I stand with Randa and everyone standing against hate, genocide, oppression and terror. In all its forms.

My statement regarding my decision to withdraw from this year’s Adelaide Writers Festival.

"Australia’s security and prosperity are best protected in a world that operates by rules and norms. "America’s raid puts that world further at risk." - International & Security Affairs Advisor Allan Behm writing for @thepointau.bsky.social #auspol

Stand up for writers. Stand up for artists. Stand up for courage, rigour, honesty and care. Bring back cultural leadership – and the ability to feel shame when you're devastating cultural institutions and human rights. Defend democracy. Don't let things darken any further. There's too much at stake.

ABC24 has rolled Scott Prasser out to comment on the RC; he has just intoned that Virginia Bell's inquiry into Morrison's secret cabinet ministries found that "he did nothing wrong, by the way", which is .... uh .... not what her inquiry found. It's going to be a long 2026

I will be withdrawing from two panels I was to chair at Adelaide Writers Week 2026. I stand in solidarity with Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, and other Palestinian Australian writers. I urge all writers to do the same. Watch out for statements from SA mob. www.adelaidefestival.com.au/news/2025/ad...

Libraries, museums & festivals getting trashed by cuts & because so many boards now stacked with business people, ex-politicians, incompetents & toadies & one or no arts reps. More & more public & iconic cultural institutions have been taken over, charters abandoned; now being wrecked from the top.

As a former Director of Adelaide Writers' Week I am appalled that the Adelaide Festival Board has rescinded Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to the 2026 AWW, explicitly linking its decision to the shattering crimes in Bondi. A shocking decision that will and should have far-reaching consequences.

Looking at that guest list it seems most unlikely they’ll have a festival now. They must have known that but they did this anyway

What’s the point of writers’ festivals — or, for that matter, writers — if they can’t discuss issues that matter? Australian arts administrators would rather destroy the whole sector than allow Palestinians to speak about genocide. It’s beyond shameful.

The point is that, while criminal proceedings are on foot, a royal commission can't look at anything to do with the Bondi shootings or the shooters, including why and how they did it, that is it can't touch on the subject that is its sole reason for being established. It will achieve nothing.

Statement from @australiainstitute.org.au on Adelaide Festival.

🫂❤️ thank you for your principled stance. I was going to go to the Festival but not any more.

Well, I was going to be on a panel at the Adelaide Writers' Festival but I'm not any more.

AOC: What we saw today was a horrific act of violence. What we have seen and are now seeing is that ICE has not just become an anti-immigrant force—it is becoming an anti-civilian, paramilitary organization. People are being taken off the streets for exercising their free speech rights.

Why is the media staying silent about more than a thousand rank-and-file Labor members calling on the govt to rescind its invitation to Israeli Pres Herzog? Is it bcoz they’re too busy making noise about a small group of former Labor MPs calling for a Royal Commission? #auspol

Finally, the foreign interference which has been obvious for a long time is being named & challenged. What was published is insulting, defamatory, & clearly intended to intimidate & silence critics of Israel's conduct. People in Australia conniving in this should be identified & charged. #Auspol

In the present moment of post-truth, Trump-era America, this excellent documentary about legendary journo Seymour M. Hersh lands with alarming force. My review of Cover-Up

Trump's MO for turning ideas into reality: First float and idea and say "I was joking" if the pushback is too strong. Even if he said he was joking, in a few weeks or months he repeats the same idea, but starts with "many people are saying." Then he signs an Executive Order to implement his idea.

"Iron laws of the world"? Some of America's most important national accomplishments are about leading humanity away from this kind of bullshit. If we let ideologues like Stephen Miller drag us back into a world where brute force is all that matters, all of us will be less safe.

Cathy Wilcox nails it.

Letter to the Age. #auspol #AusMusic #immigration #NoRoomForRacism

Laura Tingle on #ABC has slammed Trump’s actions in Venezuela as an “extraordinary breach of international law.” Says if this is about oil, “well, actually, natural resources belong to the country where they come from.” 💥 #Venezuela

I wonder how many illegal acts of war Americans will commit before we stop calling them our greatest ally. We should stand with the people of Venezuela, condemn Trump & demand he return their President. Sitting back & calling for “dialogue” is tantamount to applause. #Venezuela

For anyone still wondering if @abcnews staff received the same memo as those at the @BBC, wonder no more! #auspol #ukpolitics #Venezuela #Maduro #HowToWhiteWashWarCrimes #Pathetic

How grotesque. At a time where we need positive political leadership that brings us together, unites us, protects our social cohesion & multiculturalism these dills seek to exploit tragedy, division and fear. Shame on them all.

I remain persistently mad at the way these articles present human-written music and machine-plagiarism-of-human-written music as if they're just two different creative processes that are equally valid. They are not. The latter will never exist without the former

Pressed on why she won’t support urgent gun reform following the Bondi massacre, Sussan Ley dismisses it as a “distraction”. Will any sports stars or people in business complain about that?

Today in @australia.theguardian.com

Cartoon by Nick Anderson

"We will be monitoring this delicate situation to make sure there is no unnecessary loss of innocent oil” chaser.com.au/world/ally-l...

youtu.be/n0pcM30pjgQ?... #Music #NZ #NewZealand

Trump campaigned on an “America First” platform. Now he wants to "run" Venezuela? 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Health care is collapsing. Housing is unaffordable. Trump should address these major crises at home and end his illegal military adventurism abroad.

Laura Tingle with a bit of Australian understatement: “It’s not really legal to nick someone else’s head of state.”

The kidnapping of Maduro and the attack on Venezuela are blatant violations of international law and the Constitution. Republicans must stop enabling lawlessness and stand up now.

Vintage Golding from today's Melbourne Age.

Statement on US aggression in Venezuela

Kenyan farmers secure right to share local seeds in court ruling. How did we allow ourselves to get to the point where it's illegal to keep some of your crop to plant as seeds for next season? Vulture capitalists who patent seeds are the problem. www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

"Art is our weapon. Culture is a form of resistance..." Shirin Neshat, Iranian artist #WomensArt

Oil & gas steel platforms like skyscrapers in our Bass Strait oceans since ‘60s, decommissioned. Exxon Mobil & Woodside remove your junk. We don’t want your fake ‘artificial reefs’ with arsenic & mercury ‘traces’ but our clean seabed back. Thanks & go.

Do yourselves a favour - have a listen to Yolgnu surf music 😃 #KingStingRay youtu.be/6nHnlCEX3d0?...

The mass of CO₂ humans put into the atmosphere in 2025 is 4x the mass of all plastic humans have ever produced.

Here's an idea, @albomp.bsky.social : set your reform agenda in the context of fighting #inequality, to benefit all. You know, like Labor did in the old days. #auspol

Mamdani: ‘We will replace the rugged frigidity of individualism with the warmth of collectivism.’ That is the most hopeful statement for a long time that has been uttered by someone who can act on it. May his sentiments and bravery resonate around the 🌏. We need to work collectively to survive. 🕊️HNY

Happy New Resistance Year— I 💚💚💚💚💚 that! Let's double down on asking, What's the public interest in this decision/initiative/policy? Who does this serve? Who does this benefit? Who wears the cost? Do we stand for this?

Hi @mozilla.org Foundation, thanks for your email. I'd love if my donation could, "Push back against the unchecked power of irresponsible tech companies and demand tech that uplifts rather than extracts", but don't see how Firefox joining the AI bandwagon aligns with this No thanks

🌏🕊️🌳🌊🐸🙂💚

The successful person can teach other people