Greg Jerico: “Australia does not have an official poverty line and so we rely only on the 1972 definition of the Henderson Poverty Line, which is not comparable to international measures. Even given that, a single person on jobseeker is living about 40% below the poverty line.”

“But little by little, a small miracle took place. The people of Borja rallied around Giménez, congregating outside her house to applaud her, and the town became a popular, if unlikely, tourist destination.” Vale, Cecilia Giménez

When 15 people are massacred by terrorists in Bondi, Netanyahu blames Albanese - and the media follows his cue. But Netanyahu commits mass murder and enforced starvation every day, and it’s silence from Albanese and our media (oh, except for a ceremonial invitation to Israel’s pres). Pretty stark.

“Aust Bureau of Statistics reveal just how much average Australian earns. Being “rich” might not see you living like Kardashian but we need to acknowledge that earning more than 90% people puts you in top 10%, & much of tax system is geared to benefit you.” www.theguardian.com/business/gro....

It most definitely does when the median personal income in Australia is half that and the Bureau of Statistics appears to have stopped publishing personal income in quintiles. This avoids seeing the spread of #wealth.

In this New Year’s Day video, I explain why the neoliberal myth of “free markets” is not just wrong, but actively destructive — and why rebuilding the state, rethinking capital and restoring democratic accountability must define our economic direction for 2026. youtu.be/vAkkZXfxb9Y?...

Displaced people in Gaza warn new restrictions on aid group will 'lead to catastrophe' in devastated enclave.

Schools desperately need teacher librarians, lessons in digital literacy, critical thinking and habits of questioning. #AusPol #libraries

We can do so much better than this www.theguardian.com/environment/.... This draconian crap makes me so angry.

Extraordinary, breathtaking imagery. But deeply upsetting ecological change is underway, that will impact communities and culture. This is the very real impact of climate change. And yet, Australian governments keep approving fossil fuel development projects. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Nuanced, sensitive and insightful, as always. This piece is well worth reading and sharing. Thank you, @timhollo.bsky.social. Here's to a kinder world in 2026, that doesn't avoid but embraces and navigates complex issues thoughtfully and compassionately. in-between-days.ghost.io/holding-comp...

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 23: We're all on a learning curve. Every writer, at whatever stage of their career - is on a learning curve. The minute you forget that - either to shit on a less experienced writer, or to refuse to be edited, or to ignore criticism - is the moment you start to suck.

Mark Zuckerberg earned just $1 at Meta in 2024. Elon Musk made $0 at Tesla. They're not alone. A tax law professor explains how the ultrawealthy legally avoid income taxes while their wealth grows by billions annually.

Calls to strip pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah of his British citizenship pile torment on top of torture. New piece by me on a dangerous and manufactured storm: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Very disappointing the Albanese Govt has refused to accept the full suite of recommendations from the Briggs Review designed to stop the jobs for mates culture in federal politics. No surprise there is such low trust in politicians! Communities constantly call for more integrity but are ignored.

Murdoch’s outlets still set agendas, still dominate news cycles, still exert psychological pressure well beyond their shrinking circulation numbers, writes Jason Koutsoukis. What has changed is the veto power — the assumption that certain reforms are simply off-limits. satpa.pe/HD0Jzyh

Israeli president Isaac Herzog should be banned from visiting Australia and I support all protests against him

Israel has banned Medecins Sans Frontieres from operating in Gaza, rounding off a banner year for inhumanity.

#TruthTelling #Indigenous #Australia

While the media continues to whip up a frenzy over a royal commission into the Bondi attack, the chief of staff to Chris Minns fought a summons to appear to a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry to answer questions about the Dural carvan hoax -- and won. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Immigrants are not the reason there’s a housing crisis. They’re not the reason ERs are full and people don’t have healthcare. They’re not the reason food is so expensive. They’re the scapegoat. As long as you blame immigrants, you won’t realize the 1% are taking everything.

Our doors will open tomorrow - one final time before we kiss 2025 BUBBYE! Trading 9am-2pm, 394 Samford Rd, Gaythorne (next to BUTTER cafe) 🦩 | nordacious.com

Please sign and share.

Let’s forget politics for a moment and look closely at how the winged maple seeds called samaras shake off rain drops. Mechanical engineering professor Andrew Dickerson of the University of Tennessee has been doing just that: buff.ly/qHUTfAm

10 simple, science-backed tips. www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/he...

100% RCs also take years to complete Totally useless in this case

I am sorry but I am not impressed by politicians turning up on Christmas Day to hand out food to the disadvantaged. (There's always a camera present isn't there?) They should do their fucking day job and alleviate poverty. They have the power and the means, just not the political will.

Those that are calling for a Royal Commission into the Bondi Beach massacre need to understand that politicians only hold such Commissions when they want to create an appearance of action while doing bugger all. History has proved that. Deaths in Custody, Robodebt etc. etc.

Here are four of my most popular cartoons on 2025

Doesn't it strike you as strange that the people who shout long and loud that America is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles are the very people who don't want Christ's teachings of tolerance, pacifism, and generosity codified in law?

"We should be destroying these things whenever we see them" Thank you Seth Rogen

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"Australia is one of the lowest taxed countries in the developed world… If Australia decided to leap from being a low tax country to imposing the average tax rate of OECD countries, we would collect an additional $132 billion per year." satpa.pe/7yF9yxX

The RSF militia, backed by the United Arab Emirates, has slaughtered countless civilians in Sudan. The US keeps selling arms to the UAE despite their support for these crimes. And Trump only cares about cutting deals with the Emiratis. Enough. No more weapons for war crimes.

"One Word Describes Trump" www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv... I missed this on its first trip around, then saw it on the "most popular with readers" list for 2025. Recommended, despite the cheesy headline. Especially valuable if you have ever compared him to a mob boss. [Gift link]

“Nothing I’m going through compares to any of the parents I sit with who’ve lost their children…I chose to take on the biggest companies in the world, to hold them accountable, to speak truth to power. There is a cost attached to that. My family understands that. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

I think of driving change is like laying a stone path in a garden. Not every stone is a big mass mobilization protest, but maybe every 4th or 6th or Xth. We also need non-cooperation, political education, litigation, community support networks, direct action, and much more. But protest is critical.

“According to historians and political scientists who study protest: very. From emancipation to women’s suffrage, from civil rights to Black Lives Matter, mass movement has shaped the arc of American history.” @justprotest.bsky.social

British-Egyptian writer and pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has arrived in the UK www.bbc.com/news/article...

The concentration of wealth in the hands of an elite few isn't just bad for our economy. It's corrosive to our democracy. When the wealthy and well-connected control our political system, the American people don't have a voice. The result is demagoguery and corruption.

What a great selection of images… www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

Casual reminder that the myth of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is a cruel hoax designed to convince poor people from all walks of life that the injustices they face are a result of their own actions, rather than an oppressive system rigged against them.

Looks like a Royal Commission is on the cards. Terms of Reference will be important. Will it: •Examine the role of religious extremism in a secular society? . The impact of Israeli genocide, imperialism, and apartheid on domestic politics? . The influence of Israel on MPs?

Minns fails to understand that real democracy requires concerned citizens demonstrating against inhumanity, genocide, apartheid, colonialism and misuse of power. A Labor Premier must not sacrifice democratic rights on the altar of ill informed, short term, knee jerk reactions.

Labor must critically analyse the effect on democracy and the right to protest of adopting the Segal report recommendations. Conflating antisemitism with legitimate opposition to Israeli govt genocide, apartheid and breaches of international law would be a grave mistake.