The costs of climate are increasing and will hit local governments hard, our new research shows. Rather than communities being forced to pay the escalating costs of repair work after fires, floods and storms, we could put a levy on gas and coal exports to help pay for the costs of climate change.

This. www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...

Coal royalties are a tiny part of NSW Government revenue, despite what the industry might tell you

There's been some worry about the Aussie dollar falling, but don't panic just yet. As Chief Economist Greg Jericho explains on the latest Dollars & Sense, it's a lot to do with Trump's tariffs, and is NOT a reason to delay a rate cut. @grogsgamut.bsky.social @adamchalksitup.bsky.social #auspol

The first Dollars & Sense pod of the year is up - with guest co-host @adamchalksitup.bsky.social Talkin' exchange rates, interest rates and how I chose a bad time to visit the USA australiainstitute.org.au/post/okay-it...

Okay @grogsgamut.bsky.social, maybe we overstated things... Also, Dollars & Sense is back for 2025. 🥳 Listen via the link (or wherever you get your podcasts). 🎧 australiainstitute.org.au/post/okay-it...

Great to guest host Dollars & Sense pod today w/ @grogsgamut.bsky.social Episode out tonight!

Charging giant vehicles more to park seems like common sense public policy to me www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/w...

2025 is set to be a big year. Want to keep up with the latest research, analysis, and commentary from our whole team? Here's a handy starter pack: go.bsky.app/NYdgWKn #auspol

"The NSW Government is far more focused on promoting coal than helping communities move away from it." - Rod Campbell, Research Director Read the research from Evie Simpson, @adamchalksitup.bsky.social & @rodcampbell.bsky.social: australiainstitute.org.au/post/nsw-gov... #auspol #climate

The NSW Gov is greenwashing coal by funding carbon capture and storage #nswpol New report out today w/ @rodcampbell.bsky.social & Evie Simpson:

imagine if behind the curtain, the ACCC was just coles + woolies, and they decided to give themselves big fat taxpayer grants and to squeeze aldi + IGA out of the market! …well, labor + the coalition are doing something very similar to indies + minor parties. it basically #FinancialGerrymandering.

Here's some homework ;)

"The one thing that will not be maintained in the next 10-20 years is the status quo." Richard Denniss @richarddenniss.bsky.social on the moral choices that Australia must make in the face of climate change at #climateintegrity Summit 2024 #auspol

They should really stop letting me write the titles for these... Anyway go sub to the @australiainstitute.org.au newsletter, now with extra @amyremeikis.bsky.social !! Free, fortnightly-ish > theaus.in/newsletter_s...

There is widespread support for banning gambling ads on free-to-air media. The main objection is free-to-air networks can’t afford to lose the $$. As @amyremeikis.bsky.social explains, there's a simple solution. A 2% levy on gambling revenue could more than replace all the lost ad income. #auspol

Here are 8 things you need to know about the Government's electoral reform bill, and 8 ideas to make it better, from our Director of Democracy & Accountability, Bill Browne. @browne90.bsky.social #auspol australiainstitute.org.au/post/eight-t...

A constant defence of fossil fuel suppliers is "don't attack them, they're just meeting demand for their products", which is ultra-naive LinkedIn-Men absurdity The suppliers of fossil fuels create demand for their product: through politics, marketing, economics and often just flat-out corruption

When you're teaming up to rush through electoral reforms you know are undemocratic: theaustralian.com.au/nation/peter...

Rushed donation reforms are a major party stitch-up that exclude independents and minor parties. Democracy is too important to risk (case in point: the US). Sign this petition to put pressure on the gov to send the reforms to a parliamentary inquiry. nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donations_bi...

Trump’s new energy tsar linked to fracking in Australia’s Beetaloo basin

For someone who spends a lot of time online, not much surprises me. But this headline was not one I expected to see today. @theonion.com buys InfoWars. www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

Hi lovely 🦋 folks. We're really excited about our new book. It features over 30 leading thinkers from Australia and around the world, sharing their big ideas to make the world better. Preordering a copy is one of the best ways you can support our work, check it out! ▶️ theaus.in/preorder_big...

NSW, Australia's most populous state, is forecast to fall well short of emissions reduction goals for 2030,2035 and 2050 (let alone the total carbon budget), a government agency says. #cop29 www.productivity.nsw.gov.au/sites/defaul...

This is exactly what I was hoping for. Not an echo chamber of consistent opinions, but an echo chamber of consistent respect. It feels like coming home.

Have created a starter pack of folk from @australiainstitute.org.au. go.bsky.app/DnEVDa2

inb4 Aus 2035 NDC kicked into the weeds until after the election.

Speaking to the times

The South Australian Legislative Council is apparently passing the public funding/partial donation ban bill tonight - just hours after it was introduced. Before any South Australian who is not in Parliament gets to read it. So much for increasing trust in politics.

Earnest post, but: a thing I like here is it’s okay to have moments of happiness in public without being broadly scolded, and I believe that sustaining this kind of humanity will be very important as we resist fascism. We have to sustain each other. Making joy isn’t denial, it’s how we will survive

The @theausinstitute.bsky.social has launched its own book imprint, and our first book is a collection of essays arguing for big ideas. On sale now australiainstitute.org.au/store/Whats-...

I don’t even know why I stopped using this in the first place? Good GOD it’s nice to be in a digital space with other real human beings. Can someone give a Cliff Notes of what went down here over the last year? Tea, dev notes, big memes, whatever is best please