks our industry, and jobs. Bizarre!

So predictable, #Insiders dominated by commentators from Murdoch and 9 media. Obsessing over military expenditure at the expense of building a good society through housing, health and education. Only a passing mention of diplomacy. No focus on the need for leadership on peace.

Just finished watching the whole Trump/ Zelensky shit show in the White House. I can’t believe we are sacrificing our independence and security to the USA led by an authoritarian, self obsessed, incompetent, aggressive President! Putin must be over the moon!

The Dutton presser in Qld shows it’s the same old LNP. Fear campaigns, union bashing, racism, climate denialism, nuclear power, wage cuts for workers and free lunches for the bosses. They would be a disaster.

Allegra Spender running the typical business line on increasing “productivity”. It usually means lower wages and conditions for workers. When will reporters and interviewers challenge politicians who run this line and demand they tell people the implications of this rhetoric?

Expect more of this nonsense as the election draws near. RW “think tanks”, ignore the devastating impacts and costs of global warming and run the cheap energy claptrap. Can’t expect much better from former National Party advisors and fossil fuel funded organisations!

My first post! Just finished addressing the Australia Institute Climate Integrity Summit. My theme was “ Creating Jobs and Building a Good Society While Meeting the Global Warming Challenge” Former Senator Doug Cameron.