Politics cannot be fixed by removing the politicians. Reflections on citizens' juries and "mini-publics" from my time as a citizens' juror. On @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

It wasnt our enviro laws that were too weak to protect the Skate or stop the North West Shelf, it was our Ministers. Thats why Labor is trying to get the Coalition to help them water them down…to save Enviro Ministers the embarrassment of always saying yes #climate thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

It would be perverse to change our copyright laws to make life easier for free-riding AI companies. But copyright reform -- if guided by the needs of humans, not machines -- would encourage human thriving and creativity. More from me on The Point: thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

"The fact the Greens want to stop native forest logging and the Nationals want to speed up land clearing is not proof that any legislation Labor drafts must fit in the “sensible centre.” - @richarddenniss.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

The Senate is more powerful than prime ministers like to admit, and last week we saw why that matters -- If clash over govt secrecy escalates, Labor may inspire Libs, Nats to question Senate customs that benefit govt. @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

Taking reader questions on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: How many more seats would the Coalition lose if an election were held today? @skyelark.bsky.social answers -- live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

The people you elected want to hear what you thought of the 2025 federal election -- JSCEM asks members of the public to appear at hearings; make submissions. More details on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog. live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

"Australia's smallest jurisdiction is the most courageous — ACT should be proud." A private member's bill from Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury leads the way, with Vic Labor Govt to follow suit. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

After the Govt refused to release report into jobs-for-mates inquiry, the Senate responded by lengthening its Question Time. But how does the Senate force govts to produce documents, and what are the consequences? Details on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au/2025/10/the-...

Without freedom of information, Australians would have no idea of the scale of gun thefts. On @thepointau.bsky.social live.thepoint.com.au/2025/10/the-...

In the ACT, the Liberal Opposition is now outnumbered by the crossbench: Greens, indies and "suspended" Liberals. What was the rebel Libs' sin? Voting for an extra sitting week to scrutinise the Labor Govt. More on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog. live.thepoint.com.au/2025/10/the-...

Albanese Govt made sensational claims about freedom of info being exploited by AI bots, criminal gangs, foreign agents. Those arguments fell apart, but not before doing real damage to eSafety Commission, the stalking horse for this leg - on @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

The Live Blog is up and going full-stem. @amyremeikis.bsky.social is across everything. @browne90.bsky.social has the good info on talks about electoral laws I have a bit of coverage of Michele Bullock's chat from last night Get on it! live.thepoint.com.au

Senator Don Farrell points to the Labor-Liberal deal to change electoral laws as evidence of the Govt's commitment to transparency. But there's a reason no integrity group in the country supported the changes -- on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog. live.thepoint.com.au/2025/10/the-...

Celebrating Timor-Leste becoming ASEAN's 11th member, on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog. Australia's treatment of Timor-Leste has been by turns noble and deeply selfish. live.thepoint.com.au/2025/10/the-...

[email protected] blog - One Nation senator for NSW Sean Bell sworn in. He's a Qlder moving to NSW. Should candidates live in the electorate? Not unusual for them to move just before running, or to live outside but spend a lot of time in the seat. live.thepoint.com.au/2025/10/the-...

Progressive independent wins Irish presidency, continuing Ireland’s embrace of independents -- Over on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog, I write about how Australia and Ireland are unusual in how often they elect independents. live.thepoint.com.au/2025/10/the-...

Westpac Bank gets a lot of good publicity from the Westpac Rescue helicopters. But you probably didn't know it's actually NSW taxpayers who provide the VAST majority of the funding! @browne90.bsky.social #auspol

That's a lot of people to connect with!

Here's ten articles on democracy & governance that you can read right now on @thepointau.bsky.social: 1/ "New research on proposed FOI laws show it would block access to even more documents" -- Going against the Robodebt Royal Commission's recommendation. thepoint.com.au/news/251007-...

A wee little thing we have been working on over the past few month is now up and going - @thepointau.bsky.social. Where to go for @amyremeikis.bsky.social's live blog, for analysis, fact checks, and details about things that might not be in "the news" but should be thepoint.com.au

"a PricewaterhouseCooper auditor asked the organisation: “Are you a marketing company that runs helicopters or a helicopter company that does marketing?”"

What did we learn from yesterday's election data drop and why will we have to wait till February for the full picture? @rashidajourno.bsky.social explains on SBS News. www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

If you missed the hearing into Govt's Freedom of Information bill, @themandarin.bsky.social's @dholmesnoise.bsky.social has great summary. "Nobody wants to claim credit for the government’s FOI reform bill, or even the evidence being used to promote it." www.themandarin.com.au/301361-infor...

Many NSW residents don't realise that the "Westpac" Rescue Helicopter's operations aren't funded by Westpac, but by taxpayers. Ripper piece from @sydmorningherald.bsky.social www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...

"There's several reasons to be concerned by the donation reform changes, they make elections less fair." "The restrictions on spending in an individual seat fall much more heavily on an independent candidate than they do on a political party." #auspol @browne90.bsky.social

My new report is out - Adani sold coal at mates rates to India, avoiding $400m in royalty payments to Queensland ...and Qld's LNP gov doesn't seem to care. Thread below on how they did it. Write up in @australia.theguardian.com @australiainstitute.org.au www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Strong from Sussan Ley re Albanese Govt's proposed FOI crackdown: "This is not an administrative refinement or merely updating old laws, as the Prime Minister claims. It is a retreat from transparency. A truth tax on accountability." www.canberratimes.com.au/story/908628...

Imagine kicking the former national rugby captain out of your sports club instead of the gambling lobby. To paraphrase Groucho Marx, who'd want to belong to a club that would accept Responsible Wagering Australia as one of its sponsors?

Making his point for him -- just asking about the power of the gambling lobby gets Senator David Pocock booted from sports club the Prime Minister heads. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

"The prime minister has never liked FOI". Michelle Grattan writes on the murky origins of the Govt's proposed Freedom of Information legislation. Coalition has criticised, but not confirmed it will vote against, the legislation. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

The Australian Public Service Commissioner confirms what many suspected: Public servants are avoiding putting things in writing to escape public scrutiny. But what is the Govt doing about it? Trying to change FOI law to make secrecy even easier. live.australiainstitute.org.au/2025/10/aust...

David Pocock asks Don Farrell some serious questions about why the govt has not implemented an important recommendation from the #RobodebtRC. Farrell caught playing on his phone, not even paying attention.🙄 Pocock hasn’t the patience to try again & moves on. #Estimates

Independent Senator David Pocock and Labor's Penny Wong clashed in Senate estimates yesterday over whether the Parliamentary Sports Club could be considered a lobby group, as reported in Crikey last week. The club is registered as such, and lists Responsible Wagering Australia as one of its clients.

"The Attorney-General’s Department was unable to present evidence of the malicious and automated FOI requests alleged by the government." Great article from @dholmesnoise.bsky.social in @themandarin.bsky.social today, covering the latest.

Exclusive: Anthony Albanese killed the push for open corruption hearings, citing reputational damage to those called to give evidence. satpa.pe/MznMsNN

“Is that how you used it? To work out what not to do?” Greens and Liberals critical of Government changes to FOI Over on @australiainstitute.org.au live blog live.australiainstitute.org.au/2025/10/aust...

Proposed changes to Australia’s FOI laws would make a repeat of the disastrous Robodebt coverup more likely, rather than less, our new research shows. The PM described Robodebt as a “gross betrayal and human tragedy”, yet his government plans to make cabinet documents harder to access. #auspol

Govt fearmongering about AI writing Freedom of Information requests, vexatious applicants and a swamped eSafety Commission is overstated. The FOI workload is actually at a low point for the decade.

The ACT spends millions of dollars funding political parties and candidates, but the money comes at the wrong time -- after the election is already over. Democracy vouchers work in the City of Seattle to get parties and candidates engaging with voters. www.canberratimes.com.au/story/906493...

Liberal Party concerns about an increase in the number of politicians can be easily addressed -- as Ben Raue does in this excellent post. The main beneficiaries of an increase would be voters and Australian democracy.

"You were about 27 times more likely to receive a fine if you're an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person on the Community Development Program … than if you lived in a city". Maurice Blackburn filing a class action against discriminatory program. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Good to see that Centrelink and the govt learnt their lessons from robodebt

Tasmanian parliamentarians salaries are catching up with inflation after a seven year freeze -- as set by the independent umpire. It's not fair for anyone to have their pay frozen for seven years. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

"I think it just goes to show the quality of what's going on here in the ACT." Days after Qld Govt moves to statewide ban on pill testing, the ACT's service detects a dangerous synthetic drug. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

In AFR, @paulkarp.bsky.social tackles cash-for-access in NSW. It can be as little as $110 per head. Donation caps do not stop it -- access is simply too cheap. The new federal disclosure threshold of $5k would not reveal it -- most appear to be well below. www.afr.com/politics/reg...

How fearless is an official’s advice if they fear the public will see it? Should a minister act on advice an offical doesn’t want the public to review? @albomp.bsky.social’s planned #FOI changes will ban access to any advice on controversial policies/topics 🤷‍♂️. #DemocracyCrusher #auspol

1/12🧵 Here’s how I disproved the Gov’s claim that 600 FOIs were “AI bot-generated” + insights on the #FOI system’s real problems from @mrrexpatrick.bsky.social @australiainstitute.org.au @browne90.bsky.social Maria O'Sullivan Yee-Fui Ng & Sofia Verza ia.acs.org.au/article/2025...

The federal government wants fewer FOIs. Crikey wants more. We know filing FOIs can be daunting — so let us do it for you! For the next few weeks, we're accepting ideas for requests that we'll take, shape, file and then will keep you in the loop when we hear back. www.crikey.com.au/20...

Should you believe the government's claim that criminal gangs are putting in freedom of information requests? "It seems like a particularly long bow to draw," one researcher tells Crikey.