“Labor sources have told ABC Investigations the prime minister's office has been putting pressure on advocates for gambling reform within the parliamentary Labor party to prevent them from speaking up.” Nice way to use your mandate guys 👏🏽

Things keep going from bad to worse for horses in the racing industry yet the media, politicians and their mates in toxic gambling companies continue to pretend everything is okay. This is a stain on our nation.

What’s this? Yet more research concluding that robust public investment in the arts yields economic benefits? A great outcome for Ireland, and a rebuke to all those tired cliches about freeloading artists sapping the resources of the state. But also, art enriches us all, economic benefits or no.

Classic Blair. He is now proposing himself as the Empire's Regent of Gaza. A war criminal himself, he demands a five year appointment to run the site of Israel's genocide on behalf of Donald Trump in the finest tradition of White Settler Colonial projects www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Age yourself with a movie you saw in a theater as a kid.

You can't be a centrist under a fascist regime. You're either fighting, or facilitating. There's no secret third thing. Except dead, I suppose.

Sadly “AI is the future” is true in the same way as “gas is a transition fuel”; not because of any science-fictive ability to predict the future, but it can be made true by the billions spent on marketing and the capture of governments.

We reiterate our stance: freedom of expression is a fundamental right. Read the full statement from @asauthors.bsky.social on Bendigo Writers Festival and the issue of code of conduct overreach. www.asauthors.org.au/news/bendigo...

No TISM, Clouds, Falling Joys, Frente, Models, Kate Miller-Heidke, Lucksmiths, Deadstar, Jebediah, Fauves, Hummingbirds, Tumbleweed, Underground Lovers, Died Pretty, Rocket Science, Radio Birdman, Saints, Custard, Cordrazine, Triffids, Sunnyboys, Drones, Eddy Current Suppression Ring… #hottest100

Yes, it's called genocide.

Seriously the best Oz literary journal. I've been amazed & humbled they've published my stuff. Tbh it's the only journal I ever think of. They've gone hard on support for Palestine & if you value literature in Australia you have to value Overland. Stellar editors & integrity thru the roof.

This is not just a strategic undermining of cultural authority, it is also a clear and harmful violation of the sovereignty, self-determination and integrity of black&write!’s fellowship processes which have been successfully delivered every year since the inception of the black&write! fellowships.

In 2016 I was one of the winners of the Black&Write! fellowships/awards. It was a life changing award, leading to the publication of my Terra Nullius and all the awards, accolades, and publications I have achieved since. Without B&W and the SLQ I wouldn't be a writer ... 1/

They can rescind my award, take away my prize money, rip up the contract but I was still one of two winners of the prestigious Blak & Write Fellowship for 2025. A panel of peers read my manuscript, and selected my work as worthy of winning. Haters can not rob me of Blak joy

The unprecedented strike on Khan Younis is profoundly distressing – tens of thousands forced to flee under evacuation orders, while humanitarian zones are bombarded. Australia must sanction the Netanyahu government.

“Vehicles with higher, more vertical front ends pose greater risk to pedestrians. Vehicles with especially tall front ends are most dangerous to pedestrians, but a blunt profile makes medium-height vehicles deadly too.” Deadly by design. And they know it. www.iihs.org/news/detail/...

This is shocking (but also not), scary, and absolutely heartbreaking. But also, Adrift Lab are doing some amazing work, great to see it highlighted here, and supported by @senatorsurfer.bsky.social www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05...

Drive it like you stole it, stop fucking around, deal with climate change, poverty, and deal with inequality to pay for it. Deal with industry transition, deal with education costs, accept that large investments in ourselves today pay for more than themselves in the future. And dental in Medicare

I've just signed the global statement on AI training. “The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.” You can sign also: www.aitrainingstatement.org @austlit.bsky.social

I wrote to the law firm running one of the class actions against Meta/Facebook for stealing IP (they fed all of my books into their LLM. Got a good result: Hello John — Thanks for your message about the LibGen dataset and the Kadrey v. Meta class action.

This is a dark day for Australia’s environment and our democracy. Last night’s passing of amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act weakens the protection of our natural treasures, rammed through by a govt which promised greater protection.

Isn't it WILD that much of the national reporting and graphics - ABC, The Guardian, the BOM itself is focusing on the impact #cyclonealfred will have on SEQ ... little if any mention of northern NSW. Um hello, cyclones don't care about your colonial borders???

The first thing I have read or heard from a sitting MP that echoes the concerns and conversations I’ve been having everywhere, with everyone, unprompted, for weeks now. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Mum, 82 this year, recently moved to the coast. A lifetime handline fisherwoman, she saw another woman at the river, rod fishing on her own. "That looks like a nice thing to do," she said. "Maybe I can learn". Thinking we'll get the step-grandkids to teach her on the weekend.

Lots of great quotes in this Tom Robbins obit, as you would expect, but my fave is from Alexa Robbins “He was surrounded by family and loyal pets.” Rest easy. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/f...

He's been a multi-millionaire property developer for 35 years, almost all of his life For a brief 8½ in his 20s he was a suburban cop, a boring standard nobody cop He's traded & lived off that ever since Let's stop playing his game, call him what he is - a multi-millionaire property developer

Sat by the river yesterday, tide dropping, watching five pelicans feasting on fish in the shallows, marvelling at their beaks: strange, slightly ridiculous and oh-so-majestic. Note to self: spend more time watching pelicans.

In 2023, Australia's 37 public universities had 198 executives on salaries above $500,000 Collectively, unis also spent $734 million on consultants & professional services With all that, uni execs continue to be unsuccessful at reversing 🇦🇺's chronic underfunding in higher education & research

UniMelb has at least 14 staff with pay packets over $500k. That’s more than the Premier of Victoria. And yet all of our staff research and engagement budgets have been reduced to $0 in the Faculty of Arts this year www.smh.com.au/national/hig...

Spotted on Tweed Valley Way - “Pootanky” - making the most of a shitty job 💩 😎

Today Live Nation told Parliament it isn’t to blame for expensive gigs. Whatever the case, our analysis shows festival prices have increased an average of 270%. Without change, live music will become a luxury beyond the reach of everyday Australians. australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-car...

Competently absurd the government drops its anti-gambling reforms the same week it tries to ram through the social media ban and we’re supposed to believe it takes “protecting kids” seriously. Both decisions are about delivering for Australian media companies, there isn’t much more to it.

If you're worried about the government crashing through legislation that involves lots more money to major parties for electioneering with less transparency and no truth in political advertising laws, sign @australiainstitute.org.au's petition : nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donations_bi...

"We can rejoin ourselves in creative responsibility and participation with what we call 'Nature' — which is also ourselves—or we can die with it." Judith Wright, prophetic as always (from the author's foreword to 'Because I was Invited', a collection of prose from 1954–1974 published in 1975).

Relatedly... The co-author of a study cited by Michelle Rowland in arguing for a teen social media ban says his research does not justify the policy, suggesting the government has “misunderstood” the paper. www.crikey.com.au/2024/11/20/t...

When your Naomi is Klein you are doing fine. Naomi Klein is here. The resistance is here.

Seems kinda crazy to me that THE OUTRUN has such a limited release in Oz. Saoirse Ronan is in it FFS! And -Orkney! It is thoughtful, thought-provoking and bloody beautiful. Immersive. The soundscapes are really something too. Get on it people. www.palacecinemas.com.au/movies/bff24...

In one place for your convenience: Aus writers, publishers et al. pack 1 (full) go.bsky.app/AqicagE Aus writers, publishers et al. pack 2 (still growing) go.bsky.app/Nhxw9CE Aus writers, publishers et al. combined into a list (ongoing) bsky.app/profile/did:... Let me know if you want to be added

Just discovered Radical Face has a new album “Mixtape” & its great & my partner has councidentally dressed for the occasion & 16 yellow-tailed black cockatoos just flew overhead so Saturday arvo is going well!

The Halt and Catch Fire/Mutiny vibes of this place are helping with the withdrawals (from the tv show, not that other site). Think I may have broken through the 4th wall? #thehoweofitall

Thousands of kilometres of underwater forests experts describe as a "biological engine" are under threat of disappearing unnoticed, with potentially devastating implications for hundreds of marine species. www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

Shout out to Ben and Ian from Gomez (& pal Buddy) + special mention to thunderstorm on percussion. They played their hearts out for an all-ages crowd of <100 at MArts in Mur'bah last night, such a delight, even with the leaky roof. They're in Adelaide tonight, Sydney tomorrow - highly recommend.

Here she is - Narla the staffy-kelpie-coolie-beagle-chihuahua-dingo etc X. Very grateful to have her as we almost lost her to a paralysis tick a few weeks ago.

Been ducking in and out for a while, now riding the wave. Feels like there are a few familiar faces I haven't seen for a bit - hello!! I suspect I'll mostly reshare stuff, but might throw in a few pics of my dog, and the sea, perhaps the garden-in-progress. It's a blank slate, so we'll see! Liss x

This is an excellent, rich, and thoughtful essay on the subject from Jeanine Leane and Elizabeth Smyth, containing five very useful tips from Jeanine Leane for non-Indigenous authors (including checking out AustLit's BlackWords). www.austlit.edu.au/blackwords