"Public servants had admitted to witnessing but failing to report at least 554 instances of corruption, including nepotism, fraud, cronyism and conflicts of interest." Adds to 1,000s of incidents that have been reported to the NACC. From @paulkarp.bsky.social www.afr.com/politics/fed...

Observations from @rodcampbell.bsky.social on weakening mining lobby pair nicely with this @australiainstitute.org.au research showing Aus govts increasingly willing to defy corporate lobby groups. australiainstitute.org.au/report/trade...

Last week on @thepointau.bsky.social I IDed five ways to strengthen democracy in Victoria. Labor Govt has been forced to move a little on one of these already: making political donation laws more fair. Thanks to High Court challenge on political speech grounds. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

The parliamentary committee inquiring into the 2025 federal election wants to hear from you! Deadline extended to 28 Feb 2026 to hear from more members of the public. www.aph.gov.au/About_Parlia...

Kerry O'Brien's warning that Labor wants to make it easier for govts to flout freedom of information laws confirmed. Fact check for @thepointau.bsky.social by @skyelark.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...

Sometimes, the best thing that can happen to a govt is to lose a vote -- sparing that govt from the disastrous consequences of its promises. From me on @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

One year out, these five policies to strengthen Victoria's democracy could define next year's state election campaign: new from @browne90.bsky.social on The Point #auspol thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

The Vic Govt has conceded that parts of Vic donation restrictions are unconstitutional because they give major parties an unfair advantage. But what are the implications, for Victoria and elsewhere in Aus? I explain on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog. live.thepoint.com.au/2025/11/the-...

Australian companies like Westpac and Woolworths exaggerating how much they give to charity…who’d have thought! Great work @browne90.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/news/251125-...

Korean-owned coal mines were stopped in NSW by local groups. Korea is now phasing out coal. This is why stopping coal and gas projects in Australia is so important! IT WORKS!! My piece on @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/news/251126-...

"Bravery has a place inside Parliament ... Sometimes it’s found in building consensus across political divides; sometimes in standing apart when conscience outweighs party loyalty." Fatima Payman on crossing the floor, in @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

Good explainer on what is "The Opposition" and is it still a useful concept in #Auspol @browne90.bsky.social @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

There's a common misconception that preferences explain the thumping majority Labor won at this year's election. Not true -- as @skyelark.bsky.social explains in @thepointau.bsky.social fact check thepoint.com.au/factchecks/2...

Australia’s democracy has changed radically since 1975. So many more women in parliament, but less o in the Colaition So many more minor party and independent MPs And each MP now has so many more constituents… Great article/graphs from @browne90.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

How democracy has changed since 1975, in six charts: 1/ The crossbench has grown from 3 in the Senate to 20 in the Senate and 13 in the House, making blocking supply much more difficult than it was for Malcolm Fraser.

Australia gives parties and candidates generous taxpayer funding, but it comes too late -- after the election has already happened. @skyelark.bsky.social describes alternatives that make public funding available to new challengers -- when they can actually use it. On @thepointau.bsky.social

"How Australian democracy has changed since 1975, in six charts" @browne90.bsky.social #OffTheCharts #ThePoint thepoint.com.au/off-the-char...

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