Beautiful understatement from the ABC as yet another "cost cutting" uni finds money for management consultants: "By 2025 UTS had paid [leadership coach] Beyond Excellence $1,487,461. "The same year a motion of no confidence in the vice-chancellor's leadership passed with support from 95 per cent "

What we know -- thanks to FOI -- about Mike Pezzullo misconduct at Home Affairs, from @mrrexpatrick.bsky.social Contempt for democracy: "Parliamentary route is now contaminated with few exceptions. We need to build a meritocracy by stealth and run government from the bureaucracy."

"It was sectoral bargaining (a collective, solidaristic right) and not copyright (an individual, commercial right) that saw off AI in the Hollywood writers' strike." Cory Doctorow on artificial intelligence pluralistic.net/2026/04/02/l...

scarred me for life this movie. I will be much more circumspect about Claude now

#NoPunchesPulled #Exclusive. Coming to Michael West Media - the explosive report into Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo’s serious breaches of the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct that led to his sacking and subsequent stripping of his Order of Australia. #FOI #auspol

Australia is a Westminster democracy, but our parliaments don't need (and haven't always had) a "two-party system". Labor began as crossbench "balance of power" upstart. Most successful "party" of last 100 yrs is the Coalition. Independents have formed Govt, and Opposition.

Glenn Connley doing a great job of filling in for @amyremeikis.bsky.social on The Point Live blog (live.thepoint.com.au#efe25d381a), covering the parliamentary sitting in #auspol. The first post of the day is straight into it...

Last year Labor and Liberal passed rushed, unscrutinised changes to Australian electoral law -- but with welcome transparency improvements for political donations. They've had to delay the introduction by six months, now starting 1 Jan next year. live.thepoint.com.au?post=37a9582...

Summary of the Anthropic "forum" on Artificial Intelligence up at Parliament house (more of a presentation; no audience questions allowed): The firm emphasises that Artificial Intelligence is growing exponentially, so you cannot assume that AI's limits today will be its limits in a year's time.

Arielle Gamble on @thepointau.bsky.social writes about philanthropic giving from tax-deductible funds. Only 5% (rising to 6%) of the money must be dispersed each year, meaning that money is moving too slowly for the urgency of the problems we face. thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

Update on the push for an expanded Parliament so Aussies get better representation, more access to local MP: Libs and Nats opposed even though they need the fresh blood. PM Albanese hasn't endorsed the idea, not rejected either. Expanding Parl is "what Labor greats do" says Labor's Don Farrell.

Can patriotism be progressive? Politicians are increasingly talking about a patriotism that celebrates Australia's strengths and virtues, but is multicultural -- and even interested in international order and cooperation. live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

Artist Nordacious targeted under new Queensland laws that ban saying two phrases associated with Palestine solidarity. Similar laws have been over-zealously enforced, e.g. police action against people displaying "Nazi symbols" not to glorify Nazism, but to criticise pollies.

Preferences, including from progressive voters, will decide whether Liberal or One Nation win the SA seat of Narungga. Currently 49.9%/50.1% two-candidate preferred ... about as close as it gets! More on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan breaks from his party (and the Govt) by calling for "mercy" for children stuck in Syrian camp. Labor MPs have "grumbled" anonymously, and on the Iran War are "silently alarmed". Australia is unusual in its high levels of party discipline.

One Nation's success at the South Australian election puts them in line for $6 to $7 million in taxpayer funding -- most of it thanks to the electoral changes the Malinauskas Labor Govt passed last term. By comparison, One Nation spent $3.3m *nationally* ahead of 2025 election.

Albanese Government keeps putting its hand on the hotplate -- as the Bureau of Meteorology goes back to the same consulting firm that bungled the last BOM website redesign. More details on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

The Senate committee looking at climate and energy lies and untruths handed its report yesterday -- Labor, Greens and Liberal on the same page. The Liberal senator, Andrew McLachlan, went further than Labor and called for truth in political advertising laws.

As ABC journos go on strike, a reminder of the difference their reporting makes -- long list of inquiries and Royal Commissions that only happened thanks to their investigative journalism. Review into private hospital the latest e.g. live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

1,001 days ago, Labor's Peta Murphy won universal support for gambling ad ban: Labor, Lib, Nat, indie backed it. Australian voters overwhelmingly supported it. All Labor Govt has to do is legislate it. @mhharrington.bsky.social on @thepointau.bsky.social: live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

Great piece on how Aus coal and gas decisions impact Asian countries. NSW stopped coal mines. Korea will end coal sooner. Feat Solutions for Our Climate in @newcastleherald.bsky.social www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/920499...

The idea that only some seats matter in an election was conventional wisdom just a few years ago. Now Premier Malinauskas, reflecting on SA election, warns: “If you think there is still such a thing as a safe seat, you’re deluding yourself.” live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

Strong criticism from constitutional expert Anne Twomey on @theshot.net.au of Liberal-Labor changes to Aus democracy: Spending caps with loopholes for major parties; "Big funds of money" that the majors get access to outside donation caps; No advance funding for independents or new parties.

Triumph for the Labor Govt in this weekend's SA election. Liberals beaten in primary vote by One Nation. Libs tacitly endorsed their greatest threat by preferencing One Nation ahead of Labor; ON did not return favour. More on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

Backseat driver. My @smh cartoon.

Again. Australian Government secrecy and betrayal: “The 125-page report, ………..highlights a slew of embarrassing and concerning problems with the service. It was handed down to the government in June last year, but remained secret until we obtained it under FOI this year.”

SA's donation laws ban donations to political candidates, but let big lobbies and pressure groups raise and spend money. Third parties in the race include Turning Point Australia, anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe, Australian Christian Lobby, GetUp, and Christopher Pyne.

Up to 250,000 NSW gun owners say they need a firearm to hunt or play sports - but only 36,000 actually did either. What are they doing with their guns? We don't know. This is the 'gaping hole' in Australia's gun laws: www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

South Australian Liberals say voting for an independent like McBride, Bell, Cregan or Speirs is is an "unlucky dip" because you don't know what you're getting ... Very funny when it's the Liberals who preselected every one of those indies. (They're all party defectors.)

Key chart: at most 35,000 people actually go hunting or target shooting. But about 250,000 list this as the reason they need to have a gun.

New Nationals leader Matt Canavan once called Queen Elizabeth II and the Wiggles "woke", and now Pauline Hanson has returned the favour -- says Canavan criticising her Islamophobic comments is part of "woke pile-on".

Subsidies to mining companies growing faster than the NDIS, child care, aged care. Australian gov fossil fuel subsidies now at $30,000 every minute of every day. Great piece on @australiainstitute.org.au latest research www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The right-wing Institute of Public Affairs and the Herald Sun's political editor James Campbell have (separately) called for +100 MPs, increasing the House of Reps to about 250 members. Would improve representation, quality of service, deepen the talent pool.

Over their voting life, a 70-year-old would have seen representation halve: from sharing an MP with 62,000 other voters in 1974 to 121,000 voters in 2025. Albanese Govt is contemplating an increase, which is good -- but on the smaller end would only get us back to 2019 levels.

The Liberals made an extraordinary allegation yesterday -- that PM Albanese used last year's cut in Opposition staff as leverage for his freedom of information crackdown. According to Senator Bragg, Govt tried to do a deal: support the FOI Bill "in exchange for" more staff.

The Farrer by-election, now scheduled for May 9th, could be a four-cornered or even five-cornered contest. Who will the candidates be and how will the race play out? I took a look on @thepointau.bsky.social thepoint.com.au/explainers/2...

Today, the Albanese Government pulled its ‘friendless’ Freedom of Information Amendment Bill. The bill saw widespread opposition - what made the bill so bad? Read the full piece on The Point: https://theaus.in/4rPfUxM

The Albanese Government's case for crackdown on FOI fell apart when it became clear that there is no "flood" of FOI requests. Case load is about the same as 20 years ago. The extra costs and delays are a result of FOI officers spending their time trying to block access and censor documents.

Extraordinary from the Liberal Party's 2025 election review: not all shadow ministers are "equipped" to develop policy. Their main job is to "cultivate relationships" with interest groups, who are "keen to assist in policy development". Private donors are keen to assist too.

Labor's secretive and restrictive changes to freedom of information law have failed in the Senate, with the Govt admitting defeat by pulling the bill. Opposition, Greens and independents held firm, saying law reform is needed -- but it must be genuine and consultative.

lulz, the SMH is announcing it is re-opening its China bureau almost exactly 3 years since they said we could be at war with China in... *checks notes*... 3 years

In the EU there is a court of justice approved list of animal adjacent names you can use in different countries. Peanut butter is fine everywhere Creme de menthe in French speaking countries Etc This stuff is truly ridiculous. No one is getting confused by "soy milk".

Over on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog, @australiainstitute.org.au have been breaking down the Liberal Party's 2025 election review -- which the Prime Minister leaked last night because he'd rather talk about that than anything else happening in the world.

Almost half of Australians now say they intend to vote for minor parties and independents -- up from 34% at last year's election. Even before One Nation's meteoric (though to-date only speculative) rise, the 2025 election was a high point.

Management consultants yet to be properly regulated -- but two private senators' bills (from Green @barbarapocock.bsky.social and Liberal Richard Colbeck) are trying to rein them in. More from Connor Pearce in The Mandarin www.themandarin.com.au/306444-crack...

Dairy lobby is trying to stop people from describing almond milk, oat milk and the like as "milk". As always, coconuts – with their milk, cream and meat – are let off the hook. They’re not even nuts! More on this nonsense on @thepointau.bsky.social live blog: live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

But what will happen to steel wool????? Nice post by @browne90.bsky.social live.thepoint.com.au

Excellent work by @skyelark.bsky.social on how many guns are stockpiled in each postcode of Sydney live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...

With South Australia’s election less than three weeks away, you might expect the state’s strict new donation ban would stop the political parties from fundraising. No chance.

The Liberal Party is keeping secret its election review and the recommendations coming from it, even though the party has accepted the recommendations. Report author Pru Goward says supporters and donors deserve to know what went wrong and what should change. live.thepoint.com.au/2026/03/the-...